Bitcoin Mining Electricity Cost by Country (2026)

As of 2026, the countries with the cheapest electricity for mining are Iran (~$0.003/kWh, subsidised but legally restricted), Ethiopia (~$0.013/kWh, hydroelectric surplus), Paraguay (~$0.023/kWh, Itaipú dam), Algeria (~$0.035/kWh), Kazakhstan (~$0.038/kWh) and Russia (~$0.04/kWh, Siberian hydro). Industrial rates are always significantly lower than the residential averages shown here.

There is no single global figure: residential rates range from under $0.01/kWh in Iran and Ethiopia to over $0.35/kWh in Germany and Denmark. The practical break-even for home Bitcoin mining with modern ASICs sits around $0.07–$0.12/kWh; profitable industrial operations typically secure power below $0.05/kWh.

Far more than most people expect. A current-generation ASIC at ~15 J/TH needs roughly 690,000 kWh (690 MWh) of electricity per whole BTC at August 2026 difficulty (~860 EH/s network). At $0.05/kWh that is about $34,500 of power per coin — profitable at a ~$63,000 Bitcoin price. At typical EU residential rates (~$0.27/kWh) the same coin costs over $185,000 in electricity alone. The break-even rate for an Antminer S21 Pro sits near $0.09/kWh.

It varies sharply by state. The US residential average (~$0.13/kWh) is generally unprofitable for home ASIC mining, but deregulated markets like Texas (~$0.12/kWh, with demand-response credits) and hydro-rich Washington (~$0.09/kWh) are far more viable, and large operations negotiate industrial rates near $0.04–0.06/kWh. Run your exact rate through the calculator before buying hardware.

Both rely on heavy subsidies or surplus generation. Iran subsidises energy to roughly $0.003/kWh, though mining is legally restricted and grid-stress crackdowns are common. Ethiopia exports surplus hydroelectric power from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam at ~$0.013/kWh and has actively courted mining operators since 2023.

Industrial and negotiated mining contracts are typically 30–60% below the residential averages in this table. A country shown at $0.12/kWh residential may offer $0.05–0.08/kWh to a megawatt-scale miner, which is why nearly all profitable mining happens on industrial or behind-the-meter power, not household supply.

Marginally. Brazil's hydro-heavy grid averages ~$0.098/kWh residential — just above the ~$0.09/kWh break-even of a modern ASIC like the Antminer S21 Pro at August 2026 conditions. Home mining roughly treads water; industrial contracts and off-peak tariffs push it into profit. Older hardware (S19 generation) loses money at Brazilian residential rates.

Turkish residential power averages roughly $0.098/kWh in USD terms, but the lira's volatility means the dollar-equivalent rate moves constantly — mining economics in Turkey are as much a currency question as an energy question. At that rate, only current-generation ASICs and CPU-mined Monero clear break-even; check live numbers before committing hardware.

Bhutan (~$0.036/kWh, hydro surplus, state-backed mining) and Malaysia (~$0.074/kWh subsidised) lead practical options; India averages ~$0.088/kWh but varies enormously by state, with subsidised agricultural and industrial tariffs far lower. Iran is nominally cheapest (~$0.003/kWh) but mining runs into legal restrictions and seasonal grid crackdowns.

On the national residential average (~$0.088/kWh, roughly ₹7–8 per unit) a current-generation ASIC sits almost exactly at break-even, so home mining in India is a coin-flip that depends on your state tariff: rates vary widely between states and across consumption slabs, and heavy domestic users often pay above the average. Subsidised industrial and agricultural connections change the maths entirely. Neighbouring Sri Lanka averages ~$0.105/kWh under tiered CEB billing where heavy users pay the most — above ASIC break-even for home setups.

Kazakhstan (~$0.038/kWh) and Russia (~$0.040/kWh, with Siberian hydro regions cheaper still) offer some of the lowest practical rates among major mining hubs, which is why both host large ASIC fleets. The caveat is regulatory: Kazakhstan licenses miners and has directed them to surplus-power windows after past grid strain, and Russian regions have introduced seasonal mining restrictions where grids run tight. Cheap kilowatt-hours come bundled with compliance homework.

It depends almost entirely on the country. Ethiopia (~$0.013/kWh hydro surplus) has become a genuine industrial mining hub, and Nigeria's subsidised ~$0.042/kWh is nominally cheap but undermined by grid reliability. Kenya, by contrast, averages ~$0.22/kWh retail with levies — far above break-even for any hardware, ASIC or PC. With self-generated or otherwise free solar power the revenue side is pure margin anywhere, but then the real question becomes hardware payback time, not electricity.

Only at the northern edge. At 1 September 2026 conditions (BTC ~$78,800, network ~860 EH/s) an Antminer S21 Pro — 234 TH/s drawing 3,510 W — earns about $9.65/day on 84.2 kWh, which puts break-even at roughly $0.115/kWh. On residential power only Iceland (~$0.054/kWh) and Norway (~$0.079/kWh) clear that bar; Hungary (~$0.128/kWh) and Sweden (~$0.142/kWh) come close but still bleed $1–2 a day. Further south the gap is structural rather than marginal: Czechia (~$0.195/kWh) loses about $6.80/day, Italy (~$0.271/kWh) about $13.20/day and Germany (~$0.342/kWh) about $19.20/day — roughly $2,500, $4,800 and $7,000 a year respectively. Serious European mining therefore runs on Nordic hydro, negotiated industrial contracts or behind-the-meter generation; at retail rates ASICs are a losing proposition and low-power CPU mining is the only home setup that still makes sense.

Yes, but free power changes the question from energy cost to hardware payback. With self-generated solar, hydro or an otherwise zero-cost supply the whole block reward is gross margin: at 1 September 2026 conditions an Antminer S21 Pro earns about $9.65/day, roughly $3,520 a year, so a ~$3,500 machine repays itself in about 360 days — before allowing for difficulty growth, which is the real risk over that horizon. The maths is far less forgiving below ASIC scale: a desktop CPU at 10 kH/s on RandomX earns about $0.59/day, some $215 a year, which will never repay hardware bought specifically to mine. Free electricity makes good hardware viable; it does not rescue old or cheap hardware. And "free" solar is only free at the margin — the panels, inverter and battery capacity carry a payback of their own that belongs in the same calculation.

Argentina's subsidised grid averages ~$0.042/kWh residential — cheap enough that even mid-generation ASICs mine profitably — but tariff reform and inflation make the dollar rate a moving target, so margins need stress-testing rather than snapshots. Paraguay's Itaipú hydro surplus (~$0.023/kWh, industrial deals lower) remains one of the most attractive rates in the Americas and has drawn sustained industrial mining investment.