How Much Does Raspberry Pi Cost?

Published on October 4, 2026 | Written by Alec Pow
This article was researched using 15 sources. See our methodology and corrections policy.

A Raspberry Pi costs anywhere from $5 for a Pico 2 microcontroller to $430 for a Raspberry Pi 500+ Desktop Kit in current U.S. list pricing. If you mean the flagship Raspberry Pi 5 single-board computer, prices now run from $45 for 1GB of RAM to $305 for 16GB, with the 4GB model at $110 and the 8GB model at $175.

The board price is only part of the purchase. A Pi 5 normally needs power, storage and either a case or cooling solution. A basic 4GB Pi 5 setup using current U.S. accessory prices reaches about $160.80 before tax, keyboard, mouse or monitor. A desktop-oriented buyer may now get better value from the $200 Raspberry Pi 500 Desktop Kit.

Pricing changed sharply during 2026 as LPDDR4 memory became more expensive. Raspberry Pi raised its 2GB Pi 5 price again on October 1, making current memory capacity one of the largest price drivers in the lineup.

Article Highlights

• Raspberry Pi products currently start at $5 for Pico 2 and reach $430 (at $30 per hour, earning that amount would take about 1.8 full-time workdays, before taxes) for the Raspberry Pi 500+ Desktop Kit.
• Raspberry Pi 5 currently costs $45 for 1GB, $77.50 for 2GB, $110 for 4GB, $175 for 8GB and $305 for 16GB.
• A practical 4GB Pi 5 setup with power, fan case, 32GB microSD storage and HDMI cable costs about $160.80 before tax and desktop peripherals.
• The 8GB Pi 5 launched at $80 but now costs $175, an increase of about 119%.
• The 16GB Pi 5 launched at $120 in January 2025 and now costs $305, a rise of about 154%.
• The $200 Pi 500 Desktop Kit can now cost less than assembling a comparable 8GB Pi 5 desktop from separate current-price parts.

How Much Does Raspberry Pi Cost?

The Raspberry Pi family now covers several different products. The lowest prices belong to microcontroller and compact-project boards, while the highest belong to high-memory computers and complete keyboard systems.

Raspberry Pi model	Current U.S. price	What the price buys
Raspberry Pi Pico 2	$5	Microcontroller board
Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W	$7	Wireless microcontroller board
Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W	$15 (about 30 minutes at $30 per hour)	Compact Linux single-board computer
Raspberry Pi 4 1GB	$35	Entry Pi 4 board
Raspberry Pi 5 1GB	$45	Lowest-cost Pi 5
Raspberry Pi 400	$60	Pi 4-class computer built into keyboard
Raspberry Pi 4 2GB	$67.50	Pi 4 board
Raspberry Pi 5 2GB	$77.50	Pi 5 board
Raspberry Pi 4 4GB	$100	Higher-memory Pi 4 board
Raspberry Pi 5 4GB	$110	Mainstream Pi 5 configuration
Raspberry Pi 4 8GB	$165	Highest-memory Pi 4
Raspberry Pi 5 8GB	$175	High-memory Pi 5
Raspberry Pi 500	$180	8GB computer inside keyboard with 32GB microSD
Raspberry Pi 500 Desktop Kit	$200	Pi 500, storage, power supply, mouse and HDMI cable
Raspberry Pi 5 16GB	$305	Highest-memory Pi 5 board
Raspberry Pi 500+	$410	16GB keyboard computer with 256GB NVMe SSD
Raspberry Pi 500+ Desktop Kit	$430	Premium 16GB desktop package

The latest change arrived on October 1, 2026. Raspberry Pi’s October pricing update raised the 2GB Raspberry Pi 4 to $67.50 and the 2GB Raspberry Pi 5 to $77.50.

The 4GB, 8GB and 16GB prices had already climbed sharply. Raspberry Pi’s April memory price update added another $25 to 4GB boards, $50 to 8GB boards and $100 to the 16GB Pi 5.

What You’re Actually Buying

A $5 Pico 2 and a $110 Pi 5 are both Raspberry Pi products, but they should not be compared as substitute computers. Raspberry Pi’s current product lineup spans microcontrollers, single-board computers, embedded compute modules and complete desktop systems.

Pico 2 is a microcontroller. It runs code directly on its RP2350 chip and is aimed at electronics, sensors, robotics and embedded control. It is not a miniature desktop computer running Raspberry Pi OS. The wireless Pico 2 W costs $7.

