How much does a water filter cost?
Water filter prices depend on the type. We can’t show a range of recorded prices right now.
Use the calculator below to estimate what your water filter costs to own.
What are you costing?
What kind of system?
What kind of system?
The under-sink carbon filter costs $ to buy.
Installation is : (labor, parts and fittings together; enter 0 if it needs no fitting or you’ll fit it yourself).
Its cartridge costs $ every months.
Show me .
We run about gallons a day through it, for a cost per gallon.
We hold no price for anything in it yet. Add what it costs to buy, or a part price, and the receipt starts.
- Prices held flatToday’s prices for every future year. Nothing inflated, nothing discounted.
- Every price has a sourceRecorded prices show their day and retailer. Yours are labeled as yours and replace ours.
- Replacing the system isn’t countedUpkeep is counted; buying a whole new system later isn’t.
- Before tax and shippingNo sales tax, delivery or local fees are included.
Water filter prices · recorded, not estimated
What each type of water filter costs
The lowest and highest recorded price for each type, once we hold enough recorded prices to show one.
| Type | Up front | Upkeep a year | Over 5 years | Prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitcher0 recorded prices | Not enough recorded prices yet | Not enough recorded prices yet | Not enough recorded prices yet | |
| Faucet-mount0 recorded prices | Not enough recorded prices yet | Not enough recorded prices yet | Not enough recorded prices yet | |
| Under-sink0 recorded prices | Not enough recorded prices yet | Not enough recorded prices yet | Not enough recorded prices yet | |
| Reverse osmosis0 recorded prices | Not enough recorded prices yet | Not enough recorded prices yet | Not enough recorded prices yet | |
| Whole house0 recorded prices | Not enough recorded prices yet | Not enough recorded prices yet | Not enough recorded prices yet | |
| UV system0 recorded prices | Not enough recorded prices yet | Not enough recorded prices yet | Not enough recorded prices yet |
Lowest to highest recorded price for each type, before installation, tax and shipping. Upkeep uses recorded part prices at each type’s reviewed replacement interval, where we hold both. Reverse osmosis drain water and pump electricity aren’t included.
What changes the price
What affects your ownership cost
The purchase price is only part of the total. Installation, replacement parts and water use can also affect it.
Installation
Fitting it can cost more than the filter
Some systems sit on the counter or the tap; others need a plumber where the water comes in. Tell us what you’d pay, or 0, and it’s counted once. Leave it blank and the total stays “at least”.
$0Needs no fitting, or you fit it yourselfYour numberLabor, parts and fittings, counted onceHow often parts change
Cheap to buy isn’t cheap to own
A system with a low price and parts that are changed often can cost more over five years than one that costs more up front. The table above shows each type’s upkeep from recorded part prices, where we hold them.
Water use
More water, cheaper per gallon
The same filter costs less per gallon the more you use it, up to its rated capacity. Add your gallons a day in the Optional box above.
Costs people miss
Named, even when we can’t price them
Reverse osmosis can add wastewater costs, and a booster pump uses electricity. The receipt identifies applicable costs we couldn’t calculate.
Not pricedReverse osmosis wastewaterNot pricedBooster pump electricity
Questions people ask
Water filter costs, answered
How much does a water filter cost?
Water filter prices depend on the type. We can’t show a range of recorded prices right now.
How often do you change a water filter, and what does that cost?
It depends on the filter: each product states how often its cartridge or membrane is changed. The table above shows what that adds up to each year for each type, from recorded part prices, where we hold them. Put your own filter’s numbers in the sentence to see yours.
How much does it cost to install a water filter?
It depends on the system and your home. Some sit on the counter or the tap; others need a plumber where the water comes in. Enter what you’d pay, with labor, parts and fittings together, or 0 if it needs no fitting or you’ll fit it yourself.
Is reverse osmosis more expensive to run?
Its cartridges and membrane are changed on their own schedules, and it sends some water down the drain. We don’t yet have a reliable figure for how much, so that water is listed as not counted rather than guessed.
Why doesn’t WaterDecoder give one average price?
Because one number hides what matters: a pitcher and a whole-house system do different jobs. We show the recorded range for each type, how many prices it comes from, and when they were checked.
How much does a water softener cost?
Softeners are sized to your water and household, and they use salt. See Water Softener Cost for recorded prices and a sizing-based running cost.