How Much Does Dry Ice Cost?

Updated on August 11, 2026 | Written by Alec Pow
This article was researched using 12 sources. See our methodology and corrections policy.

Dry ice currently costs about $1.00 to $1.60 per pound for many local supplier purchases, while small retail orders can work out to roughly $1.68 to $2.40 per pound after fixed handling fees. Shipped consumer quantities can cost about $1.93 to $2.68 per pound based on current listed package prices, before any checkout-specific delivery charges.

Current examples show how much quantity changes the real price. Dry Ice Corp lists local retail dry ice at $1.00 to $1.60 per pound with minimum purchases of 10 to 25 pounds. CK Supply lists pellets at a nominal $1.60 per pound, but its fixed hazmat charge raises a 10-pound order to $23.95, or about $2.40 per pound. The same supplier’s 100-pound order is $167.95, reducing the effective rate to about $1.68 per pound.

The amount on the price board is therefore not always what you really pay. Minimum quantities, hazmat or handling fees, a required cooler, delivery, and dry ice lost to sublimation can all raise the effective cost. A first-time CK Supply customer buying 10 pounds and a $12 cooler would spend about $35.95, equal to roughly $3.60 per pound on that first purchase.

Article Highlights

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• Local supplier pricing currently starts around $1.00 to $1.60 per pound in one major regional network.
• CK Supply lists dry ice at $1.60 per pound, but a fixed fee makes its 10-pound order $23.95 (at $30 per hour, earning that amount would take about 48 minutes, before taxes), or about $2.40 per pound.
• At 100 pounds, the same CK order costs $167.95, or about $1.68 per pound.
• Dry Ice Corp currently lists shipped 25-pound and 45-pound packages at $67 and $87, or about $2.68 and $1.93 per pound.
• One kilogram equals about 2.205 pounds, so a local $1.00 to $1.60 per-pound price translates to about $2.20 to $3.53 per kilogram.
• Dry ice is usually much more expensive per pound than ordinary water ice, but it is far colder and provides roughly three times the pound-for-pound cooling capacity.
• Never store dry ice in a sealed container. Sublimating carbon dioxide can create enough pressure to rupture the container.

How Much Does Dry Ice Cost?

Dry Ice Corp currently publishes retail pricing of $1.00 to $1.60 per pound through its branches and authorized distributors, with minimum purchases commonly ranging from 10 to 25 pounds.

Example purchase	Listed total	Effective price per pound
CK Supply, 10 lb	$23.95 (about 48 minutes at $30 per hour)	$2.40/lb
CK Supply, 25 lb	$47.95	$1.92/lb
CK Supply, 50 lb	$87.95	$1.76/lb
CK Supply, 75 lb	$127.95	$1.71/lb
CK Supply, 100 lb	$167.95	$1.68/lb
Dry Ice Corp shipped, 25 lb	$67	$2.68/lb
Dry Ice Corp shipped, 45 lb	$87	$1.93/lb

The CK Supply examples come from its current retail dry ice pellet pricing. The supplier states a nominal price of $1.60 per pound plus a fixed $7.95 hazmat fee that is already included in the displayed totals. That fixed charge is why the effective per-pound cost falls as the order gets larger.

Dry Ice Corp’s current online consumer shop lists 25 pounds of pellets for $67 and 45 pounds for $87. Those package prices equal about $2.68 and $1.93 per pound, respectively. Delivery timing, location, and checkout charges can change the final amount paid.

10, 25, 50 and 100 Pounds

The nominal per-pound price matters less than the invoice total when a supplier adds a fixed fee. At CK, 10 pounds of dry ice contains $16 (about 32 minutes at $30 per hour) worth of product at the stated $1.60-per-pound rate. Adding the $7.95 fee brings the total to $23.95. The fee adds almost 50% to the commodity portion of that small purchase.

At 100 pounds, the dry ice itself is $160. Adding the same $7.95 produces $167.95. The fixed charge adds only about 5% to the product portion, which explains why larger purchases have a much lower effective rate even when the underlying dry ice price has not changed.

