Calculate a transparent total and cost per unit
Combine a one-time fixed cost with quantity and variable cost. Optional discount and tax are applied to goods before one-time shipping. Enter numbers in a single currency; the calculator does not convert currencies.
How the cost calculation works
First multiply quantity by variable cost per unit. Apply any percentage discount to that goods amount. Next calculate the selected tax percentage on the discounted goods amount. Add the fixed cost and the one-time shipping charge once. Finally divide the total by quantity to show an effective cost per unit. This particular model does not tax shipping or the fixed-cost field; rules can differ by location and transaction type.
Worked example
Suppose you make 25 units at 4 currency units of variable cost apiece, incur 30 in fixed cost and pay 15 in shipping. Goods cost 25 × 4 = 100. With no discount or tax, the total is 100 + 30 + 15 = 145; effective cost per unit is 145 ÷ 25 = 5.80. If you instead receive a 10% discount on goods, that reduces the goods subtotal by 10 before other charges.
What belongs in each input
Variable cost changes with every additional unit. Fixed cost is entered once for the entire batch, not once per unit. Shipping is entered once, too. If a charge already appears in the per-unit cost, do not enter it again as a fixed amount. Input values must use the same currency. The tool adds amounts; it does not verify invoices, exchange rates, tax rules, return rates, spoilage or financing costs.
Compare quantities before ordering
See our batch cost versus unit cost guide for a 25-unit versus 50-unit comparison, discount checks and the cost per usable unit when some output is wasted.
Cost is not selling price or profit
A total cost is an expense estimate. It does not tell you which price customers will pay or what your net profit will be. For recipe-specific costing, use the Food Cost Percentage Calculator. To work backwards from recipe cost and a selected food-cost, gross-margin or markup target, use the Menu Price Calculator. For taxes, accounting treatment or consequential pricing decisions, confirm the applicable rules and all real expenses separately.
Important boundaries
A zero-unit batch has no meaningful cost per unit, so the calculator requires at least one unit. A 100% discount removes the goods amount but does not remove fixed cost and shipping. Rounding the displayed line items to two decimals may produce a cent-level difference if you manually add them; calculations retain the underlying precision until the final display. For a breakdown of our method and corrections process, see our calculation standards.