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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Wi-Fi Router in India? (2026)
A router runs 24 hours a day, but at 5 to 20 watts it costs very little. Mesh systems with several nodes and combined modem-router units sit at the higher end.
A typical wi-fi router (10 W) costs ₹0.060 per hour, or about ₹43.20 per month at 24 hours a day in India. Cheap to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (5 W) | ₹0.030 | ₹0.72 | ₹21.60 | ₹262.80 |
| Typical (10 W) | ₹0.060 | ₹1.44 | ₹43.20 | ₹525.60 |
| High (20 W) | ₹0.12 | ₹2.88 | ₹86.40 | ₹1,051 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 24 h/day ≈ 88 kWh per year.
In India, with electricity at ₹6.00 per kWh (source: Typical urban domestic slab rate; national average ≈ ₹5.5/unit FY2025-26, 2026-04), a typical wi-fi router costs ₹0.060 per hour and about ₹525.60 per year at 24 hours a day. Each ₹1.00 of electricity buys roughly 16.7 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a wi-fi router
- Turning the router off at night saves roughly 3 kWh a year. Most people find the hassle not worth it.
- Replace an old modem plus router pair with a single combined unit to halve draw.
- Disable unused radios such as a guest network on a separate band.
- Avoid running more mesh nodes than your home needs.
Frequently asked questions
Should I turn off my Wi-Fi router at night?
Only for the small saving. A 10 watt router costs less than 90 kWh a year even running continuously.
Does a mesh Wi-Fi system use a lot of electricity?
Each node adds 5 to 10 watts, so a three node system is comparable to a light bulb.
Does a router use more power with more devices connected?
Slightly, but the difference is a watt or two at most.
Cost by region
- United States (average)
- California
- Texas
- New York
- Florida
- Canada (average)
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- France
- Australia
- India