How much does a desktop computer cost to run?
$5.36 a month
- A day of use
- $0.18
- An hour of running
- $0.02
- A year
- $64.26
120 W, 8 hours a day (tower only, no monitor), at the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh (EIA, June 2026). How we calculate this
Change the watts, hours or rate
What it costs at other usage levels
| Use | A day | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour a day | $0.02 | $0.67 | $8.03 |
| 2 hours a day | $0.04 | $1.34 | $16.07 |
| 4 hours a day | $0.09 | $2.68 | $32.13 |
| 8 hours a day typical | $0.18 | $5.36 | $64.26 |
| 24 hours a day | $0.53 | $16.07 | $192.79 |
A typical model draws about 120 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension).
A cheaper way to do the same job
- A laptop for the same hours would cost $2.23 a month, saving $3.12 a month and $37.49 a year.
Ways to spend less
- Set it to sleep after 15 minutes idle.
- Shut it down at night instead of leaving it on.
- For email and browsing, a laptop does the same job on much less power.
What a desktop computer costs to run in every state
| Rank | State | Rate | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | 13.1¢ | $3.83 | $45.94 |
| 2 | Nebraska | 13.3¢ | $3.87 | $46.43 |
| 3 | Utah | 13.4¢ | $3.90 | $46.85 |
| 4 | Louisiana | 13.5¢ | $3.94 | $47.27 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 14.1¢ | $4.11 | $49.30 |
| 6 | Arkansas | 14.1¢ | $4.12 | $49.48 |
| 7 | North Dakota | 14.1¢ | $4.12 | $49.48 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 14.3¢ | $4.16 | $49.97 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 14.3¢ | $4.18 | $50.21 |
| 10 | Idaho | 14.4¢ | $4.20 | $50.35 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 14.7¢ | $4.30 | $51.65 |
| 12 | Mississippi | 14.9¢ | $4.34 | $52.14 |
| 13 | Washington | 14.9¢ | $4.35 | $52.24 |
| 14 | New Mexico | 15.1¢ | $4.40 | $52.77 |
| 15 | Florida | 15.1¢ | $4.41 | $52.91 |
| 16 | Montana | 15.1¢ | $4.42 | $53.05 |
| 17 | Arizona | 15.2¢ | $4.43 | $53.19 |
| 18 | Wyoming | 15.2¢ | $4.45 | $53.40 |
| 19 | South Dakota | 15.4¢ | $4.49 | $53.82 |
| 20 | West Virginia | 15.5¢ | $4.51 | $54.14 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 15.6¢ | $4.54 | $54.49 |
| 22 | Kansas | 15.7¢ | $4.59 | $55.05 |
| 23 | Iowa | 15.9¢ | $4.65 | $55.82 |
| 24 | Texas | 15.9¢ | $4.65 | $55.85 |
| 25 | Missouri | 16.2¢ | $4.74 | $56.83 |
| 26 | Oregon | 16.3¢ | $4.77 | $57.19 |
| 27 | Georgia | 16.4¢ | $4.78 | $57.33 |
| 28 | Alabama | 16.4¢ | $4.79 | $57.47 |
| 29 | Colorado | 17.1¢ | $5.00 | $60.02 |
| 30 | Virginia | 17.2¢ | $5.03 | $60.34 |
| 31 | Indiana | 17.5¢ | $5.11 | $61.36 |
| 32 | Minnesota | 17.5¢ | $5.12 | $61.39 |
| 33 | Ohio | 19.2¢ | $5.60 | $67.24 |
| 34 | Delaware | 19.3¢ | $5.63 | $67.59 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | 19.6¢ | $5.71 | $68.54 |
| 36 | Illinois | 19.9¢ | $5.81 | $69.69 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | 21.7¢ | $6.35 | $76.14 |
| 38 | Maryland | 21.8¢ | $6.38 | $76.53 |
| 39 | Michigan | 23.0¢ | $6.71 | $80.56 |
| 40 | Connecticut | 24.3¢ | $7.10 | $85.22 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | 24.4¢ | $7.12 | $85.46 |
| 42 | Vermont | 24.4¢ | $7.14 | $85.64 |
| 43 | New Jersey | 25.0¢ | $7.29 | $87.42 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | 27.0¢ | $7.89 | $94.64 |
| 45 | Alaska | 28.2¢ | $8.24 | $98.85 |
| 46 | Rhode Island | 29.2¢ | $8.54 | $102.42 |
| 47 | New York | 29.5¢ | $8.61 | $103.33 |
| 48 | Maine | 29.6¢ | $8.64 | $103.68 |
| 49 | Massachusetts | 29.6¢ | $8.65 | $103.75 |
| 50 | California | 34.7¢ | $10.14 | $121.73 |
| 51 | Hawaii | 52.7¢ | $15.39 | $184.73 |
Questions
How much does it cost to run a desktop computer per hour?
About $0.02 an hour. A desktop computer at 120 W uses 0.120 kWh per hour, and at the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh that comes to $0.02.
How much does a desktop computer add to your electric bill?
Used 8 hours a day (tower only, no monitor), about $5.36 a month, or $64.26 a year.
How much does it cost to run a desktop computer 24 hours a day?
Running nonstop, a desktop computer would use 2.88 kWh a day and cost $0.53 a day, or $16.07 over an average month.
How many watts does a desktop computer use?
A typical model draws about 120 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension). Check the label on yours: cost scales directly with watts, so a 20% lower wattage means a 20% lower bill.
Is it cheaper to run a desktop computer or a laptop?
Using a laptop for the same hours instead would cost about $2.23 a month instead of $5.36, saving $3.12.
Which state is cheapest to run a desktop computer in?
Nevada, at 13.1¢ per kWh: $3.83 a month. The most expensive is Hawaii at 52.7¢ per kWh: $15.39 a month. Same appliance, same hours; only the rate differs.
Sources
- Virginia Cooperative Extension: Estimating appliance and home electronic energy use (reproduces U.S. Department of Energy sample wattages)
- Penn State EGEE 102: Typical range of power consumption (wattage)
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: average price of electricity to ultimate customers, residential, June 2026 Figures transcribed from republications of this table on September 26, 2026; pending direct verification from the EIA API.
Usage assumptions (hours a day, season) are ours and listed on the methodology page. Found an error? Tell us.