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Minimum selling price calculator

Enter the variable cost per unit, fixed costs for the period, and expected sales volume over the same period. The calculator works out the minimum price that covers every cost.

Result

Minimum selling price

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This calculation is for informational purposes only and does not replace advice from a qualified professional. Formulas and rates may not fit your exact situation — double-check the figures before making decisions.

How it is calculated

Minimum price = variable cost per unit + fixed costs for the period ÷ expected sales volume. The second part is the share of fixed costs that lands on one unit at that sales volume.

A common pricing mistake is assuming any price above variable cost is already profitable. That's technically true for a single extra sale on top of an already-covered base (the marginal-cost view), but if the entire volume sells at a price that only covers variable cost, fixed costs for the period go uncovered — the business loses money overall even while every individual sale shows a positive contribution margin.

The result depends on the assumed volume: the same product allows a lower minimum price at a higher expected sales volume, because fixed costs spread across more units. This connects directly to the break-even point — the minimum price at a volume equal to the break-even point is exactly the price at which profit is zero.

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