Zero 2 W costs $15 and is a true Linux computer, but its 512MB of RAM and compact hardware make it much better suited to lightweight servers, embedded projects and simple devices than a modern desktop workload.

Raspberry Pi 4 and Pi 5 are general-purpose single-board computers. They expose USB, HDMI, networking and GPIO connections and can function as desktops, servers, media systems or project controllers. Pi 5 has substantially more processing performance and adds PCI Express support.

Raspberry Pi 400, 500 and 500+ take the same broad platform idea and put the computer inside a keyboard. That removes the need to buy a separate case and keyboard. The 500+ also includes NVMe storage.

This product split explains why saying “a Raspberry Pi costs $5” is technically true but not useful for someone shopping for a Linux desktop or home server.

Why Pi 5 Got So Expensive

Memory is driving much of the 2026 price change. Raspberry Pi said in April that the price of the LPDDR4 DRAM used in Pi 4 and Pi 5 products had risen sevenfold over the prior year. The company connected that pressure to competition for memory manufacturing capacity from AI infrastructure.

The result is visible when today’s prices are compared with launch prices. Raspberry Pi 5 originally launched in 2023 at $60 for 4GB and $80 for 8GB. Those versions now cost $110 and $175.

The 4GB model is up $50, or about 83%. The 8GB model is up $95, or about 119%.

The high end moved even more. Raspberry Pi launched the 16GB Pi 5 at $120 in January 2025. At $305 today, the board costs $185 more, an increase of about 154%.

The lower-memory versions have been protected more aggressively. The 1GB Pi 5 remains $45. The 2GB model originally launched at $50 and now costs $77.50, a 55% increase.

This creates an unusual pricing curve. Moving from 1GB to 2GB costs another $32.50. Moving from 2GB to 4GB adds another $32.50. The step from 4GB to 8GB costs $65, while moving from 8GB to 16GB adds $130.

Independent coverage has tracked the same shift. Tom’s Hardware’s October price-hike report also identified memory shortages as the driver behind the latest increases.

The Real Setup Cost

A bare Pi 5 does not include the pieces most buyers need to boot and use it. The fixed accessory bill can be a larger percentage of the purchase than expected, especially on the cheapest boards.

A current U.S. approved reseller lists the Raspberry Pi 27W USB-C supply at $12.95. An official Pi 5 fan case is currently $10.95. A 32GB official A2 microSD card is listed at $19.95, while a one-meter micro-HDMI cable is $6.95.

Those four parts total $50.80.

Worked example: 4GB Raspberry Pi 5

• Raspberry Pi 5 4GB at $110
• 27W power supply at $12.95
• Fan-equipped case at $10.95
• 32GB microSD card at $19.95
• Micro-HDMI cable at $6.95
• Basic hardware total of $160.80

That is 46.2% above the board price. It still assumes the buyer already owns a display, keyboard and mouse.

The accessory effect is even stronger at the cheap end. Add the same $50.80 bundle to the $45 Pi 5 1GB and the setup reaches $95.80. The supporting hardware costs more than the computer board.

Using the same accessory package, the 2GB setup reaches about $128.30, the 8GB setup about $225.80, and the 16GB setup about $355.80. Sales tax and shipping can raise each total.

Pi 500 Can Beat a DIY Desktop

The 2026 price changes create a surprising value reversal. Raspberry Pi currently lists the 8GB Pi 500 at $180 and its Desktop Kit at $200. The kit includes the computer built into a keyboard, a 32GB microSD card, 27W power supply, mouse, HDMI cable and Beginner’s Guide.

Compare that with an 8GB Pi 5 board. The board alone costs $175. Add the $50.80 setup bundle above and the subtotal becomes $225.80. Add a current official mouse near $11.95 and the separate-board configuration reaches about $237.75 before buying a keyboard.

The $200 Pi 500 Desktop Kit is therefore at least $37.75 cheaper in this comparison before the DIY Pi 5 gets a keyboard. Both use the Pi 5-class Cortex-A76 processor and 8GB of RAM.

The trade is not purely financial. A separate Pi 5 board exposes a different physical layout and is easier to build into custom projects, cases and hardware stacks. Pi 500 is optimized as a desktop computer.

The same pricing pressure reaches the premium keyboard model. The current Pi 500+ pricing is $410 for the unit and $430 for the Desktop Kit. It includes 16GB of RAM and a 256GB NVMe SSD.

At that level, Raspberry Pi has moved well beyond its historical ultra-budget niche. A buyer using the Pi as an ordinary desktop should compare that price with a budget or mainstream laptop rather than assuming a Pi is automatically the cheaper computer.

