The price of a carton is only one part of packing an order. Small amounts of tape, labels and cushioning add up, and two packaging options can require very different amounts of time. A consistent per-order record makes those differences visible.
Build a packaging recipe
Pick one common order type and list everything used to pack it. Keep the list concrete: one carton, one insert, two sheets of paper, a measured length of tape, one shipping label and any included card. If a larger order uses a different recipe, calculate that separately.
Convert bulk purchases into usable unit costs
If 100 usable cartons cost 65 in your currency, each carton costs 0.65. If some are damaged, use the usable count or record wastage separately. Apply the same treatment to supplier delivery charges and taxes across the comparison; otherwise the totals describe different things.
For consumables, measure usage. A 60 metre tape roll costing 3.00 gives a theoretical cost of 0.05 per metre. Using 1.6 metres per parcel would cost 0.08, before wastage. A roll price alone is not a per-order cost.
Account for packing time
Time several normal orders from the same starting point to the same finish point. Decide whether your timing includes collecting products, printing labels or only assembling the package, and record the definition. Convert the average minutes using your chosen hourly cost.
These values demonstrate the formula. They are not a wage recommendation or a claim about typical packing speed.
Combine the two parts
A 0.65 carton, 0.20 cushioning allowance, 0.08 of tape and 0.07 label total 1.00 in materials. Add 0.75 for packing time and the estimate is 1.75 per order. At 100 identical orders, that becomes 175.00. The packaging cost calculator performs this arithmetic and can print the assumptions with the result.
Do not call the result total order cost
Product cost, postage, fees, returns, storage and other overhead are outside this estimate. Keep packaging as one line in a broader record. A lower materials total is not automatically a better decision if the alternative takes longer to assemble or leaves the product poorly protected.
Repeat when something changes
Update the recipe after a new supplier price, different box, revised insert or change in packing process. Date the record. Compare two choices with the same assumptions and obtain actual shipping quotes if their finished dimensions or weights differ.
Next: choose useful packing-bench equipment and check size-based weight.