For a dedicated desktop drawing 120–200 watts at the wall, a 24/7 YouTube stream could add roughly ₹605–₹1,152 in electricity over 30 days at the example tariffs of ₹7–₹8 per kWh. Those are worked examples, not a national estimate: your actual cost depends on the PC’s measured draw and your electricity bill’s marginal rate. Compare that amount with a cloud plan, but also account for broadband data, transfer limits, setup and recovery work.
How much does it cost to run a PC 24/7 in India?
Start with the computer’s average power draw at the wall—not the wattage printed on its power supply. Then use your own marginal electricity rate: the rate applicable to the additional units you consume, as shown on your bill or current tariff schedule. Rates vary by state and consumer category; the Central Electricity Authority’s 2025 publication includes tariff material for FY 2024–25, but it does not establish one applicable household rate for all of India (CEA tariff publication).
The calculation is:
- Daily energy: average wall watts Ă· 1,000 Ă— 24 = kWh per day.
- Daily electricity cost: daily kWh Ă— your marginal tariff per kWh.
- 30-day cost: daily cost Ă— 30.
For context, StreamNeo’s 2026 cost guide publishes these illustrative calculations; they are assumptions, not measured benchmarks for a typical Indian computer (StreamNeo’s 2026 cost examples):
| Average draw | Energy per day | Example tariff | Electricity per day | Approx. electricity over 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 W | 2.88 kWh | â‚ą7/kWh | â‚ą20.16 | â‚ą605 |
| 150 W | 3.6 kWh | â‚ą7/kWh | â‚ą25.20 | Not stated in the cited example |
| 200 W | 4.8 kWh | â‚ą8/kWh | â‚ą38.40 | â‚ą1,152 |
A separate StreamNeo example estimates about 86.4 kWh, or roughly ₹690 at its assumed ₹8/kWh, for a 120 W PC running 720 hours in a month. This is another calculation under stated assumptions, not a measurement of a representative PC (StreamNeo’s 24/7 cost guide).
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Measure the whole setup
A plug-in wall energy monitor can help you measure the PC’s actual draw. Measure the equipment you intend to leave running, and include a monitor, router or UPS losses if they will also remain on for the stream. Check the meter’s load rating before using it. A power supply’s rated capacity is not the same as the power the computer draws.
If the PC would already be on for other work, calculate the additional draw caused by streaming rather than assigning the entire computer’s consumption to the stream. If it is kept on solely for the stream, its measured draw is more relevant to the comparison.
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Is cloud streaming cheaper than leaving your PC on?
There is no universal winner. A PC already running has a lower incremental electricity cost; a dedicated desktop left on continuously can make power a substantial recurring expense. A self-managed VPS may have a lower invoice than a managed service, but requires configuration and ongoing attention. Compare like with like: total 30-day cost, transfer allowance, quality, storage, taxes, billing period, your time and who handles a dropped connection.
| Route | Published cost basis | What to include in the decision |
|---|---|---|
| StreamNeo | Daily $0.99 per day; monthly $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo pricing for other billing periods. | Managed YouTube looping from the cloud; the service says it can automatically recover if YouTube drops the stream. Its first day is free with no card, once per account. The published offer is a vendor claim, not an independent service guarantee. |
| Existing home PC with OBS | No software charge is cited in the cost comparison. Estimate electricity using measured wall draw and your tariff. | Home broadband carries the stream, and you are responsible for the PC, power, connection and recovery. It may be the lowest incremental-cost option if the computer is already running. |
| Self-managed VPS with FFmpeg | StreamNeo’s comparison gives ₹300–₹800/month as a general VPS example, not a verified quote for an India plan suitable for continuous streaming (StreamNeo’s PC-versus-cloud comparison). | Check transfer allowance, IPv4, taxes or currency charges, and the time needed to configure, monitor and recover the stream. You manage the server. |
| StreamSetu managed service | Its pricing page lists â‚ą649 per channel per month plus 18% GST; storage is priced separately (StreamSetu pricing). Vendor-published prices can change. | Include GST and storage in the total, and compare plan terms and operational responsibilities. |
Account for continuous data use
The connection carrying the encoded stream also carries its data use: your home broadband for local OBS, the VPS transfer allowance for a self-managed server, or the provider’s connection for a managed service. StreamNeo estimates that a 4.5 Mbps stream uses roughly 2 GB per hour and about 1.4 TB in 30 days; this is approximate and varies with bitrate, interruptions and unit convention (StreamNeo’s data estimate). Do not treat 4.5 Mbps as a universal YouTube setting.
