How much does it cost to build a Magic deck?
Quick answer
How much it costs to build a Magic: The Gathering deck depends mostly on the format. Rough ballparks: Pauper (commons only) runs about $30–$60; Standard is roughly $100–$250 since it uses recent in-print cards; Commander ranges from around $30 for a budget brew to $200+ optimized; and Modern or Pioneer runs $200–$600+, driven by a few expensive staples. Those are estimates — the real number depends on live prices and, crucially, how you buy. You can cut any deck's cost by pricing the whole list at once across stores instead of card by card, using cheaper printings of the same card, accepting lightly played bulk, and consolidating sellers so you pay shipping fewer times. ScryPrice does all of that automatically: paste your list to see the real cost and the cheapest way to buy it, free.
The cost of a Magic deck depends mostly on the format — how many cards it needs and whether they're in print. Here are typical ranges, then how to spend less on any of them.
Typical deck cost by format
| Format | Typical cost | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Pauper | $30–$60 | Commons only — the budget format by design |
| Standard | $100–$250 | Recent, in-print cards; rotates |
| Commander (EDH) | $30–$200+ | 100 singles; wide range by power level |
| Pioneer | $150–$400 | Larger card pool, some pricey staples |
| Modern | $200–$600+ | Fetchlands and premium duals drive the price |
These are ballparks — the real number depends on live prices and, just as much, on how you buy. The same list can vary by 15–30% depending on how the purchase is split across stores.
Why how you buy changes the price
Buying each card from whichever store is cheapest for it scatters your order across many sellers, and most marketplaces charge shipping per seller. So the "cheapest per card" order routinely costs more delivered than a consolidated one. Solving for the total — item price plus shipping — is where the savings are.
How to spend less on any deck
- Price the whole list at once across stores, not card by card.
- Use cheaper printings of the same card when the art doesn't matter — heavily reprinted staples can be a fraction of the newest printing.
- Accept lightly played copies on bulk cards; ScryPrice supports 5 condition grades (NM, LP, MP, HP, DMG) so you set the floor.
- Consolidate sellers to pay shipping fewer times.
ScryPrice applies all four automatically. It prices your list against 170,000+ indexed cards across TCGplayer, Card Kingdom, ManaPool with daily-refreshed prices, then returns the real cost to build it and the cheapest way to buy it — free, no account.
Price your card list free →Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to build a Magic: The Gathering deck?
It varies by format: Pauper decks often cost $30–$60, Standard $100–$250, Commander $30–$200+, and Modern $200–$600+. The final cost depends on live prices and how you buy — pricing the whole list at once and consolidating sellers can cut it significantly.
What's the cheapest Magic format to build for?
Pauper, which is played entirely with commons, is typically the cheapest constructed format. Budget Commander decks are also inexpensive. ScryPrice helps you build any deck for less by finding the cheapest cart across stores.