Average Cost (Formula, Examples, Marginal Cost) (2024)

The average cost is the average price of goods and services. When we have multiple products to sell or buy, of almost the same value, the average of these values will give the average cost price. It helps shopkeepers in the buying and selling process.

The average cost is the ratio of the total of cost of all the products to the total number of products. In Maths, we also have the term called “average”. The average of any given set of data is called the mean of data. But in case of business, where profit and loss are the key features, the average is said to be the right term.

Average Cost Formula

The formula for calculating average cost is given by;

Average cost = Total cost of the units/Number of units

The average cost deals with the summation of arithmetic cost divided by the number of the quantity or the number of items given. The formula to calculate the average cost is given here.

X = ∑(xi)/n

Where xi is the sum of all costs and n is the number of items.

The symbol ‘∑’ (called sigma) is used to denote the summation.

How to Calculate Average Cost?

We have already discussed the formula to calculate the average cost. Let us see an example to find the average cost.

Example: Find the average cost of price of 11 bags whose prices are Rs.500, Rs.550, Rs. 450, Rs. 510, Rs. 520, Rs. 530, Rs. 540, Rs. 460, Rs. 470, Rs. 480 and Rs. 490.

Solution: Given, the cost price of 11 bags are:

Rs.500, Rs.550, Rs. 450, Rs. 510, Rs. 520, Rs. 530, Rs. 540, Rs. 460, Rs. 470, Rs. 480 and Rs. 490.

Hence, as per the average cost formula, we know;

Average = Sum of all the cost of bags/Total number of bags

A = (500+550+450+510+520+530+540+460+470+480+490)/11

A = 5500/11

A = 500

Therefore, Rs. 500 is the average cost of 11 bags.

Also, read:

Average Cost and Marginal Cost

By the definition of average cost, we know it is the ratio of the total cost to the number of manufactured products. The total cost here is also termed as unit cost, which is equal to the sum of fixed cost and variable cost.

Hence,

Average cost = Total cost/Number of units = (Fixed cost + Variable cost)/Number of units

Whereas, marginal cost is the cost incurred due to the change in the total cost because of an increase in the number of products. Hence, it is the additional cost, because of the manufacturing of extra products.

It is helpful for businesses to know whether it is beneficial to produce extra units of products or not. The marginal cost is given by;

MC = Change in cost/Change in quantity

Average Cost (Formula, Examples, Marginal Cost) (2024)

FAQs

Average Cost (Formula, Examples, Marginal Cost)? ›

Marginal cost can be calculated by taking the change in total cost and dividing it by the change in quantity. For example, as quantity produced increases from 40 to 60 haircuts, total costs rise by 400 – 320, or 80. Thus, the marginal cost for each of those marginal 20 units will be 80/20, or $4 per haircut.

How do you calculate average cost using marginal cost? ›

Marginal cost (MC) is calculated by taking the change in total cost between two levels of output and dividing by the change in output. The marginal cost curve is upward-sloping. Average total cost (sometimes referred to simply as average cost) is total cost divided by the quantity of output.

What is an example of a marginal cost and average cost? ›

For example, if a company needs to build a new factory in order to produce more goods, the cost of building the factory is a marginal cost. Economists analyze both short run and long run average cost. Short run average costs vary in relation to the quantity of goods being produced.

How to calculate MC with example? ›

Marginal Cost Examples

Example 1: Find the marginal cost of production if a company spent $20 on producing 2 units of output. Solution: Given, the cost of producing 2 units = $20. It implies, ΔC = $20 and ΔQ = 2. So, by using the formula, we get, MC = ΔC/ΔQ = $20/2 = $10.

What is the relation between marginal cost and average cost? ›

Relationship between Average Cost and Marginal Cost

If the average cost falls due to an increase in the output, the marginal cost is less than the average cost. If the average cost rises due to an increase in the output, the marginal cost is more than the average cost.

How to calculate average cost? ›

Average cost = Total cost of the units/Number of units

The average cost deals with the summation of arithmetic cost divided by the number of the quantity or the number of items given. The formula to calculate the average cost is given here.

What is the formula used to calculate marginal cost? ›

What Is the Formula for Marginal Cost? Marginal cost is calculated by dividing the change in costs by the change in quantity.

What is the best example of marginal cost? ›

Example of Marginal Cost

The per-unit cost of a manufacturer producing 100 sofas is $500, which is a total cost of $50,000. The cost of producing the next sofa rises to $510, with total costs of $50,510 for 101 sofas. Therefore, the marginal cost for producing one additional unit is $510, as calculated below.

Is marginal cost always higher than average cost? ›

If marginal cost is above average cost, it will drive the average cost up. If marginal cost is below average cost, it will drive the average cost down.

What is the average cost function and the marginal cost function? ›

Dividing the total cost by the number of units produced provides the average cost per unit. The marginal cost represents the cost of producing one additional item. The marginal cost function is found by dividing the change in cost by the change in quantity.

What is MC formula method? ›

MC Formula is a method that allows a hydrogen refueling station to directly and accurately calculate the temperature at the end of the filling in a hydrogen tank. Resato's MC Formula ensures an optimal filling compared to the traditional way of refueling hydrogen.

How do I find the MC? ›

Marginal cost represents the incremental costs incurred when producing additional units of a good or service. It is calculated by taking the total change in the cost of producing more goods and dividing that by the change in the number of goods produced.

What is the formula for the average cost function? ›

The average cost function associated with a cost function C(x) is the function ¯C(x) = C(x)/x.

How to calculate average fixed cost? ›

Obtain the total quantity of products produced within the chosen period: The total quantity of goods produced should be within the same period for which the costs were accrued. Divide the total fixed cost by the quantity produced: This will give you the average fixed cost per unit.

What is the formula for total cost? ›

Fixed costs (FC) are costs that don't change from month to month and don't vary based on activities or the number of goods used. The formula to calculate total cost is the following: TC (total cost) = TFC (total fixed cost) + TVC (total variable cost).

What is the formula for average variable cost? ›

What is the formula of AVC? The AVC can be calculated by dividing the total variable cost (TVC) by the quantity produced (Q). It can also be found by subtracting the average fixed cost (AFC) from the average total cost (ATC).

How to calculate AFC in economics? ›

AFC = Total fixed cost/Output (Q)

If the fixed cost of a pen factory is ₹5,000/- and it produces 500 pens, then the average fixed price will be ₹10/- per unit.

When marginal cost equals total average cost? ›

The point at which marginal cost equals average total cost (MC = ATC) is known as the break-even point.

How to calculate AVC? ›

How do you calculate average variable cost? Average variable cost is the variable cost per unit produced. It is calculated by dividing the total variable cost by the quantity produced.

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