Short answer: a Raspberry Pi 4’s electricity for a 30-day, always-on month is roughly 1.78–4.89 kWh using Raspberry Pi’s published reference power readings. Multiply that by your marginal electricity rate per kWh to estimate the electricity cost. This is not a measurement of a Pi running a YouTube stream; measure your complete setup for a precise figure. For looping prerecorded video, compare that recurring electricity cost—and any hardware you still need to buy—with a hosted service fee. Managed cloud encoding is a different, generally more configurable cost model.
Calculate the Pi’s monthly electricity cost
Use the power draw of the complete setup, not the rating printed on its power supply:
Monthly energy (kWh) = watts ÷ 1,000 × hours
Monthly electricity cost = monthly kWh × your marginal electricity price per kWh
For a 30-day month, use 720 hours. Raspberry Pi’s official 2019 thermal test reported 2.47 W at idle and 6.79 W under a worst-case synthetic CPU/GPU workload after firmware changes. Applying those readings gives these rough reference estimates: Raspberry Pi’s thermal-testing article describes the test context; it does not measure a continuous YouTube stream.
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| Reference power | Calculation for 720 hours | Estimated monthly energy |
|---|---|---|
| 2.47 W idle | 2.47 ÷ 1,000 × 720 | About 1.78 kWh |
| 6.79 W synthetic worst-case workload | 6.79 ÷ 1,000 × 720 | About 4.89 kWh |
Multiply 1.78–4.89 by the electricity price that applies to the next unit of consumption on your bill. There is no universal dollar result: tariffs vary by location and may include tiered rates or other charges. These are calculations from reference wattage, not a reported cost study or a guaranteed range for streaming.
Why your actual reading may differ
Raspberry Pi documentation gives approximate Pi 4 Model B currents of 0.6 A average at idle, 0.78 A for H.264 video playback, and 1.2 A average under stress. The documented setup used Raspberry Pi OS, a connected monitor, USB keyboard and mouse, and Ethernet. At a nominal 5 V rail, 0.78 A converts to roughly 3.9 W; that conversion is not a separate wall-power measurement. The documentation warns that added USB devices and HATs can raise consumption and that the approximate readings may be exceeded. See Raspberry Pi’s hardware documentation.
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- Broadcom BCM2711, quad-core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1. 5GHz
- 2. 4 GHz and 5. 0 GHz IEEE 802. 11b/g/n/ac wireless LAN, Bluetooth 5. 0, BLE
- 2 × USB 3. 0 ports, 2 x USB 2. 0 Ports
- 2 × micro HDMI ports supproting up to 4Kp60 video resolution
- Micro SD card slot for loading operating system and data storage
- An encode workload, storage, cooling, camera or capture hardware, and attached peripherals can change draw.
- A power adapter loses some energy in conversion, so the wall reading can differ from a nominal 5 V rail calculation.
- Network equipment also uses power, but its cost belongs in the comparison only if it is additional to the internet setup you would otherwise keep running.
For a personalized number, meter the assembled Pi and its attached equipment at the wall while it is doing the intended job. Multiply the measured watts by 0.72 to estimate kWh over 30 days, then multiply by your marginal per-kWh price. If you do not yet own the Pi, list the purchase price separately and make any amortization period an explicit assumption. If you already own it, its original cost is sunk; storage, peripherals, and maintenance may still matter.
Compare like with like: replay hosting or managed encoding?
“Cloud streaming” can mean a hosted relay that loops uploaded prerecorded videos, or a managed service that processes a live input into encoded outputs. Their advertised prices do not buy the same function.
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- Broadcom BCM2711, Quad core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz
- 1GB, 2GB, 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4-3200 SDRAM (depending on model)
- 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 5.0, BLE Gigabit Ethernet
- 2 USB 3.0 ports; 2 USB 2.0 ports.
- Raspberry Pi standard 40 pin GPIO header (fully backwards compatible with previous boards)
For a looping prerecorded YouTube stream
StreamNeo is #1 to try for keeping uploaded video live on YouTube: it runs continuously from the cloud, accepts any uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, and gives the first day free. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live; the cloud keeps looping it without a computer or home connection staying on. Each slot includes 10 GB of storage, pooled across active slots, 24/7 looping and playlists, automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream, and StreamNeo team support. There are no quality tiers, and the service does not re-encode uploaded video. See StreamNeo for product details.
