A cartridge razor costs almost nothing to buy and a fortune to keep feeding; a safety razor is the other way round. So the honest number is not the handle price, it is what each shave costs once you keep buying blades. Tell it how often you shave and it ranks every razor by real cost per shave.
Prices reviewed 31 July 2026 . Handle prices and typical refill costs in USD; how long a blade lasts you changes the total. Not a substitute for a good lather.
We costed 15 ways to shave by their real running cost: the refill blade price divided by the shaves it lasts. The cheapest is a double-edge safety razor at $0.02 a shave; the priciest, the Gillette ProGlide Power cartridge, at $0.50. The handle barely matters, the blade you keep buying decides the total.
Method: typical refill price per cartridge or blade ÷ the shaves it lasts (about 8 shaves a cartridge, 5 a double-edge blade), plus the handle spread across your shaves. Real blade life varies with your beard and technique. Prices are indicative USD. Cite this: "usefulHQ Razor Cost Study 2026", usefulhq.com/razor-cost-per-shave/. Figures update as prices are reviewed.
The per-shave blade cost is what compounds. Shave more often and the cartridge razors fall down the list fast.
| Razor | Type | Handle price | Per shave | Total over term | All-in per shave | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merkur 34C safety razorBest value A one-time handle, then double-edge blades cost about 12 cents and last a week; the cheapest shave there is. | Safety razor | $40 | $0.02 | $53 | $0.08 | Cheapest per shave | Check price |
| Van Der Hagen razor kit Budget razor-and-blade starter; the same near-free double-edge blades from then on. | Safety razor | $20 | $0.02 | $33 | $0.05 | Cheapest DE starter | Check price |
| Feather DE (sharpest blades) Japanese blades are the sharpest going, still only pennies a shave. | Safety razor | $35 | $0.04 | $60 | $0.10 | Sharpest DE blades | Check price |
| BIC disposable razors The razor is the blade; cheap to grab, but they dull fast and pile up as waste. | Disposable | $0 | $0.13 | $81 | $0.13 | No handle to buy | Check price |
| Gillette Sensor3 disposable 3-blade disposables, handy for travel, but pricey per shave over time. | Disposable | $0 | $0.15 | $94 | $0.15 | Travel-friendly | Check price |
| Dorco Pace The value cartridge, from the same maker behind the big clubs, at a fraction of Gillette. | Cartridge | $8 | $0.22 | $145 | $0.23 | Cheap cartridge on Amazon | Check price |
| Gillette Sensor Excel An older twin-blade design; among the cheapest Gillette refills you can buy. | Cartridge | $7 | $0.25 | $163 | $0.26 | Cheapest Gillette | Check price |
| Harry's razor German-made blades; a middle path between the value clubs and Gillette. | Cartridge | $10 | $0.26 | $172 | $0.28 | Popular mid-price cartridge | Check price |
| Gillette Mach3 The old reliable; cheaper refills than the 5-blade Fusion line. | Cartridge | $8 | $0.30 | $195 | $0.31 | Classic 3-blade | Check price |
| Schick Quattro A cheaper 4-blade option than Gillette's 5-blade cartridges. | Cartridge | $9 | $0.31 | $202 | $0.32 | 4-blade alternative | Check price |
| Schick Hydro 5 Water-activated gel reservoir for a smooth glide; mid-priced refills. | Cartridge | $9 | $0.34 | $221 | $0.35 | Hydrating cartridge | Check price |
| Gillette SkinGuard Two blades with a guard to reduce irritation; mid-high refill cost. | Cartridge | $10 | $0.38 | $247 | $0.40 | For sensitive skin | Check price |
| Gillette Fusion5 A smooth 5-blade shave, but the refills are dear. | Cartridge | $11 | $0.42 | $273 | $0.44 | 5-blade standard | Check price |
| Gillette Fusion5 ProGlide Gillette's flagship five-blade; the priciest mainstream refills. | Cartridge | $12 | $0.47 | $305 | $0.49 | Premium cartridge | Check price |
| Gillette ProGlide Power A vibrating handle with the same pricey blades, plus batteries to buy. | Cartridge | $14 | $0.50 | $326 | $0.52 | Battery-assist | Check price |
A double-edge safety razor. The handle is a one-time buy, then blades cost 10 to 15 cents and last about a week, so you shave for 2 to 4 cents. Five-blade cartridges cost 40 to 50 cents a shave, ten to twenty times more.
They shave fast and forgiving, but they are the expensive route. A Fusion5 ProGlide refill is $3 to $5 and lasts 8 to 15 shaves, roughly 45 cents each, about $90 a year more than a safety razor. Worth it only if you truly value the convenience.
A double-edge blade lasts about 5 shaves. Gillette suggests 10 to 15 shaves a cartridge, though 7 to 10 is more typical for a close shave. Disposables dull fastest at 2 to 4. The blade you throw away, not the handle, sets your cost.
Yes, on cost. Subscription cartridges run 20 to 30 cents a shave, cheaper than Gillette but far above a safety razor's 2 to 4 cents. The trade-off is a short learning curve and a slightly slower shave.