Worked example: suppose you need 25 pounds. CK’s listed price is $47.95. Divide that by 25 and the effective cost is about $1.92 per pound. If you also need a new $12 cooler, the first-purchase total becomes $59.95, or about $2.40 per pound. The cooler can be reused, so a later 25-pound purchase would return to the lower effective rate if the supplier accepts that container.

Fees, Coolers and Lost Ice

CK Supply currently says a cooler is required for all dry ice purchases. Its dry ice sales page lists branded coolers at $12. That turns a first 10-pound purchase from $23.95 into $35.95, while a first 100-pound purchase with a cooler would be $179.95.

Sublimation is another real cost. Dry ice does not melt into water at normal atmospheric pressure. It changes directly from solid carbon dioxide into gas, so some of what you buy is disappearing continuously from the time it is produced. Buying too early can therefore turn a cheaper bulk order into wasted money.

There is no single honest national sublimation-loss percentage because the rate depends on pellet or block form, insulation, outside temperature, container design, how often it is opened, and how much dry ice is stored together. The practical money-saving rule is to buy as close to use time as possible and avoid buying a larger quantity merely because the sticker price per pound is lower.

Local Pickup vs Shipped

Local pickup is often the cheapest route when a supplier is nearby. The current $1.00 to $1.60 per-pound Dry Ice Corp regional range is well below its listed shipped-package unit prices of about $1.93 to $2.68 per pound. Shipping requires insulated packaging, rapid handling, and an allowance for material that continues sublimating in transit.

Businesses buying larger recurring volumes usually do not rely on consumer web prices. Dry Ice Corp handles commercial dry ice pricing by custom quote, based on volume, form, location, application, and expected weekly use. That makes an old universal wholesale claim such as $0.50 to $1.50 per pound too broad to use as a current national rule without a live supplier quote.

Case 1, small local purchase: 10 pounds at CK costs $23.95, or $2.40 per pound. With a first-time cooler, the total rises to $35.95.

Case 2, moderate shipped purchase: Dry Ice Corp lists 25 pounds at $67, which is $2.68 per pound based on the displayed package price.

Case 3, larger local purchase: 100 pounds at CK is $167.95, or about $1.68 per pound. That is roughly 30% less per pound than the same supplier’s 10-pound effective rate.

How Much Dry Ice Do You Need?

The right quantity depends on what you are cooling and how long it needs to stay cold. Dry Ice Corp recommends approximately 1.5 pounds per cubic foot for emergency refrigerator or freezer cooling. A 15-cubic-foot freezer would therefore require about 22.5 pounds under that supplier guideline.

At the regional $1.00 to $1.60 per-pound benchmark, 22.5 pounds represents roughly $22.50 to $36 of dry ice before any fixed fees. CK’s closest standard quantity is 25 pounds at $47.95. The exact amount for a power outage also depends on appliance size, insulation, how full it is, starting temperature, and outage duration.

For regulated specimen shipping, the CDC’s current 2026 guidance gives another concrete use case. It recommends 5 pounds of dry ice for every 24 hours that certain entomologic specimen packages will be in transit, with adjustments for weather. That is a shipping-specific protocol, not a universal rule for food or household coolers.

For theatrical fog, Nippon Sanso Carbonic Products says roughly one pound can produce 2 to 3 minutes of fog when used with hot water. Ten pounds could therefore support roughly 20 to 30 minutes of intermittent fog under similar conditions. Use dry ice effects only with adequate ventilation and keep solid pieces away from anything that will be consumed.

Dry Ice vs Regular Ice

Regular water ice is usually much cheaper per pound. Walmart currently lists a 20-pound bag of Reddy Ice at $4.12, or about $0.21 per pound. Twenty pounds of dry ice at $1.00 to $1.60 per pound would cost roughly $20 to $32 before fees.