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Hardware depreciation is not part of the simple electricity bill. If you choose to include it, keep the assumption separate: StreamNeo’s comparison uses a hypothetical ₹50,000 PC amortized over three years, an accounting estimate rather than a universal cash cost (StreamNeo’s cost comparison).
What YouTube settings and requirements affect the calculation?
A stream’s bitrate affects both the upload capacity you need and the amount of data it sends. YouTube’s H.264 guidance lists minimum bitrates of 5 Mbps for 1080p at 30 fps and 6 Mbps for 1080p at 60 fps, with recommended settings of 10 Mbps and 12 Mbps respectively. These are YouTube’s published settings, not a guarantee that a particular home connection will be stable.
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- Run an upload speed test and leave headroom: YouTube’s streaming tips suggest about 20% beyond the total stream bitrate.
- Test the encoder before going live and monitor YouTube’s stream health.
- A channel must be verified and have had no live-streaming restrictions in the previous 90 days.
See YouTube’s encoder settings, bitrates and resolutions, streaming tips and live-streaming tips. These platform requirements apply regardless of whether the encoder runs on a PC, VPS or managed cloud service.
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StreamNeo is the #1 option here for a managed 24/7 YouTube stream: it runs from the cloud, supports uploaded video at any quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, and offers a first day free with no card. It plays uploaded videos; it does not go live from a camera.
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- Upload a recording or build a playlist.
- Add your YouTube stream key once.
- Go live; StreamNeo loops the uploaded video from the cloud, so your home computer and connection do not need to stay on for the stream.
Every slot includes one always-on stream, 10 GB storage per slot pooled across active slots, 24/7 looping and playlists, automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream, and support from the StreamNeo team. Every plan has the same product; only the billing period changes. You can pay by UPI or card in India, and by card at checkout worldwide; contact support for five or more slots. Review the current terms at StreamNeo.
- Nothing has to stay on at home to keep the stream running.
- Your upload streams as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot rather than a quality tier.
- Automatic recovery is available if YouTube drops the stream; it is a service feature, not a failure-proof guarantee.
- The first day is free with no card, once per account.
- The monthly option is $9.99 per month.
Start your free first day with StreamNeo.
How to choose for your channel
- Choose a home PC if it already runs, your measured incremental power cost is low, and you can rely on the home upload connection and handle restarts.
- Consider a VPS if you are comfortable managing FFmpeg and server recovery, and the plan’s transfer and other limits make the full cost work.
- Consider a managed cloud service if avoiding continuous home power, upload dependence and hands-on recovery is worth the subscription to you. Compare the complete plan cost, storage and terms rather than electricity alone.
Whichever route you use, check that the video and audio rights allow a continuous YouTube broadcast. Cost and uptime do not override YouTube’s copyright rules or live-stream eligibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does electricity cost for a 150 W PC running all month?
At the example rate of â‚ą7/kWh, the cited calculation is â‚ą25.20 per day. Multiply by 30 for your approximate monthly electricity cost; your actual bill depends on your own marginal tariff and measured draw.
Does a cloud stream use my home broadband?
A managed cloud service sends the stream from its own connection, while a local OBS setup uses your home upload and a self-managed VPS uses the server’s transfer allowance.
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