Storage and Project Add-Ons

Storage can change the price of a Pi 5 substantially. The cheapest route is a microSD card, but Pi 5’s PCI Express interface allows much faster NVMe storage.

The official Raspberry Pi M.2 HAT+ is currently $12. A current 256GB Raspberry Pi NVMe SSD is listed at $75. Together they add $87.

That storage package alone equals about 79% of the price of a $110 Pi 5 4GB board. A 4GB Pi 5 with that SSD, M.2 adapter, $12.95 power supply and $10.95 case reaches about $220.90 before display cables or peripherals.

This is another point where board-only comparisons stop being useful. A mini computer with included SSD storage and enclosure may have a higher advertised price but a smaller gap between its listing price and usable total.

Storage needs also depend on the project. A lightweight home automation server may run comfortably from inexpensive flash storage. A database, NAS or development workstation can justify NVMe. Larger conventional drives may make more sense for bulk files, which is worth comparing with current hard-drive costs.

Cameras, displays, sensors, HAT boards, AI accelerators and robotics hardware can quickly overtake the price of the Pi itself. An AI HAT, camera and storage package can turn a sub-$200 board into a several-hundred-dollar project without anything being overpriced. The cost is simply moving from general computing into application-specific hardware.

Which Raspberry Pi Makes Sense?

The cheapest board is not automatically the best value. A buyer should start with the workload, then buy enough memory and I/O capacity for that job.

Low-cost electronics case. A Pico 2 at $5 or Pico 2 W at $7 makes sense for sensors, controllers and embedded projects that do not need Linux. Paying $45 or more for a Pi 5 only to blink LEDs or read a temperature sensor may buy computing power the project never uses.

Compact Linux case. Zero 2 W at $15 remains compelling for lightweight network services, small displays and embedded Linux projects. Its limited RAM becomes a problem if the project is really a desktop computer in disguise.

General Pi 5 case. The $110 4GB model is a practical middle point for many desktop, development, home-server and maker workloads. Its fully usable price is closer to $161 with basic supporting hardware.

Desktop case. The $200 Pi 500 Desktop Kit is now difficult to ignore. The current 8GB Pi 5 board price has risen enough that buying the integrated system can cost less than recreating it from separate parts.

High-memory case. The $305 16GB Pi 5 makes sense only when the workload genuinely benefits from that memory. At this price, alternative mini PCs and laptops deserve a comparison. Repairability matters too. If a completed computer fails, professional PC repair costs can exceed the value of a low-end Pi system, which is one reason inexpensive boards are often replaced rather than professionally repaired.

Makes sense if

• You need GPIO, camera interfaces or Pi-specific hardware support.
• You want a compact Linux computer with a large maker ecosystem.
• You choose the RAM tier based on the actual project rather than buying maximum memory by default.
• You already own some of the power, storage and peripheral hardware.

Does not make sense if

• You are comparing a bare Pi board with a fully equipped PC or laptop.
• You need 16GB primarily because you assume more RAM always means better value.
• You need large SSD storage, enclosure, keyboard and display but are ignoring those costs.
• Your only goal is a conventional desktop and a similarly priced complete computer offers better hardware for the workload.

Answers to Common Questions

How much does a Raspberry Pi cost?

Current Raspberry Pi products range from $5 for Pico 2 to $430 for a Pi 500+ Desktop Kit. A Raspberry Pi 5 board costs $45 to $305 depending on RAM.

How much is a Raspberry Pi 5?

The current U.S. list prices are $45 for 1GB, $77.50 for 2GB, $110 for 4GB, $175 for 8GB and $305 for 16GB.

How much does a complete Raspberry Pi 5 setup cost?

A 4GB Pi 5 with a current-priced power supply, fan case, 32GB microSD card and HDMI cable comes to about $160.80 before tax, shipping, keyboard, mouse and monitor.

Why did Raspberry Pi get so expensive?

Raspberry Pi attributes its 2026 increases mainly to steeply higher LPDDR4 memory costs. Higher-RAM models were hit hardest, while several lower-memory and older products retained much lower prices.

Is Raspberry Pi still cheaper than a normal computer?

At the low end, often yes. At $175 to $305 for a bare 8GB or 16GB Pi 5, the comparison becomes less automatic because storage, power, enclosure and peripherals still have to be added. A complete mini PC or budget laptop may offer stronger value for an ordinary desktop workload.