Candle Material Cost Calculator

Total the materials for a candle batch and see the cost per unit, with each material as a share of the total.

This is the calculator to run against a supplier order before you buy. Enter what you are buying and how much of it the batch uses, and it returns the batch total, the cost per candle and the share each material takes, so you can see which line is worth attacking first.

At a glance

What you enter: Candles in the batch, Wax the batch uses, Wax price per pound, Fragrance oil the batch uses, Fragrance price per ounce, Wick price each, Container price each, Label price each, Other materials for the batch, Delivery and tax on the order
What you get: Materials total for the batch, Cost per candle, Wax share of the total, Fragrance share of the total, Container share of the total, Delivery and tax share of the total
Formula shown: Yes, every step, right below your results.
Cost and privacy: Free, no account needed, and nothing you type is stored.

See worked examples ↓ Read the FAQ ↓ Share this calculator ↓

Candles in the batch

Wax the batch uses lb

Weight of wax consumed, including what stays in the pot.

Wax price per pound USD/lb

Fragrance oil the batch uses oz

Fragrance price per ounce USD/oz

Wick price each USD

Container price each USD

Label price each USD

Other materials for the batch USD

Dye, wick stickers, packaging and cleaning supplies.

Delivery and tax on the order USD

Reset

Results are estimates for general information only, always verify with a professional or official source before acting on them.

How to use the Candle Material Cost Calculator

1 Enter Candles in the batch
2 Enter Wax the batch uses (lb), Weight of wax consumed, including what stays in the pot.
3 Enter Wax price per pound (USD/lb)
4 Enter Fragrance oil the batch uses (oz)
5 Enter Fragrance price per ounce (USD/oz)
6 Enter Wick price each (USD)
7 Enter Container price each (USD)
8 Enter Label price each (USD)
9 Enter Other materials for the batch (USD), Dye, wick stickers, packaging and cleaning supplies.
10 Enter Delivery and tax on the order (USD)
11 Press Calculate. You get Materials total for the batch, Cost per candle, Wax share of the total, Fragrance share of the total, Container share of the total, Delivery and tax share of the total, and every intermediate step stays visible under "How is this calculated?"
12 Change one number at a time to see what moves the result, that is usually the most useful thing a calculator can tell you.

Worked examples

Real numbers run through this calculator. Open any example to load it into the form above and change it.

Twenty four jar batch

A production run with delivery and tax on the order included.

You enter

Candles in the batch: 24
Wax the batch uses: 9.50 lb
Wax price per pound: $4.50
Fragrance oil the batch uses: 9.10 oz
Fragrance price per ounce: $1.20
Wick price each: $0.25
Container price each: $1.50
Label price each: $0.20
Other materials for the batch: $2.40
Delivery and tax on the order: $18.00

You get

Materials total for the batch: $120.87
Cost per candle: $5.04
Wax share of the total: 35.4%
Fragrance share of the total: 9.0%
Container share of the total: 29.8%
Delivery and tax share of the total: 14.9%

About 121 dollars for the batch and 5.04 per candle, with the container the largest single line.

Open this example in the calculator →

Fifty tins bought in bulk

Bigger quantities, lower unit prices and a smaller share of freight.

You enter

Candles in the batch: 50
Wax the batch uses: 10 lb
Wax price per pound: $3.80
Fragrance oil the batch uses: 9.60 oz
Fragrance price per ounce: $0.95
Wick price each: $0.18
Container price each: $0.60
Label price each: $0.12
Other materials for the batch: $5.00
Delivery and tax on the order: $25.00

You get

Materials total for the batch: $122.12
Cost per candle: $2.44
Wax share of the total: 31.1%
Fragrance share of the total: 7.5%
Container share of the total: 24.6%
Delivery and tax share of the total: 20.5%

About 2.45 per tin, which is why bulk buying changes the whole price list.

Open this example in the calculator →

How to Calculate the True Cost of a Handmade Product

Most makers price from the gut. Materials cost roughly this much, the last one sold for that much, so this one should probably be similar. That approach works until a busy month leaves you with a full...

How to Calculate Material Costs for Handmade Products

If you sell what you make, the price you charge has to cover more than the pretty fabric or the wax or the clay. It has to cover every gram, every inch of thread, every scrap you cut off and tossed. B...

Standard Paper Sizes for Crafts and Handmade Projects

If you are pricing a paper project, the honest headline is this: most small handmade paper projects cost somewhere between a few dollars and about $30 in materials, and a bigger run of cards, journals...

Frequently asked questions

How do I work out the material cost per candle?

Total the batch cost of every material, including delivery and tax, then divide by the number of candles. A batch using 120 dollars of materials to make 24 candles costs 5.04 each in materials. That is the figure to carry into the pricing calculator alongside your time, and it is also the figure to compare against your last batch to see whether costs are drifting.

Should delivery be part of the material cost?

Yes. Freight is charged on wax and on glass, and it is a real cost of the candles made from them. A pallet of jars can cost a lot to deliver if you order small quantities often, which is one reason buying larger and less frequently lowers the unit cost. Splitting the delivery across the batch is the honest way to compare suppliers.

Why is the container such a large share?

Glass and metal are heavy and bulky, so they carry freight, breakage and minimum order quantities that wax does not. On a small container candle it is common for the vessel to be a third or more of the material cost. Buying a standard jar in bulk, or moving to a smaller vessel, usually saves more per candle than any change you can make to the wax.

How do I know how much wax and fragrance the batch uses?

Use the candle wax calculator and the fragrance oil calculator first, then enter the totals here. Nine and a half pounds of wax for twenty four candles works out at about 6.3 ounces each, which is typical for an 8 ounce jar filled to a sensible line. Add the small allowance for what stays in the pot, because that wax was bought and paid for.