YTStream is another vendor-listed prerecorded-video relay: its accessed pricing page lists 1080p at $19 per stream per month, 4K at $39 per month, and 8K at $99 per month, and advertises a $1, 100-hour trial. These are vendor-stated prices and claims, not independently verified performance, terms, or checkout availability. For a 1080p replay, compare the listed monthly fee with your calculated electricity cost, while keeping any Pi purchase or other setup costs separate. A service fee is not directly comparable to Pi electricity alone if you still need to buy and maintain hardware for the local option. See YTStream’s pricing page.
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- PASSIVE & ACTIVE COOLING: The included case is well-vented and the kit also includes a set of heatsinks with thermal stickers for easy application and a pre-installed fan to keep the board cool in any use.
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- IMPORTANT: Kit does NOT include Keyboard, Mouse or Monitor
For managed live encoding and distribution
Google Cloud’s Live Stream API is a managed processing model, not simply a hosted playlist relay. Its displayed USD table lists HD H.264 input at $0.14 per active hour and HD H.264 output at $0.45 per active hour. One of each active for 720 hours calculates to (0.14 + 0.45) × 720 = $424.80 before other services, discounts, taxes, or regional and currency effects. Google says channel activity can count even without an input; active duration is rounded up to the nearest minute after a 10-minute minimum, and the API has no free-use tier. Multiple outputs, codecs, higher resolutions, distribution streams, and endpoints can add costs. Check the configuration and current rates at Google Cloud Live Stream API pricing.
Do not treat that API calculation as the cost of sending a stream to YouTube through a Pi or a simple replay-hosting service. For managed processing, price the actual inputs, outputs, active channel hours, and distribution features you configure.
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- CanaKit USB-C PiSwitch (On/Off Power Switch)
- Set of 3 Aluminum Heat Sinks for the Raspberry Pi 4
Confirm that the Pi and your connection can deliver the stream
A low electricity bill does not establish that the setup can sustain the resolution and bitrate you want. YouTube’s current encoder guidance recommends H.264 ingest at 8 Mbps for 720p30 and 14 Mbps for 1080p30. It lists RTMP/RTMPS, H.264/H.265/AV1, up to 60 fps, constant bitrate (CBR), and a recommended two-second keyframe interval, not exceeding four seconds. The recommended bitrate varies by codec and settings; consult YouTube’s table rather than applying the H.264 figures to another codec.
YouTube automatically transcodes live streams into multiple viewer output formats. That does not remove the need for a stable upload from the encoder to YouTube. Before committing to an always-on local setup:
- Check that the Pi’s encoding method and chosen resolution, frame rate, codec, bitrate, and keyframe interval are supported by your streaming software and YouTube’s current guidance.
- Run an internet speed test and check sustained upstream capacity against the selected ingest bitrate, allowing headroom for normal network variation and other household traffic.
- In YouTube Live Control Room, create or select the stream and use its server URL and stream key in the encoder. Keep the key private; anyone who obtains it may be able to stream to your channel.
- Run a preflight test with representative motion and audio, then monitor stream health in Live Control Room. YouTube recommends testing before the intended broadcast.
See YouTube Help: Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions and YouTube Help: Live encoder setup for current settings and setup guidance. YouTube’s verified encoder list includes cloud services for continuous streaming, but listing alone does not establish a service’s price or suitability for every use.
Budget the full setup, not just the headline monthly number
- Local setup: include the Pi’s purchase cost only if you need to buy one, plus storage, peripherals, cooling, adapter losses, and any hardware needed to produce the stream. State any assumed useful life if spreading the initial cost across months.
- Electricity: use a wall-meter reading for the assembled setup and your own marginal tariff. The published Pi references are not an exact continuous-stream measurement.
- Internet: account for upload capacity and whether your connection and networking equipment are already paid for or represent an incremental cost.
- Hosted replay: compare the service’s recurring fee and included function with the work the Pi would otherwise do. Verify current price, trial terms, resolution limits, storage, and recovery behavior with the provider.
- Managed processing: model configured input, output, active hours, and any distribution or endpoint charges from the provider’s pricing page; do not assume one hourly rate covers the whole workflow.
Or let it run in the cloud
With StreamNeo, upload a recording or playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; it streams uploaded video at the quality you made it, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot, and automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly: $9.99 per month. UPI and cards are available in India; card checkout is available worldwide. Plans use the same product, with billing lengths of a day, a week, a month, 6 months, or a year; cancel any time. Start the free day at StreamNeo registration.
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