Price Per Ton Benchmarks
Typical cost-per-ton ranges for bulk materials, freight, metals, energy and food commodities. Use them to sanity-check quotes and plan budgets.
Data last updated 2026-01-31
US materials (construction, agriculture, waste, freight) are typical US ranges per short ton. International commodities are World Bank Pink Sheet and USGS averages per metric ton or the unit shown.
| Material | Price Range | Unit | Notes & Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crushed Gravel Construction Materials |
$15 – $75 | per ton | Price varies by grade and delivery distance |
| Fill Dirt Construction Materials |
$5 – $25 | per ton | Screened fill costs more; topsoil premium |
| Asphalt (Hot Mix) Construction Materials |
$85 – $150 | per ton | Includes standard paving mix; specialty mixes higher |
| Concrete (Ready-Mix) Construction Materials |
$120 – $180 | per cubic yard | Approx. 2 tons per cubic yard |
| Rebar (Steel) Construction Materials |
$700 – $1,100 | per ton | Grade 60 standard; prices fluctuate with steel market |
| Sand (Construction) Construction Materials |
$20 – $50 | per ton | Washed sand at premium; mason sand higher |
| Limestone Construction Materials |
$25 – $60 | per ton | Crushed for base; agricultural lime varies |
| Recycled Concrete Construction Materials |
$10 – $30 | per ton | Eco-friendly alternative to virgin aggregate |
| Dry Van Freight (National Avg) Freight & Logistics |
$1.8 – $2.8 | per per mile | Full truckload; ~44,000 lb max payload |
| Flatbed Freight Freight & Logistics |
$2.2 – $3.5 | per per mile | Heavy haul and oversized loads higher |
| Ocean Container (20ft) Freight & Logistics |
$1,200 – $3,500 | per per container | Asia-US West Coast; rates volatile |
| Ocean Container (40ft) Freight & Logistics |
$1,800 – $5,000 | per per container | Spot rates can spike during peak season |
| Rail Intermodal Freight & Logistics |
$0.04 – $0.08 | per per ton-mile | Long-haul bulk most economical |
| LTL Freight (Class 50) Freight & Logistics |
$15 – $35 | per per 100 lbs | Less-than-truckload; class affects rate |
| Hay (Alfalfa) Agricultural Products |
$180 – $350 | per ton | Premium dairy-quality at top range |
| Hay (Grass/Timothy) Agricultural Products |
$120 – $250 | per ton | Horse hay typically higher quality/price |
| Corn (Grain) Agricultural Products |
$198.1 – $205.7 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — Maize (U.S., No.2 yellow, FOB US Gulf) |
| Soybeans Agricultural Products |
$404 – $446 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — Soybeans (U.S., FOB US Gulf) |
| Wheat Agricultural Products |
$209.3 – $245.9 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — U.S. wheat export prices range across SRW/HRW |
| Fertilizer (Urea 46-0-0) Agricultural Products |
$392.5 – $409.3 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — Urea (E. Europe, prill, FOB Middle East series) |
| Fertilizer (DAP 18-46-0) Agricultural Products |
$627.5 – $754 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — DAP (spot, FOB US Gulf) |
| Potash (0-0-60) Agricultural Products |
$352 – $358.3 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — Potassium chloride (muriate of potash), granular spot, CFR Brazil |
| Wheat (HRW) Agricultural Products |
$230.8 – $245.9 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — Wheat (U.S., HRW, FOB Gulf) |
| Wheat (SRW) Agricultural Products |
$209.3 – $225.2 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — Wheat (U.S., SRW, export price) |
| Municipal Solid Waste (Landfill) Waste Management |
$45 – $85 | per ton | Tipping fees vary widely by region |
| Construction & Demolition Debris Waste Management |
$35 – $75 | per ton | Clean loads cheaper; mixed debris higher |
| Hazardous Waste Disposal Waste Management |
$150 – $500 | per ton | Varies dramatically by waste type |
| Green Waste / Yard Debris Waste Management |
$25 – $55 | per ton | Often composted; some areas free |
| Scrap Metal (Mixed) Waste Management |
You receive $50 – $150 | per ton | Negative = you receive payment |
| Coal (Thermal) Minerals & Raw Materials |
$80 – $150 | per ton | Newcastle benchmark; varies by quality |
| Iron Ore (62% Fe) Minerals & Raw Materials |
$102.5 – $104.6 | per dry metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — Iron ore (any origin) fines, spot price, CFR China, 62% Fe |
| Copper Concentrate Minerals & Raw Materials |
$2,500 – $4,000 | per ton | Based on LME copper prices |
| Salt (Road/De-icing) Minerals & Raw Materials |
$50 – $100 | per ton | Bulk rock salt; treated salt higher |
| Gypsum Minerals & Raw Materials |
$8 – $15 | per ton | Raw gypsum; wallboard-grade higher |
| Coal (Thermal, Australia Newcastle) Minerals & Raw Materials |
$107.5 – $112.6 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — Thermal coal (Australia, Newcastle, 6000 kcal/kg, futures) |
| Coal (Thermal, South Africa Richards Bay) Minerals & Raw Materials |
