How to Calculate Cost Per Page for Printer Ink: 2 Methods

The Cost Per Page Formula

Both Inkjets.com and Toner Buzz present the same core equation:

Cost per page (CPP) = cartridge price ÷ page yield

Page yield is the number of pages the manufacturer rates a cartridge or bottle set to print — you'll find it on the packaging or the manufacturer's spec sheet. On our printer-ink rankings, the yield is printed directly in the listing title, so the division is mechanical. That's the entire premise of this site: we track the price, we track the unit, and we publish the price-per-unit math behind every ranking in how it works.

Two inputs, one division. The mistakes happen when people substitute the wrong inputs — sticker price instead of per-page cost, or a bundled yield where a per-cartridge yield belongs.

Step-by-Step: Black Ink Cost Per Page

1. Write down the price you'll actually pay today. Not MSRP, not a launch price — the current number on the listing.
2. Find the rated page yield. For example, the Faslvink refill set in our database lists 30K pages right in the title.
3. Divide. Faslvink's set costs $16.99 at Amazon, so 16.99 ÷ 30,000 = $0.000566 per page.

Now run the same division on a cheaper-looking listing. The st@r ink Replacement for Epson 502 set costs $14.97 — $2.02 less at checkout — but it's rated for 10K pages: 14.97 ÷ 10,000 = $0.001497 per page. The cheaper sticker is the more expensive ink. Comparing prices instead of dividing price by yield is the single most common error in ink shopping.

How to Calculate Color Cost Per Page

Color complicates the formula because four cartridges drain at once. There are two accepted methods.

Method 1 — Sum of four (LD Products). Calculate each cartridge's CPP separately, then add all four together:

Total color CPP = (black price ÷ black yield) + (cyan price ÷ cyan yield) + (magenta price ÷ magenta yield) + (yellow price ÷ yellow yield)

LD Products notes that cyan, magenta, and yellow cartridges usually share the same page yield, while black usually rates slightly higher. When that holds, the formula collapses to (black price ÷ black yield) + 3 × (one color price ÷ one color yield).

Method 2 — Multiply by three (Toner Buzz). Calculate the black CPP first, then calculate a single color cartridge's CPP, then multiply that color figure by three to account for the three color cartridges.

The difference matters when the color cartridges don't price identically. The multiply-by-three method assumes they do; the sum-of-four method captures whatever the cartridges actually cost. If your cyan, magenta, and yellow list different prices, sum all four.

Bottle sets skip this step entirely. Multi-color refill sets carry one bundled yield that already aggregates every bottle. The Trokliey 5-pack for Epson ET-2850, ET-3760, and ET-3850 costs $24.99 for a listed 19K pages: 24.99 ÷ 19,000 = $0.001315 per page, colors included. The OKGO!INK 522 set works out cheaper still — $20.99 across 18K pages, so 20.99 ÷ 18,000 = $0.001166 per page. We break that line out in detail in Epson 522 ink cost per page (2026 data).

Should You Include Paper Cost?

If you want a fully loaded per-page figure, add your paper cost per sheet:

Fully loaded CPP = ink CPP + paper price per sheet

For comparing cartridges against each other, keep the figure ink-only — paper cost is identical across every cartridge you're evaluating, so including it adds noise, not signal. Use the fully loaded version when you're pricing a print job or billing output. The Trokliey set's $0.001315 ink figure plus your per-sheet paper cost is your true cost to put a page in hand.

The Math in Practice: One 30,000-Page Job, Three Different Bills

Here's why the division matters, using current listings from our database. Print 30,000 pages with each of these third-party compatible sets:

• Faslvink's 30,000-page refill set →: 1 × $16.99 = $16.99
• st@r ink 10K set: 3 × $14.97 = $44.91
• inkalfa T522 7.5K set for the ET-2800: 4 × $16.99 = $67.96

The inkalfa set carries the same $16.99 sticker as the Faslvink set but one quarter the rated yield (7,500 vs 30,000 pages), so it costs exactly 4× per page: 16.99 ÷ 7,500 = $0.002265 versus 16.99 ÷ 30,000 = $0.000566. Same job, $67.96 versus $16.99 — a $50.97 spread from identical sticker prices.

The formula is brand-agnostic, too. The SuppliesMAX compatible cartridge for the Brother DCP-8070 costs $25.99 at Newegg for a listed 12K pages: 25.99 ÷ 12,000 = $0.002166 per page. Run the same division regardless of what's in the box.

For tactics that go beyond the arithmetic — picking higher-yield SKUs, switching to refillable systems — read 4 ways to cut your printer ink cost per page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the formula for cost per page for printer ink?

CPP = cartridge price ÷ page yield. A $16.99 bottle set rated for 30,000 pages costs 16.99 ÷ 30,000 = $0.000566 per page. Inkjets.com and Toner Buzz both publish this same equation.

How do I calculate cost per page for color printing with four cartridges?

Two methods. LD Products' approach: compute each cartridge's CPP and add all four together. Toner Buzz's approach: compute one color cartridge's CPP and multiply by three. Use the sum-of-four method when the cyan, magenta, and yellow cartridges carry different prices or yields.

Should paper cost be included in cost per page?

Include it when you need a fully loaded figure — ink CPP plus your paper price per sheet. Exclude it when comparing cartridges, since paper costs the same regardless of which ink you buy. A set like Trokliey's $24.99, 19K-page pack (24.99 ÷ 19,000 = $0.001315/page) should be compared against other ink on ink alone.

Where do I find the page yield for my ink cartridge?

On the cartridge packaging or the manufacturer's spec sheet. Our database listings carry the rating in the title — "30K pages," "18K pages," "7.5K pages" — so the yield is visible before you click through to Amazon or Newegg.

Which printers have the lowest cost per page in 2026?

Among the 15 cheapest printer-ink listings we currently track, third-party refill sets for Epson's tank printers dominate the lowest per-page positions — listings name the ET-2800, ET-2850, ET-3760, and ET-3850 directly, plus Epson 502 and 522 bottle lines. The Faslvink 30K set at $0.000566 per page is the cheapest of that group by the division shown above. The one Brother-compatible listing in the group (DCP-8070, $25.99 for 12K pages) computes to $0.002166 per page. Run the formula on any printer's ink before you commit to the hardware.