Candle Pricing Calculator
Margin is measured against the selling price. To keep 60% on a 4,000 material cost the price is 4,000 ÷ (1 − 0.6) = 10,000. Adding 60% to the cost instead gives 6,400, which is a 37.5% margin, not 60%. Selling at 9,000 leaves 5,000 of profit and a 55.6% margin.
Your numbers
Final price
10,000
Margin at your price
55.6%
Profit
5,000
Formula
Final price = Cost per piece ÷ (1 − Margin ÷ 100), Margin at your price = (Sale price − Cost per piece) ÷ Sale price × 100
Only materials are in this figure. Failed pours, packaging and void fill, postage, platform fees (commonly 3–10% of the price) and the hours spent on photos and labels are all outside it. If you also sell wholesale, the wholesale price needs to be at least twice this material cost for the retail price to survive.
What to enter
| Input | Default | Accepted range |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per pieceMaterials for one piece. | 4,000 | 0 and up |
| Margin (%)Profit divided by the sale price. It can never exceed 100%. | 60 | 0 ~ 90 |
| Sale priceWhat you actually hand over at the till, after the discount. | 9,000 | 0 and up |
Step by step
Quick reference table
Results when only Cost per piece changes and everything else stays put.
| Cost per piece | Final price | Margin at your price (%) | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,000 | 5,000 | 77.8 | 7,000 |
| 3,000 | 7,500 | 66.7 | 6,000 |
| 4,000 | 10,000 | 55.6 | 5,000 |
| 6,000 | 15,000 | 33.3 | 3,000 |
| 8,000 | 20,000 | 11.1 | 1,000 |
What each result means
| Result | At default values |
|---|---|
| Final priceWhat you pay once discounts and tax are applied. | 10,000 |
| Margin at your price (%)The margin the chosen price really gives, measured against that price. | 55.6 |
| ProfitSale price minus cost. | 5,000 |
Common mistakes
Only materials are in this figure. Failed pours, packaging and void fill, postage, platform fees (commonly 3–10% of the price) and the hours spent on photos and labels are all outside it. If you also sell wholesale, the wholesale price needs to be at least twice this material cost for the retail price to survive.
Glossary
- Cost per piece
- Materials for one piece.
- Margin
- Profit divided by the sale price. It can never exceed 100%.
- Sale price
- What you actually hand over at the till, after the discount.
- Final price
- What you pay once discounts and tax are applied.
- Margin at your price
- The margin the chosen price really gives, measured against that price.
- Profit
- Sale price minus cost.
Frequently asked questions
Q. How is Candle Pricing Calculator calculated?
Final price = Cost per piece ÷ (1 − Margin ÷ 100), Margin at your price = (Sale price − Cost per piece) ÷ Sale price × 100 — Margin is measured against the selling price. To keep 60% on a 4,000 material cost the price is 4,000 ÷ (1 − 0.6) = 10,000. Adding 60% to the cost instead gives 6,400, which is a 37.5% margin, not 60%. Selling at 9,000 leaves 5,000 of profit and a 55.6% margin.
Q. Can you walk through an example?
With Cost per piece 4,000, Margin 60%, Sale price 9,000, the answer is Final price 10,000.
Q. What do I need to enter?
Enter Cost per piece, Margin, Sale price. The result recalculates as you type, and an empty box counts as zero.
Q. How much does the answer move if I change a number?
Changing only Cost per piece moves the answer to Cost per piece 2,000 → Final price 5,000 and Cost per piece 8,000 → Final price 20,000. The table below lays out five steps.
Q. How are the numbers rounded?
Money is shown to the nearest whole unit, percentages to one decimal place and everything else to two. What you see is rounded; the calculation itself carries the unrounded value forward.
Q. Anything to watch out for?
Only materials are in this figure. Failed pours, packaging and void fill, postage, platform fees (commonly 3–10% of the price) and the hours spent on photos and labels are all outside it. If you also sell wholesale, the wholesale price needs to be at least twice this material cost for the retail price to survive.
Related calculators
Materials differ in density and absorption. If your label states a figure, use it — the defaults here are only common values.