$90.9 – $91.6 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — Thermal coal (South Africa, Richards Bay, NAR 6000 kcal/kg, forward month 1) |
| Copper (LME) Minerals & Raw Materials |
$10,740 – $11,785 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — Copper (LME, grade A, cathodes) |
| Aluminum (LME) Minerals & Raw Materials |
$2,793 – $2,876 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — Aluminum (LME, unalloyed primary ingots) |
| Lead (LME) Minerals & Raw Materials |
$1,940 – $1,998 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — Lead (LME, refined) |
| Nickel (LME) Minerals & Raw Materials |
$14,671 – $15,092 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — Nickel (LME, cathodes) |
| Tin (LME) Minerals & Raw Materials |
$36,012 – $41,220 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — Tin (LME, refined) |
| Zinc (LME) Minerals & Raw Materials |
$3,152 – $3,177 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — Zinc (LME, refined) |
| Gold Minerals & Raw Materials |
$4,058 – $4,309 | per troy oz | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — Gold, spot average of daily rates |
| Silver Minerals & Raw Materials |
$49.4 – $62.3 | per troy oz | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — Silver (UK, 99.9% refined, London fixing) |
| Platinum Minerals & Raw Materials |
$1,565 – $1,893 | per troy oz | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — Platinum (99.95% minimum purity, spot) |
| Gypsum (Crude, FOB mine) Minerals & Raw Materials |
$13 | per metric ton | USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries (average price 2024) — crude gypsum, f.o.b. mine |
| Gypsum (Calcined, FOB plant) Minerals & Raw Materials |
$63 | per metric ton | USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries (average price 2024) — calcined gypsum, f.o.b. plant |
| Crude Oil (Average of Brent, Dubai, WTI) Energy & Fuels |
$60.9 – $63 | per barrel | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Crude Oil (Brent) Energy & Fuels |
$62.7 – $64.7 | per barrel | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Crude Oil (Dubai) Energy & Fuels |
$62 – $64.3 | per barrel | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Crude Oil (WTI) Energy & Fuels |
$57.9 – $60.2 | per barrel | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Natural Gas (U.S. Henry Hub) Energy & Fuels |
$3.2 – $4.25 | per mmbtu | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Natural Gas (Europe TTF) Energy & Fuels |
$9.48 – $10.89 | per mmbtu | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Liquefied Natural Gas (Japan, cif) Energy & Fuels |
$11.06 – $11.15 | per mmbtu | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg; recent months may be estimates per series notes) |
| On-Highway Diesel (U.S. Retail, No.2) Energy & Fuels |
$3.459 – $3.624 | per gallon | EIA weekly U.S. retail diesel prices (Jan 2026 range) |
| Logs (Africa) Timber & Raw Materials |
$404.4 – $410 | per cubic meter | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Logs (Southeast Asia) Timber & Raw Materials |
$190.9 – $196.6 | per cubic meter | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Plywood (Southeast Asia, lauan, 3-ply) Timber & Raw Materials |
$350.2 – $360.7 | per sheet | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) — $/sheets (3-ply lauan 91cm x 182cm x 4mm, wholesale spot Tokyo) |
| Sawnwood (Africa) Timber & Raw Materials |
$628.9 – $641.5 | per cubic meter | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Sawnwood (Southeast Asia) Timber & Raw Materials |
$715.3 – $729.6 | per cubic meter | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Cotton Timber & Raw Materials |
$1.63 – $1.68 | per kg | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Rubber (RSS3) Timber & Raw Materials |
$2 – $2.06 | per kg | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Rubber (TSR20) Timber & Raw Materials |
$1.71 – $1.74 | per kg | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Coconut Oil Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$2,323 – $2,547 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Palm Oil (Malaysia, crude) Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$981 – $1,038 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Palmkernel Oil (Malaysia/Indonesia, crude) Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$2,113 – $2,273 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Soybean Meal (48% protein, FOB Rotterdam) Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$356 – $411 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Soybean Oil (crude degummed, FOB US Gulf) Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$1,119 – $1,132 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Fish Meal (German/Danish 64% pro, FOB Bremen) Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$1,769 – $1,824 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Groundnuts (40/50 runners, CFR NW