Find the true cost of one candle from a batch: wax, fragrance, packaging, labor and a share of overhead. Then see prices at 2×, 2.5× and 3× markup, with the matching margin shown so the two are not confused. All math runs in your browser and nothing is saved.
Unit cost is total batch cost divided by the number of finished candles. Batch cost is wax, fragrance and other shared materials, plus every per-candle item multiplied by the unit count, plus labor hours times the rate you assign your time, plus the overhead you choose to put on this batch. Cure time does not count as labor. Overhead is things like a share of studio rent, utilities, equipment and software; a simple method is monthly fixed costs divided by the batches you usually make in a month. If some pours fail, do not count them as finished units, or add their wasted materials back into the batch cost — otherwise the remaining candles look cheaper than they were.
The price table multiplies that unit cost by 2, 2.5 and 3. Those markups are common starting points for wholesale and direct retail, not a promise of what a candle will sell for. Markup and margin are different: margin is (price − cost) ÷ price, so 2× is a 50% margin, 2.5× is 60%, and 3× is 66.7%. Marketplace fees, payment fees and shipping are not subtracted unless you included them in cost or overhead. For the wax and oil weights that feed the material lines, use the candle fragrance load calculator.
Default example: $6 wax, $4 fragrance, $1.20 other, 12 candles with $0.25 wick, $1.50 jar and $0.30 packaging each, 2 hours at $20, and $24 of overhead. Batch cost is $99.80. Cost per candle is $8.32. At 2×, 2.5× and 3× the prices are $16.63, $20.79 and $24.95.
The Candle Making Cost Calculator spreadsheet is a $12 one-time download. It is built for batch cost, pricing and a restock list, so you can update a supplier price and see the unit cost change without re-entering every line.
Get the candle cost spreadsheet ($12)
Add every batch cost — wax, fragrance and other shared materials, plus labor hours times your rate, plus the overhead you assign to the batch — to the per-candle items times the number of units. Divide that total by the number of finished candles. Skip seconds or failed pours in the unit count, or add their cost to the batch.
Markup multiplies cost to get a price: a 2.5× markup on a $10 cost is a $25 price. Margin is the share of the price left after cost: ($25 − $10) ÷ $25 = 40%. A 2× markup is a 50% margin; a 3× markup is a 66.7% margin.
No. They are arithmetic on the cost you entered, using markups many makers use as a starting point. Fees, shipping, wholesale terms and what buyers will pay are not included unless you put them in the cost.