A Raspberry Pi 4’s electricity cost for a month of continuous streaming is approximately 1.78–4.89 kWh multiplied by your local electricity price per kWh, using Raspberry Pi’s published reference power readings as a rough estimate—not a measurement of a Pi streaming YouTube. A cloud service may cost more but can remove the need to keep local equipment running. The right comparison depends on whether you are looping uploaded videos or paying for managed live encoding.
Calculate the Pi 4’s monthly electricity cost
Use this formula with your marginal electricity rate—the price you pay for each additional kilowatt-hour:
Watts ÷ 1,000 × hours = kWh
Monthly kWh × price per kWh = monthly electricity cost
A 30-day month has 720 hours. Raspberry Pi’s official thermal-test article reported 2.47 W at idle and 6.79 W under a worst-case synthetic CPU/GPU workload, in a 2019 firmware and test context. Applying those readings to 720 hours gives this reference range:
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| Reference reading | Energy over 720 hours | Cost calculation |
|---|---|---|
| 2.47 W, idle | About 1.78 kWh | 1.78 × your price per kWh |
| 6.79 W, synthetic worst-case workload | About 4.89 kWh | 4.89 × your price per kWh |
These are derived estimates, not results from a continuous YouTube-streaming test. A Pi encoding or relaying your particular video may draw differently. The figures also do not include power-adapter losses or additional storage, peripherals, cooling, network equipment, or other devices. For a more accurate number, measure the complete setup at the wall while it is doing the intended work, then multiply its measured watts by 0.72 to estimate kWh for a 30-day month.
Published Pi 4 readings are workload-specific
Raspberry Pi documentation separately lists approximate Pi 4 Model B current readings of 0.6 A at idle, 0.78 A during H.264 video playback, and 1.2 A under stress. The listed test setup included a monitor, USB keyboard and mouse, and Ethernet; Raspberry Pi notes that extra USB devices and HATs can increase consumption. At a nominal 5 V rail, 0.78 A converts to about 3.9 W (voltage × current), but this is not a separate wall-power measurement and does not establish the draw of a YouTube stream. See Raspberry Pi’s power measurements and notes and its 2019 thermal-testing article.
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Compare like with like: replay hosting versus live processing
“Cloud streaming” can mean different services. A prerecorded-video relay loops uploaded material to YouTube; a managed live encoding service processes an active input and may provide outputs or distribution. Their prices do not buy the same job.
For a 24/7 loop of prerecorded videos
YTStream’s vendor page lists a 1080p plan at $19 per stream per month. It describes uploading prerecorded videos, arranging a playlist, connecting a YouTube stream key, and letting the service run the stream. That is a closer comparison to a Pi replaying uploaded videos than an encoding API is. The price and capabilities are vendor-published claims, not independently tested performance or verified checkout terms. Compare the recurring fee with your measured Pi electricity cost, while keeping hardware purchase and other setup costs separate. See YTStream’s pricing page.
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For this use case, StreamNeo is another option to consider first: it keeps uploaded videos looping to YouTube from the cloud, with any uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot and a free first day.
For managed live encoding and distribution
Google Cloud’s Live Stream API has usage-based input and output charges. Its displayed USD rates list HD H.264 input at $0.14 per active hour and HD H.264 output at $0.45 per active hour. At 720 active hours, one input plus one output comes to (0.14 + 0.45) × 720 = $424.80, before other services, discounts, taxes, or regional and currency effects. Google says active channel time can count even without an input, rounds active duration up to the nearest minute after a ten-minute minimum, and has no free-use tier. More outputs, codecs, resolutions, distribution streams, and endpoints can add charges. Consult the Google Cloud Live Stream API pricing table for the configuration and region you would actually use. This is managed live processing, not a simple replay-hosting plan.
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Account for the equipment and ongoing costs
Electricity is only one part of the Pi’s cost. A fair comparison separates one-time purchases from recurring expenses and makes clear what you already own.
- If you already own the Pi: treat its purchase price as sunk for a forward-looking monthly comparison, but include any new storage, peripherals, or replacement parts you need.
- If you need to buy the setup: list the hardware as an upfront cost. If you want to spread it over time, state your assumed useful life or amortization period rather than silently folding it into the electricity figure.
- For either option: account separately for internet service, storage, network equipment, maintenance, and any electricity used by supporting devices. Do not assume a listed power-supply capacity is the Pi’s continuous consumption.
- For a cloud relay: compare the recurring fee with the local setup’s recurring costs and consider the value of not having to keep a computer and home connection running. Check the provider’s current terms and what its plan includes.
- For a managed encoding API: calculate the actual input, output count and resolution, channel-active hours, and any distribution services from the provider’s pricing page.
Check that the Pi and internet connection can sustain the stream
Power cost does not tell you whether your stream will be stable. Match the video settings to the encoder and the available upload capacity. YouTube’s current H.264 recommendations include 8 Mbps for 720p30 and 14 Mbps for 1080p30. Those are ingest bitrate recommendations, not electricity estimates. H.265 and AV1 recommendations differ.
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- YouTube lists RTMP/RTMPS ingest, H.264/H.265/AV1, up to 60 fps, constant bitrate (CBR), and a recommended two-second keyframe interval (no more than four seconds).
- Leave upload headroom above the selected video bitrate for audio and network variation; test the actual connection rather than relying only on a plan’s advertised download speed.
- Run a preflight with representative audio and motion, and monitor stream health in YouTube Live Control Room. YouTube says Live Control Room detects encoder settings and automatically transcodes a live stream into formats for viewers.
- Configure the encoder with a YouTube Live server URL and stream key. Treat the stream key as a credential: do not publish it or include it in shared screenshots. YouTube’s setup guidance covers encoder connections and available hardware, software, and cloud options.
For the current settings and setup steps, see YouTube Help: Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions and YouTube Help: Set up your encoder for live streaming. YouTube notes: “YouTube will automatically transcode your live stream to create many different output formats so that all of your viewers across many devices and networks can watch.”
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is a continuous loop of uploaded videos rather than a camera-based live production, StreamNeo is a cloud option for YouTube. Upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; uploads stream as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot. StreamNeo automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card, and the Monthly plan is $9.99 per month. One slot includes an always-on stream, 10 GB storage pooled across active slots, looping and playlists, and StreamNeo team support. It streams to YouTube and plays uploaded videos; it is not a camera-to-live service. See StreamNeo or start the free first day.
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