Home Compare Desktop Computer vs Laptop: Which Costs More to Run? (2026)
A laptop uses a third or less of the electricity of an equivalent desktop plus monitor. Most laptops sit at 20 to 45 watts, while a desktop with a monitor idles at 80 to 150 watts and far more under load. For office work and browsing, the laptop is cheaper by a wide margin. Desktops earn their draw for gaming, video editing, and workloads that need a powerful graphics card.
At the hours shown, Desktop Computer costs about
$80.33 a year and Laptop about
$24.10 in the US .
Electricity price region United States (average) – 18.3¢/kWh Canada (average) – 14.0¢/kWh United Kingdom – 26.3p/kWh Germany – €0.370/kWh France – €0.200/kWh Australia – 35.0¢/kWh India – ₹6.00/kWh Alabama – 16.4¢/kWh Alaska – 28.2¢/kWh Arizona – 15.2¢/kWh Arkansas – 14.1¢/kWh California – 34.7¢/kWh Colorado – 17.1¢/kWh Connecticut – 24.3¢/kWh Delaware – 19.3¢/kWh District of Columbia – 24.4¢/kWh Florida – 15.1¢/kWh Georgia – 16.4¢/kWh Hawaii – 52.7¢/kWh Idaho – 14.4¢/kWh Illinois – 19.9¢/kWh Indiana – 17.5¢/kWh Iowa – 15.9¢/kWh Kansas – 15.7¢/kWh Kentucky – 14.3¢/kWh Louisiana – 13.5¢/kWh Maine – 29.6¢/kWh Maryland – 21.8¢/kWh Massachusetts – 29.6¢/kWh Michigan – 23.0¢/kWh Minnesota – 17.5¢/kWh Mississippi – 14.9¢/kWh Missouri – 16.2¢/kWh Montana – 15.1¢/kWh Nebraska – 13.2¢/kWh Nevada – 13.1¢/kWh New Hampshire – 27.0¢/kWh New Jersey – 24.9¢/kWh New Mexico – 15.1¢/kWh New York – 29.5¢/kWh North Carolina – 14.7¢/kWh North Dakota – 14.1¢/kWh Ohio – 19.2¢/kWh Oklahoma – 14.3¢/kWh Oregon – 16.3¢/kWh Pennsylvania – 21.7¢/kWh Rhode Island – 29.2¢/kWh South Carolina – 15.6¢/kWh South Dakota – 15.4¢/kWh Tennessee – 14.1¢/kWh Texas – 15.9¢/kWh Utah – 13.4¢/kWh Vermont – 24.4¢/kWh Virginia – 17.2¢/kWh Washington – 14.9¢/kWh West Virginia – 15.4¢/kWh Wisconsin – 19.6¢/kWh Wyoming – 15.2¢/kWh Quebec – 8.3¢/kWh Ontario – 15.0¢/kWh British Columbia – 12.6¢/kWh Alberta – 22.4¢/kWh Manitoba – 10.5¢/kWh Saskatchewan – 17.9¢/kWh Nova Scotia – 20.5¢/kWh New Brunswick – 16.6¢/kWh Prince Edward Island – 19.7¢/kWh Newfoundland and Labrador – 15.6¢/kWh Custom rate
Your price per kWh
Edit the hours to match your own use. Costs use the typical wattage of each appliance.
When the desktop computer makes sense You game or render video You need multiple large monitors You want to upgrade components over time When the laptop makes sense You mostly browse, write, and use web apps You work from different rooms or places You want the machine on all day without worrying about the bill
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