How the calculation works
Cost per month = pages per month × price ÷ (pages per cartridge × cartridges)
A worked example
At 150 pages a month, a $24.00 cartridge rated at 240 pages costs $15.00 a month and lasts 1.6 months. A $40.00 cartridge rated at 600 pages costs $10.00 a month and lasts 4 months, saving $60.00 a year.
The cheaper cartridge is not always cheaper to run
A cartridge that costs more at checkout but prints more pages can cost less every month. This calculator spreads each pack's price over the pages it prints, then multiplies by the pages you actually print.
Comparing ink with laser toner
You can compare any two cartridges, but only ones that fit the printers you are choosing between. Toner yields are measured under ISO/IEC 19752 and ink yields under ISO/IEC 24711; both assume about 5 % coverage.
Common questions
How many pages do I print a month?
Many printers show a page counter in their settings or on a printed status report. Divide the total by the months you have owned the printer.
Why does a pack "last" a fractional number of months?
It is the pages in the pack divided by your monthly pages. A pack that lasts 1.6 months runs out part-way through the second month.
Method: arithmetic from the label values you enter. Reviewed .