How Much Does It Cost to Run a Crypto Mining Rig in California? (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 $0.52 per hour, or about $375.19 per month at 24 hours a day in California. Expensive to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low 500 W | $0.17 | $4.17 | $125.06 | $1,522 |
| Typical 1,500 W | $0.52 | $12.51 | $375.19 | $4,565 |
| High 3,500 W | $1.22 | $29.18 | $875.45 | $10,651 |
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
- 8.3km in an electric car
- 15hours of TV
- 33hours of a laptop
- 167hours of an LED bulb
In California, with electricity at 34.7¢ per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical crypto mining rig costs $0.52 per hour and about $4,565 per year at 24 hours a day. That is about 89% more than the national average for the US ($198.07 per month), because electricity in California costs 34.7¢ per kWh against 18.3¢ nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 1.9 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a crypto mining rig
- Calculate the electricity cost per day before anything else. It decides whether mining makes money at all.
- Undervolt GPUs. It often cuts power by 20 to 30 percent with little hash rate loss.
- Vent the heat outdoors in summer. Cooling the room adds to the bill.
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
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Canadian provinces
Related appliances
- Treadmill700 W typical
- Exercise Bike or Smart Trainer30 W typical
- Aquarium (Heater, Filter, Light)80 W typical
- 3D Printer120 W typical
Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz