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A Raspberry Pi 4’s electricity cost depends on the measured average power draw of the complete setup, how long it runs, and your local electricity tariff. Raspberry Pi recommends a 15 W power supply, but that is the supply’s capacity—not the Pi’s expected continuous consumption. There is no reliable break-even figure against cloud hosting without defining what the Pi is doing, the tariff, and which hardware or service costs are included.
First define what “YouTube playlist stream” means
These are different workloads, and comparing them as if they were interchangeable can produce a misleading cost estimate:
- Playing a YouTube playlist locally: the Pi is a playback device connected to a display or other equipment. A generic cloud server does not automatically replace that playback setup.
- Hosting a playlist-related application or media: the Pi may be running software or serving files. A cloud server may be an alternative only if it has the resources and network access needed for that particular job.
- Keeping uploaded video live on a YouTube channel: this is a different service requirement again. A VPS price alone does not establish that the server can perform it.
The cost comparison below uses published Raspberry Pi power measurements as reference points and an AWS Lightsail Linux VPS as a cloud-hosting example. Neither establishes identical workloads.
What a Raspberry Pi 4 uses—and what the figures mean
Raspberry Pi recommends a 5 V, 3 A (15 W) USB-C supply for the Pi 4. That figure describes the recommended supply rating; it is not a measurement of how much electricity the board continuously uses.
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Raspberry Pi’s official documentation gives approximate readings of 0.6 A average at idle and 0.78 A average during H.264 video playback. Its measurements used a standard OS image from June 2019 and included HDMI, keyboard, mouse, and Ethernet. Connected devices can increase power use, so these are setup-specific reference points rather than a universal prediction for a playlist-playing Pi.
In a separate historical test, Raspberry Pi reported 2.1 W at idle and 6.41 W under a synthetic load. Those readings came from a 2019 beta-firmware test and should not be generalized to every device or workload. Alex Bate of Raspberry Pi wrote on 28 November 2019: “The last four months of firmware updates have taken over half a watt out of idle power and nearly a watt out of fully loaded power.” That finding itself illustrates why a power figure needs its test context and date.
Rank #2
- 5-in-1 USB-C Hub: Experience comprehensive connectivity featuring a Power Delivery input, two USB-A 2.0 ports, a USB-A 3.0 port, and an HDMI port. (Note: The USB-C power delivery input port is only for connecting an external wall charger to power your laptop and cannot power peripheral devices.)
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- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
For the official specifications and measurement notes, see Raspberry Pi computer documentation and the Raspberry Pi 4 thermal-testing article.
Calculate the Pi’s electricity cost
Use the average watts for the complete setup, runtime, and your electricity tariff:
Rank #3
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- Fast and Reliable 85W Charging: Offers high-capacity, speedy charging for laptops up to 85W, so you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time being productive.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
- Find or measure the setup’s average power draw in watts while doing the actual job.
- Calculate energy use:
kWh = watts × hours ÷ 1,000. - Calculate the energy cost:
cost = kWh × your tariff per kWh.
For example, if a setup averages 6 W for 24 hours, it uses 0.144 kWh in that period (6 × 24 ÷ 1,000). Multiply 0.144 by your local price per kWh to estimate the daily electricity cost. This is an illustration, not a claim that every Pi 4 playback setup draws 6 W.
For a dependable estimate, measure at the wall with the Pi and the peripherals you will actually use. Include the display, storage, networking equipment, or other devices in the measurement if they are part of the setup and you want their energy included. Apply the same method to the actual operating schedule rather than assuming the Pi runs continuously.
Rank #4
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What the cloud-hosting example includes
AWS lists an entry public-IPv4 Linux VPS bundle on Lightsail at $5 USD per month, with 0.5 GB memory, 2 vCPUs, 20 GB SSD, and 1 TB transfer. These are the listed bundle specifications and price accessed in 2026; AWS pricing and regional allowances can change. Check the AWS Lightsail pricing page for current terms.
This is a VPS bundle, not an electricity-cost figure and not proof that the service is suitable for playing a local YouTube playlist or keeping a YouTube channel live. Confirm that the cloud workload, network transfer, and region meet your needs before treating the bundle as an alternative.
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- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
How to compare the costs fairly
There is no single break-even point in the available figures: your tariff and an equivalent workload have not been specified. A useful comparison keeps these items separate:
| Cost or requirement | Raspberry Pi setup | Cloud VPS example |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring base cost | Electricity calculated from measured average watts, runtime, and local tariff. | AWS Lightsail entry public-IPv4 Linux bundle listed at $5 USD/month when accessed in 2026; verify current price and regional terms. |
| Compute and storage | Depends on the Pi hardware and attached storage used. | 0.5 GB memory, 2 vCPUs, and 20 GB SSD in the cited Lightsail bundle. |
| Network transfer | Depends on the internet connection and workload; a home connection may have separate costs or limits. | 1 TB transfer is listed for the cited bundle; confirm applicable regional allowances and the workload’s needs. |
| One-time and ancillary costs | Board, suitable power supply, storage, peripherals, and any other required equipment; purchase costs are separate from electricity. | Any requirements or add-ons beyond the listed bundle; not established by the bundle price alone. |
| Task suitability | Depends on whether the Pi is playing YouTube, hosting an application, or serving media. | Must be checked against the actual workload; the bundle listing does not establish YouTube playback or live-stream suitability. |
For the Pi itself, the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B product page describes the hardware, but hardware purchase cost is not part of the electricity formula. To compare total cost over time, add the purchase and ancillary costs you will actually incur, then compare the same operating period and service outcome on both sides.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is to keep uploaded videos looping as a YouTube live stream, StreamNeo is a purpose-built option rather than a generic VPS estimate. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live; StreamNeo loops the uploaded video from the cloud, so your computer and home connection do not have to stay on. It automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream, accepts uploads as made up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, and gives each account one free day with no card. Monthly: $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo for service details, then start the free day.
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