About the Meeting Cost Calculator
A one-hour meeting with eight people uses eight hours of work, and that has a price. This calculator shows it. Enter the number of people, their average pay as a yearly salary or an hourly rate, the length of the meeting, an allowance for extra costs on top of pay and how often the meeting repeats. You get the cost per meeting, per minute, per second and per year, plus the person-hours spent. A live clock can run during the meeting and add up the cost as time passes, which is a good way to keep a discussion short. The numbers are estimates, and the page is meant to start a conversation about how to use time well, not to blame anyone.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Meeting Cost Calculator
- 1Enter the number of people in the meeting.
- 2Choose yearly salary or hourly rate and enter the average pay.
- 3Enter the length of the meeting in minutes.
- 4Set the extra cost percentage and how often it happens each year.
- 5Press Start the meeting to watch the cost add up.
Why measure meeting cost
Few people think about the price of a meeting when they send an invitation. Seeing a number such as 400 for a status update that could have been a short message changes the discussion. It is a useful prompt to ask who really needs to be there, how long it should last and whether the matter could be handled another way.
The yearly figure is the most surprising. A weekly one hour meeting for ten people can cost far more than a single project. Repeating meetings are worth reviewing from time to time.
Ways to reduce the cost
- Invite only the people who must decide or contribute.
- Send an agenda and a goal beforehand.
- Set a time limit and use the live clock.
- Replace a status meeting with a written update.
- Make meetings 25 or 50 minutes instead of 30 or 60.
- End with clear owners and dates.
Related tools
For the pay side, the Salary Calculator turns yearly pay into hourly and the Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator works out what to charge. Track hours with the Time Card Calculator or the Hours Calculator and plan sprints with the Pomodoro Timer. Remember that people matter more than the number, so use the figure kindly.
Features
- Cost per meeting, minute, second and year
- Person-hours spent
- Salary or hourly input
- Allowance for benefits and overhead
- Live cost clock with pause and reset
- Works for any currency
- Private, runs in your browser
Frequently asked questions
How is the cost worked out?
The yearly salary is divided by 52 weeks and 40 hours to get an hourly rate. The rate plus the extra percentage is multiplied by the number of people and the hours of the meeting.
What is the extra cost on top of pay?
Employers pay more than the salary: taxes, benefits, equipment, office space. A common rule of thumb is to add 20 to 40 percent.
Which currency does it use?
Any. Enter your pay in your own currency and the results are in the same currency.
Do all people earn the same?
The tool uses an average. For a mixed group, enter a weighted average of the people in the room, or run it twice for two groups.
Does it count the cost of lost focus?
No. Interruptions and the time needed to get back to work add to the real cost, so the true cost is often higher than the number shown.
Is a meeting always a waste?
No. A good meeting can save hours of emails and mistakes. The goal is to be able to say that the meeting was worth its price.
Does the clock work if I lock my screen?
It keeps counting from the time you started, but keep the page open. Browsers can slow pages in the background.