Every "is mining worth it" calculation starts with the same equation. Get this one number right and the rest is just multiplication.

The formula

Daily cost ($) = watts × 24 ÷ 1000 × rate

Where watts is your real measured load (not the PSU label), 24 is hours per day, 1000 converts watts to kilowatts, and rate is your electricity price in your local currency per kWh.

Three worked examples

Example 1: low US rate

  • Rig: 350W desktop with one GPU.
  • Rate: $0.11/kWh (typical for parts of the southeast US).
  • Daily cost: 350 × 24 ÷ 1000 × 0.11 = $0.92/day or about $28/month.

Example 2: high US/UK rate

  • Rig: same 350W desktop.
  • Rate: $0.32/kWh (California peak, parts of UK, Germany).
  • Daily cost: 350 × 24 ÷ 1000 × 0.32 = $2.69/day or about $81/month.

Example 3: laptop only

  • Rig: 65W laptop.
  • Rate: $0.15/kWh.
  • Daily cost: 65 × 24 ÷ 1000 × 0.15 = $0.23/day or about $7/month.

Adjust for actual mining hours

If you only mine 12 hours per day, halve the number. If you only mine off-peak weekends, drop to about a third. The formula scales linearly.

Compare to MLRT earned

Now take your current daily MLRT earnings (from your pool dashboard or miner output) and multiply by the current MLRT price. If that number is bigger than your daily electricity cost, you are net positive. If not, you are paying to support the network - which is fine, as long as you go in with eyes open.