Tattoo Price Calculator
Get a price range from size, placement, and style. Not a quote.
- Free, no account
- Your design is never uploaded or stored
- Every number shows its source
Pick a size, placement, and style to see a price range.
One tool, three names
Tattoo cost calculator
People search for a tattoo cost calculator and a tattoo price calculator expecting the same thing, and they are right to. There is one model behind this page: an estimate of the hours the work takes, multiplied by an hourly rate. We do not run a second set of numbers under a different name, and we do not show a different figure depending on which phrase brought you here.
Tattoo pricing calculator
Pricing is the artist's half of the same question. We cannot know what your artist charges, so we show the range that published rates produce, then let you replace that rate with theirs in More options. Change one field and the estimate follows immediately — including the hour breakdown underneath it.
How tattoo size affects price
Size is the single biggest lever on price, because size is really area, and area is really time. A design twice as wide and twice as tall covers four times the skin — and the artist is still paid by the hour.
Most artists price a very small piece as a flat minimum, then switch to an hourly rate once the work runs past an hour or two. That is why the jump from a coin-sized piece to a palm-sized one feels so much bigger than the measurements suggest.
Placement matters just as much as size. The same drawing on a flat outer forearm and on the ribs are two different jobs, because one surface holds still and the other curves away and moves with every breath.
The ruler above is our model for turning inches into hours. It is an estimate, not studio policy, and you can see it applied line by line in Show the math on any result.
HeartAbout 2–3 inSmall ScriptAbout 3–5 inSmall to Medium PortraitAbout 6–9 inMedium to Large
Drawings are to scale with each other, not to your body. A ruler and a tape measure beat any diagram — measure the spot before you commit.
Average tattoo price by placement
Typical ranges by placement and size. Cite it, screenshot it, take it to your consultation — it is the same model the calculator runs.
| Placement | Small2–4″ | Medium4–7″ | Large7–12″ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outer arm / forearm | $240–490 | $490–980 | $1,000–1,600 |
| Upper arm / shoulder | $240–490 | $490–980 | $1,000–1,600 |
| Calf | $240–490 | $490–980 | $1,000–1,600 |
| Thigh | $260–510 | $500–1,000 | $1,000–1,700 |
| Chest | $270–540 | $500–1,100 | $1,100–1,800 |
| Back (upper / shoulder blade) | $270–540 | $500–1,100 | $1,100–1,800 |
| Spine / full back panel | $290–590 | $600–1,200 | $1,200–2,000 |
| Ankle / wrist | $280–560 | $600–1,100 | $1,100–1,900 |
| Hand / finger | $310–610 | $600–1,200 | $1,200–2,000 |
| Foot | $290–590 | $600–1,200 | $1,200–2,000 |
| Neck / throat | $310–610 | $600–1,200 | $1,200–2,000 |
| Ribs / side | $320–640 | $600–1,300 | $1,300–2,100 |
| Head / face | $330–660 | $700–1,300 | $1,300–2,200 |
| Other / not sure | $270–540 | $500–1,100 | $1,100–1,800 |
Ranges use the US national average of $163/hr and the fine line / script style factor. Your placement and style will move these. Built from published artist hourly rates and our own size-to-hours model. These are estimates, not quotes. Ranges are rounded and assume the fine line / script style; a black & grey portrait of the same size runs considerably higher.
Frequently asked questions
The questions that come up before anyone sits in the chair. If something here is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will fix it.
- Is this an actual quote?
- No. It is an estimate built from published hourly rates and a model of how long different sizes and placements usually take. Your artist sets the real price after seeing the design, the skin, and the size in person. Treat this as a budget range to walk in with, not a number to hold anyone to.
- Why is the price different from what my shop quoted?
- Shop quotes move for reasons a calculator can't see: how well known the artist is, how fast they work, whether the design needs redrawing, whether they charge by the piece instead of the hour, and what their shop minimum is. A busy artist in a major city can charge well above the national average, and a newer artist can charge below it. Both are normal.
- How do you estimate the hours?
- We start with a base time range for the size, then multiply it by a placement factor and a style factor. The placement factor reflects how long that area takes to work on — ribs and hands are slower than a flat forearm. The style factor reflects how much layering the style needs. We show both factors in Show the math on every result. The hour table is our model, not a studio policy, and we update it as we find better sources.
- Does placement really change the price?
- It changes the time, and time is what most artists charge for. A five-inch piece on a flat outer forearm is a different job from a five-inch piece on the ribs — the artist has to follow a surface that curves away and moves with every breath. That is why the same design can be quoted differently in two places on your body.
- What is a shop minimum?
- Most shops charge a minimum — commonly somewhere between $60 and $150 — to cover setup, needles, ink, and the time it takes to get you in the chair, no matter how small the tattoo is. If your estimate comes out below that, expect the minimum to be the real floor.
- Why don't you show prices for my city?
- Because we only publish a city rate when we can point at a real, dated source for it. Published city-by-city tattoo rates conflict with each other badly, and a made-up number is worse than no number. Until a city has a source we trust, we use the US national average and let you enter your own artist's rate instead.
- Does the estimate include a tip or a deposit?
- No. Neither is in the number. Many shops take a deposit when you book, which usually comes off the final price, and tipping a tattoo artist is common practice in the US. Budget a little above the top of the range if you want to be comfortable.