How Much Does It Cost to Run a Crypto Mining Rig in Alberta? (2026)

A mining rig runs flat out around the clock. Even a single-GPU setup at 500 watts uses more electricity than most whole households, and an ASIC miner at 3,000 watts uses as much as a dozen fridges.

A typical crypto mining rig (1,500 W) costs C$0.34 per hour, or about C$242.46 per month at 24 hours a day in Alberta. Expensive to run

Hours used per day
WattagePer hourPer dayPer monthPer year
Low 500 WC$0.11C$2.69C$80.82C$983.31
Typical 1,500 WC$0.34C$8.08C$242.46C$2,950
High 3,500 WC$0.79C$18.86C$565.74C$6,883

Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 24 h/day ≈ 13,140 kWh per year.

One hour of a crypto mining rig (1.5 kWh) is the same electricity as

Electricity per year at typical use, on a log scale: #95 of 95 appliances, from least to most.

In Alberta, with electricity at 22.4¢ per kWh (source: Hydro-Québec 2025 comparison, 2025-04), a typical crypto mining rig costs C$0.34 per hour and about C$2,950 per year at 24 hours a day. That is about 60% more than the national average for Canada (C$151.20 per month), because electricity in Alberta costs 22.4¢ per kWh against 14.0¢ nationally. Each C$1.00 of electricity buys roughly 3.0 hours of use.

How to lower the cost of running a crypto mining rig

Frequently asked questions

How much electricity does a mining rig use per month?

A 1,500 watt rig uses 1,080 kWh a month. Pick your region above for the cost.

Is home crypto mining profitable?

Only with very cheap electricity, typically under 0.08 per kWh in local currency.

Can I use a mining rig to heat my house?

Yes, every watt becomes heat. It is a very expensive space heater unless mining income offsets it.

Cost by region

US states
Canadian provinces

Related appliances

Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz