What’s a good price for printer ink?

How to land in the good-price band

The cheapest cartridge on the shelf is almost never the cheapest to print with. What matters is cost per page — the cartridge price divided by its rated page yield.

• •Buy XL / high-yield, not standard. An XL cartridge costs more up front but prints 2–3× the pages, so the per-page cost drops sharply. A standard cartridge is the most expensive way to print.
• •Check the page yield, not the ink volume. Two cartridges with the same ml can yield very different page counts. The ISO page-yield number (on the box or listing) is the only figure that sets your real cost.
• •Compatible (third-party) cartridges cut cost per page 40–70% on many printers — worth it for text/home use. Stick with genuine (OEM) for photo work or if your printer warranty requires it.
• •Laser beats inkjet on cost per page for volume. If you print more than ~50 pages a week, a mono laser + toner is usually cheaper per page than any inkjet.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good price for printer ink?

A good price for printer ink is under $0.040/page; around $0.063/page is typical, and above $0.097/page you're overpaying. The cheapest we track right now is $0.010/page, the priciest $0.42/page — across 53 tracked products, as of July 2026. Prices re-checked continuously.

How much does printer ink cost per page?

Across 53 tracked products, printer ink costs a median of $0.063/page, ranging from $0.010 to $0.42/page.

How is cost per page calculated?

Price ÷ the number of pages in the pack. Comparing per page lets a bulk pack and a small one line up on the same scale, so you see true value instead of sticker price.