Dry ice can still make financial sense when the job requires its specific properties. It sits around -109°F, leaves no liquid meltwater, and Continental Carbonic says it has roughly three times the pound-for-pound cooling capacity of ordinary wet ice. Frozen shipping, emergency freezer protection, specialized laboratory work, industrial applications, and fog effects can therefore justify the higher price.

For a picnic cooler full of ordinary drinks, water ice is usually the simpler and cheaper choice. Dry ice should not be treated as an automatic replacement simply because it is colder.

Storage Without Wasting Money

Store dry ice in an insulated container that is capable of venting carbon dioxide gas. Do not seal it in an airtight bottle, jar, cooler, or other rigid container. An ordinary household freezer is also far warmer than dry ice itself, so it cannot stop sublimation.

Keep the container closed as much as practical without making it airtight, limit unnecessary opening, and buy close to the time of use. Do not try to preserve dry ice by putting it into a sealed vessel. The financial loss from sublimation is preferable to creating a pressure hazard.

Blocks can last differently from small pellets because exposed surface area affects sublimation, but the best form depends on the application. Pellets are convenient for packing around irregular items and for blasting applications, while larger pieces can be practical for longer cooling jobs.

Safety and Transport

Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide at approximately -109°F (-78.5°C). CDC dry ice guidance warns that direct contact can cause severe frostbite within seconds and says to use insulated gloves, eye protection, and tools such as tongs rather than touching any part of the dry ice with bare skin. The same CDC safety guidance warns against sealed containers because gas buildup can rupture or explode them.

Ventilation is equally important. Sublimating dry ice releases carbon dioxide, which can accumulate in confined spaces and displace breathable air. OSHA documented a fatal delivery incident in which a worker transporting dry ice was exposed to lethal carbon dioxide concentrations. Its investigation of the dry ice transport death underscores why a closed passenger compartment or poorly ventilated work area is not a suitable storage location.

For vehicle transport, keep fresh air circulating and minimize time in the vehicle. Never leave dry ice sitting in a closed parked passenger vehicle. If a cargo area has contained a substantial amount of dry ice, ventilate it before entering.

Commercial and air shipping can trigger additional packaging and marking rules. PHMSA explains that certain air shipments of more than 5.5 pounds of dry ice used as refrigerant must use packaging designed to release gas and prevent pressure buildup, with required package information under the applicable rules. Review the current PHMSA dry ice shipping requirements and the carrier’s instructions before shipping.

Related Event Costs

Dry ice is sometimes purchased for event fog or photography effects. If it is part of a larger celebration budget, compare the dry ice expense with the cost of a wedding planner, a wedding officiant, or a courthouse wedding. Venue rules may restrict fog effects or dry ice use, so confirm permission before purchasing.

Answers to Common Questions

How much does 1 pound of dry ice cost?

Current local supplier pricing can be about $1.00 to $1.60 per pound, while a small order with fixed fees can effectively reach around $2.40 per pound or more.

How much does 1 kilogram of dry ice cost?

One kilogram equals about 2.205 pounds. At $1.00 to $1.60 per pound, that converts to approximately $2.20 to $3.53 per kilogram before minimum-order charges, coolers, or delivery.

How much would 20 kilograms of dry ice cost?

Twenty kilograms is about 44.1 pounds. At a local $1.00 to $1.60 per-pound rate, the dry ice itself would calculate to approximately $44.10 to $70.56 before fixed fees. A supplier may require you to buy the closest standard package rather than exactly 20 kilograms.

Is dry ice cheaper than regular ice?

No, ordinary bagged water ice is usually much cheaper per pound. Dry ice costs more but is dramatically colder, leaves no meltwater, and provides much greater pound-for-pound cooling capacity, which can make it the better tool for specialized jobs.

Can I keep dry ice in my freezer?

A normal freezer will not keep dry ice from sublimating because the freezer is much warmer than -109°F. Use a suitable insulated, vented container in a well-ventilated location and buy the dry ice close to when you need it.