Cost Per Day Calculator
Spread the price of a purchase across how long you will use it to see its true cost per day, month and year — the honest way to judge a big buy.
How it works
Net cost = price − resale value · Cost per day = net cost ÷ (years × 365.25) · Cost per month = net cost ÷ (years × 12)
A big sticker price feels different once you spread it over how long you will actually use the item. Dividing the net cost — price minus what you can resell it for — by the days of use turns "$1,200" into a small daily figure you can weigh against the value you get. It is the same cost-per-wear logic used for clothes and the cost-per-use test for gadgets, and it rewards durable things you keep for years over cheap things you replace often.
Worked example
A $1,200 laptop kept for 3 years with no resale value: net cost is $1,200 over 3 × 365.25 ≈ 1,096 days, or about $1.09 a day — roughly $33 a month. If you could resell it for $300, the net cost drops to $900 and the daily figure falls to about $0.82.
Frequently asked questions
Why include resale value?
Because you get some money back, the item’s true cost is only what you cannot recover. A phone or car with strong resale value can be far cheaper per day than a cheaper item that becomes worthless.
How is this useful?
It reframes an intimidating price as a daily amount you can compare to the benefit you receive, and it makes fair comparisons between a durable expensive option and a cheap short-lived one.
Should I add running costs?
For a full picture, yes — fold recurring costs like subscriptions, fuel or repairs into the price so the per-day figure reflects total ownership, not just the purchase.
Related calculators
Educational estimate, not financial advice.