Printer Cost Per Page Calculator
Work out what every printed page really costs you: toner or ink, drum and paper. Enter the prices you pay, compare two printers side by side, and see how long a dearer printer takes to pay for itself. Rated yields are filled in for common printers in Pakistan; prices are yours, because they change with the rupee.
Enter the 26X price you pay to see the cost per page.
Enter the 12A price you pay to see the cost per page.
How the calculation works
- Toner or ink per page = what you pay for the cartridge, refill or bottle ÷ the pages it prints.
- Drum per page = drum price ÷ drum pages, for printers that keep the drum separate (Brother, HP M227fdn). On most HP LaserJets the drum is inside the cartridge, so it is already counted.
- Paper per page = ream price ÷ 500, halved for pages printed double-sided.
- Payback = the extra purchase price of the cheaper-to-run printer ÷ what it saves each month.
Rated yields assume about 5% page coverage — a typical page of text. Pages with heavy graphics use more toner, and refilled cartridges often print somewhat fewer pages than a new one, so treat the result as a best case and compare printers on the same basis.
Rated yields used in the calculator
| Printer | Supply | Rated pages |
|---|---|---|
| HP LaserJet 1020 | 12A | 2,000 |
| HP LaserJet P2035 | 05A | 2,300 |
| HP LaserJet P2055dn | 05X | 6,500 |
| HP LaserJet P1606dn | 78A | 2,100 |
| HP LaserJet 107 / 108 series | 107A | 1,000 |
| HP LaserJet Pro M402dne | 26X | 9,000 |
| HP LaserJet Pro M404dn | 59X | 10,000 |
| HP LaserJet Pro MFP M227fdn | 30X + 32A drum | 3,500 (drum 23,000) |
| HP LaserJet Pro MFP M426dn | 26X | 9,000 |
| HP LaserJet Enterprise M507 | 89Y | 20,000 |
| HP LaserJet Enterprise M608 | 37Y | 41,000 |
| Canon LBP2900B | 303 | 2,000 |
| Canon LBP6030 | 325 | 1,600 |
| Samsung Xpress M2029 | MLT-D111S | 1,000 |
| Kyocera ECOSYS P2135dn | TK-170 | 7,200 |
| Brother HL-1212W | TN-1000 + DR-1000 drum | 1,000 (drum 10,000) |
| Epson EcoTank (black pages) | 003 black bottle | 4,500 |
What the numbers usually show
- High-yield cartridges win by a wide margin. A printer that costs more to buy but takes a 9,000–41,000-page cartridge often pays back its price within months in an office. See the cheapest printers to run.
- On a high-yield laser, paper is usually the biggest cost per page — so double-sided printing saves more than switching toner brands. Our double-sided printing guide shows how on any printer.
- Print shops: compare your cost per page with what you charge per copy before you choose a machine — see starting a photocopy shop.
- Small 1,000-page cartridges on entry printers make the cheapest printer to buy the dearest to run. Read how to reduce office printing costs.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate a printer's cost per page?
Divide what you pay for a toner cartridge, refill or ink bottle by the number of pages it prints (its rated yield), add the drum cost per page if the drum is separate, and add the paper cost per sheet (ream price ÷ 500). The total is the cost of one printed page.
What is a good cost per page for a laser printer?
It depends on the cartridge: high-yield cartridges such as HP 26X, 59X, 89Y and 37Y print 9,000–41,000 pages, so toner costs a fraction of a small 1,000-page cartridge. For most offices, paper ends up costing more per page than toner on a high-yield laser.
Is refilling toner cheaper per page?
Usually yes, if the refill is done properly and gives close to the rated yield. Enter the refill price instead of a new cartridge price in the calculator to compare. A poor refill that prints fewer pages, or damages the drum, can cost more per page.
Why does double-sided printing lower the cost?
Toner use stays the same, but each double-sided page uses half a sheet of paper. Set the share of pages you print double-sided and the calculator reduces the paper cost accordingly.
Link to this calculator
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Last updated 2026-10-09 · Built by Umair Mustafa at Printerwaala, a printer sales and repair shop on 6th Road, Rawalpindi.