Europe) Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$1,200 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Groundnut Oil (refined, EXW India) Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$1,621 – $1,678 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Rice (Thailand 5% broken) Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$356 – $424 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Rice (Thailand 25% broken) Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$351 – $414 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Rice (Thailand A1, broken) Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$335.9 – $389.4 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Rice (Vietnam 5% broken) Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$351.9 – $365.6 | per metric ton | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Sugar (World, ISA daily price) Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$0.32 – $0.34 | per kg | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Sugar (U.S.) Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$0.73 – $0.77 | per kg | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Sugar (EU) Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$0.38 | per kg | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Beef Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$7.09 – $7.51 | per kg | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Chicken Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$1.72 – $1.78 | per kg | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Lamb Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$6.33 – $6.45 | per kg | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Bananas (EU) Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$1.1 – $1.13 | per kg | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Bananas (U.S.) Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$1.13 – $1.16 | per kg | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Oranges Food & Commodity Ingredients |
$0.86 – $1.05 | per kg | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Cocoa Beverage Commodities |
$5.61 – $5.95 | per kg | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Coffee (Arabica) Beverage Commodities |
$8.4 – $9.05 | per kg | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Coffee (Robusta) Beverage Commodities |
$4.2 – $4.74 | per kg | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Tea (Average of 3 auctions) Beverage Commodities |
$2.88 – $3.01 | per kg | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Tea (Colombo) Beverage Commodities |
$3.94 – $3.95 | per kg | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Tea (Kolkata) Beverage Commodities |
$2.42 – $2.86 | per kg | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
| Tea (Mombasa) Beverage Commodities |
$2.23 – $2.27 | per kg | World Bank Pink Sheet (Oct–Dec 2025 monthly avg) |
Important Pricing Notes
- Delivery is usually extra and can add a large share of the cost per ton for low-value materials like gravel and fill
- Bulk quantities often qualify for volume discounts
- Seasonal fluctuations affect many commodity prices
- Regional differences can exceed 50% in some markets
- Always request current quotes from local suppliers
Need a price in another unit? Use the price per ton converter (e.g. $/kg → $/metric ton, $/short ton → $/metric ton). The full dataset is available as JSON.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a ton of gravel cost?
Crushed gravel typically costs between $15 and $75 per ton depending on grade, size and delivery distance. Pea gravel and decorative stone sit at the top of the range, basic fill gravel at the bottom. Delivery can add $50–$150 or more per load.
What is the current price of asphalt per ton?
Hot mix asphalt ranges from about $85 to $150 per ton. Prices follow oil prices because the binder is a petroleum product. See our asphalt price per ton guide for a tonnage calculator.
How much does hay cost per ton?
Alfalfa typically ranges from $180 to $350 per ton, with dairy-quality hay at the top. Grass and timothy hay runs about $120 to $250 per ton. Prices are seasonal and regional.
What are typical freight rates per ton?
Dry van trucking averages about $1.80 to $2.80 per mile for a full truckload. Rail intermodal for long-haul bulk is around $0.04 to $0.08 per ton-mile. Divide a trip cost by the payload to get freight cost per ton.
How much do landfill tipping fees cost?
Municipal solid waste tipping fees are typically $45 to $85 per ton in the US. Clean construction and demolition debris runs $35 to $75 per ton, and hazardous waste can exceed $150–$500 per ton.
Are these prices per short ton or metric ton?
US construction, agricultural, waste and freight ranges are quoted per US short ton (2,000 lb) unless marked otherwise. International commodity prices from the World Bank and USGS are per metric ton (1,000 kg). Use the price converter to switch between them.