Inkjet vs Laser: Which Is Cheaper Per 1,000 Pages in 2026?

One note on that table: the 15 cheapest listings currently in our printer-ink feed are all ink supplies — bottles and cartridges, no toner among them. The automated laser-side price match for this comparison returned an unrelated product and was discarded, so every laser figure below is a published estimate, labeled as such, while every ink figure is a live-tracked price.

The Short Answer

Laser wins on supplies. Published 2026 estimates put mono laser at 2–3 cents per page — $20–$30 per 1,000 pages. Our live-tracked inkjet floor is $0.20314 per page: the Brother LC3217VAL black/cyan/magenta/yellow set at $101.57 for 500 pages at Newegg, so 1,000 pages takes 2 sets, or $203.14 — roughly 7–10× the laser estimate. For the wider product-by-product view, see our laser vs inkjet per-page comparison.

Price Per Page Breakdown

Inkjet, standard cartridges (live-tracked). Brother LC3217VAL, rated 500 pages, $101.57 at Newegg: $101.57 ÷ 500 = $0.20314 per page, or $203.14 per 1,000. That is a floor — the cheapest in-stock 500-page set in our feed — not an average. Published averages run lower: 7–20 cents per inkjet page ($70–$200 per 1,000) per the January 2026 analysis "What's the Average Cost to Print a Page?", and Castle Ink's 2026 pricing puts typical inkjet color at 8–20 cents on standard cartridges. A tracked OEM floor sitting at the top of those published ranges is the real story: actual cartridge-set checkout prices run worse than the averages suggest.

Ink-tank refill bottles (live-tracked). Faslvink bottles rated 30,000 pages, $16.99 at Amazon: $16.99 ÷ 30,000 = $0.00057 per page, or $0.57 per 1,000. OKGO!INK 522-series bottles rated 18,000 pages, $15.76 at Amazon: $15.76 ÷ 18,000 = $0.000875 per page, or $0.88 per 1,000. The listings name Epson tank printers (ET-2850, ET-3850) verbatim as the fit.

Laser (published estimates, not tracked). An August 2026 summary of current cost-per-page research puts mono laser at 2–3 cents per page → $20–$30 per 1,000. The January 2026 "What's the Average Cost to Print a Page?" analysis averages B&W laser at 3–8 cents → $30–$80 per 1,000, and color laser at 12–15 cents → $120–$150 per 1,000.

Same Page Count, Same Tier?

No — two mismatches. First, color: the Brother LC3217VAL set includes cyan, magenta, and yellow alongside black; the 2–3-cent laser figure is black-only mono. Color laser at 12–15 cents narrows the gap to $120–$150 versus $203.14 — a difference of $53.14 to $83.14 per 1,000 pages. Second, yield: toner cartridges typically yield 3,000–5,000 pages — Forbes Vetted's 2026 coverage cites 4,000+ — while the Brother set is rated at 500. Matching one toner cartridge's output with Brother sets takes 6–10 sets: $609.42 to $1,015.70.

What the Extra Cost Buys You

• Color capability. The $203.14 inkjet spend covers black, cyan, magenta, and yellow ink; the $20–$30 laser figure is black toner.
• Replacement frequency. At 3,000–5,000 pages per cartridge, one toner unit covers 3–5 runs of 1,000 pages; the Brother set covers half of one run.
• Yield ceiling. The Faslvink set's 30,000-page rating is 60× the Brother set's 500 pages.

When Each Makes Sense

• Choose a mono laser if your 1,000 pages are black-and-white text: supplies run an estimated $20–$30 per 1,000 pages versus $203.14 tracked for the Brother set — $173.14 to $183.14 less per run.
• Choose an ink-tank inkjet if you need color at volume: tracked refill bottles run $16.99 per 30,000 pages ($0.57 per 1,000), below even the mono laser estimate on supplies — you absorb the tank printer's higher upfront price first.

Verdict

Laser wins the keyword's exact question: 1,000 black-and-white pages cost an estimated $20–$30 in toner versus $203.14 at our live-tracked inkjet floor of $0.20314 per page (Brother LC3217VAL, $101.57 per 500-page set, Newegg). The ink-tank exception is real and tracked: $0.57 per 1,000 pages in bottled ink. Ink prices were checked against our live feed on August 27, 2026; laser rates are published 2026 estimates because our feed's laser-side match was invalid — treat them as ranges, not tracked floors.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to print 1,000 pages on an inkjet in 2026?

At our tracked floor, $203.14: two Brother LC3217VAL sets at $101.57 each, rated 500 pages per set. Published estimates run 7–20 cents per page, or $70–$200 per 1,000 pages.

Is a laser printer cheaper than inkjet for 1,000 pages a month?

On supplies, yes: an estimated $20–$30 versus $203.14 tracked. A 2026 Florida buyer guide rates entry mono lasers as suited to up to 1,000 pages per month — exactly this workload.

Do high-yield (XL) or compatible cartridges close the gap with laser?

Much of it. Castle Ink's 2026 pricing says XL and compatible cartridges cut the typical 8–20-cent standard-cartridge color cost significantly, and our tracked compatible bottles reach $0.57 per 1,000 pages — below the laser estimate.

Is an EcoTank-style ink tank cheaper than a laser per 1,000 pages?

On supplies, yes: tracked Epson-compatible bottles cost $15.76–$16.99 for 18,000–30,000 pages, or $0.57–$0.88 per 1,000 pages. Factor the printer's upfront price into the payback math.