How Much Does Distilled Water Cost: Know Details Here

If you’ve ever stood in the water aisle wondering whether that jug of distilled water is worth the extra dollar over regular bottled water, you’re not alone. How much does distilled water cost? At most U.S. grocery stores, a gallon runs about $1 to $2, roughly 8 to 15 cents per 8-ounce glass, which makes it cheaper per gallon than most bottled spring water.

Distilled water isn’t just for drinking. It’s the go-to choice for CPAP machines, steam irons, car batteries, aquariums, and nasal rinsing, which is exactly why so many households keep a jug on hand. In this guide, we’ll break down real store prices, what it costs to distill your own water at home, and how to decide which option actually saves you money.

Key Takeaways

• Store-bought distilled water typically costs $1 to $2 per gallon in the U.S., or roughly 8-15 cents per glass
• A home water distiller costs $100 to $800 upfront, plus about $0.50 to $0.70 in electricity per gallon produced
• Heavy users (a gallon a day or more) typically break even on a home distiller within 2-3 years
• Distilled water removes essentially all minerals along with contaminants, which matters for specific uses like CPAP machines and neti pots, but isn’t automatically “healthier” than clean tap water
• The CDC specifically recommends distilled, sterile, or previously boiled water for nasal rinsing to avoid a rare but serious infection risk

How Much Does Distilled Water Cost at the Store?

Store brands like Great Value and Parent’s Choice, both widely available at Walmart, typically price a 1-gallon jug of distilled water around $1.00 to $1.60, depending on your region and current inflation. Specialty or delivered distilled water can run higher, sometimes $3 to $6 per gallon, especially from smaller retailers or subscription delivery services.

Where You Buy It	Typical Price Per Gallon	Cost Per 8 oz Glass
Big-box grocery store (store brand)	$1.00 – $1.60	$0.08 – $0.13
Pharmacy or convenience store	$2.00 – $3.50	$0.16 – $0.27
Delivery or subscription service	$3.00 – $6.00	$0.23 – $0.47

For context, that’s generally cheaper per gallon than bottled spring water, and dramatically cheaper than single-serving bottled water sold by the bottle rather than the gallon.

How Much Does It Cost to Distill Water at Home?

Making your own distilled water shifts the cost from “per gallon at checkout” to a one-time equipment purchase plus ongoing electricity.

• Machine cost: Countertop home water distillers typically run $100 to $300 for popular consumer models, with premium units reaching $500 to $800
• Electricity cost: Distilling a gallon of water typically uses close to 1 kWh of electricity, which works out to roughly $0.50 to $0.70 per gallon at average U.S. electricity rates
• Time cost: Most countertop distillers take 4 to 6 hours to produce a gallon, running unattended

At one gallon a day, home distillation runs somewhere around $180 to $260 a year in electricity, plus the upfront machine cost. Compare that to $365 to $550 a year buying store-bought distilled water at the same pace, and a mid-range distiller typically pays for itself within 2 to 3 years for a household that uses distilled water daily. Our home water distiller comparison and review breaks down specific models if you’re shopping for one, and how a water distiller works explains the process in more detail.

Don’t Forget Maintenance Costs

The per-gallon math above covers electricity, but most distillers also need occasional descaling to remove mineral buildup left behind in the boiling chamber, along with replacement carbon filters on models that include one, typically every few months. Budget an extra $20 to $50 a year for maintenance on top of electricity, and factor that into your payback timeline if you’re comparing a distiller against simply buying jugs at the store. Skipping maintenance doesn’t just shorten the machine’s lifespan, it can also slow production and use more electricity per gallon over time.

 

Store-Bought vs. Home-Distilled vs. Bottled Water: A Cost Comparison

Here’s how the three most common options stack up for a household drinking one gallon a day:

Option	Annual Cost (1 gal/day)	Best For
Store-bought distilled water	$365 – $550	Occasional use, no upfront investment
Home-distilled water	$180 – $260 (plus $100-$800 machine)	Daily or heavy users, long-term savings
Bottled spring/purified water	$400 – $700+	Convenience, minerals retained

Video: A real-world look at whether a home water distiller pays for itself.

What Affects the Price of Distilled Water?

A few factors explain why your local price might differ from the averages above:

• State and region: Water pricing varies with local utility costs, transportation, and retail competition
• Where you buy it: Big-box grocery stores are consistently cheaper than pharmacies, convenience stores, or specialty retailers
• Delivery: Having water delivered adds a convenience premium, often doubling or tripling the per-gallon cost
• Quantity: Buying multi-gallon packs is usually cheaper per gallon than single jugs

Buying your own water distiller machine sidesteps most of these variables since you control production, though you take on the equipment cost and the time to run it.

 

Is Distilled Water Worth the Cost? What It’s Actually Good For

Distillation boils water into vapor, then condenses it back into liquid, a process that removes minerals, most contaminants, and essentially all bacteria and viruses along with them. That makes distilled water genuinely useful for specific, well-documented purposes:

• CPAP machines and humidifiers: prevents mineral scale buildup that can damage the device
• Steam irons: avoids mineral deposits that clog the steam vents
• Car batteries and cooling systems: minerals in tap water can corrode components over time
• Aquariums: gives precise control over water chemistry
• Nasal irrigation (neti pots): the CDC specifically recommends using distilled, sterile, or previously boiled water for sinus rinsing to avoid a rare but serious brain infection linked to tap water in nasal devices

The mineral-free quality that makes distilled water useful for these purposes is the same reason it removes hard-water scale from your iron or CPAP tank: minerals dissolved in ordinary tap water are exactly what deposit as scale when the water heats and evaporates repeatedly inside a device. Distilled water simply doesn’t carry those minerals in, so nothing is left behind to build up. For general drinking, distilled water is safe, but it isn’t automatically an upgrade over clean tap water, which brings us to the next question.

Is Distilled Water Better Than Tap Water?

Not necessarily, and this is where a lot of marketing overstates the case. U.S. tap water from a regulated municipal system is held to EPA standards covering more than 90 contaminants, and for most households it’s safe to drink straight from the faucet. Distillation removes essentially all dissolved minerals along with contaminants, bringing total dissolved solids down to near zero, compared to the 200-800 ppm typically found in tap water that also happens to supply a meaningful share of daily calcium and magnesium.

Long-term, exclusive reliance on demineralized water without adequate dietary minerals has been flagged as a potential concern in public health literature, particularly for children and anyone with a limited diet, so distilled water is best thought of as a purity tool for specific situations rather than a guaranteed health upgrade over safe, EPA-regulated tap water. If your household’s tap water tests clean, filtered tap water is often the most cost-effective daily choice, with distilled water reserved for medical devices, appliances, and situations like nasal rinsing where purity genuinely matters. If you’d rather filter than distill for everyday drinking, our article on reasons to filter your water covers that alternative, and how long distilled water lasts once opened is worth a read if you’re stocking up.

How to Lower Your Distilled Water Costs

• Buy in bulk: multi-gallon packs cost less per gallon than single jugs
• Stick to big-box stores: store brands are consistently the cheapest source
• Distill only what you need: if you only need distilled water for a CPAP machine or iron, a small countertop distiller easily covers that without producing more than necessary
• Consider your actual use case: if you’re drinking it daily for general hydration, filtered tap water may cost a fraction of either bottled or distilled water

If you’re curious about the distillation process itself, see our guides on how long you need to boil water to distill it and how to make distilled water with a kettle at home if you want to try it without buying a dedicated machine first.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a gallon of distilled water cost?

Typically $1 to $2 at a U.S. grocery store, though pharmacies, convenience stores, and delivery services often charge more.

Is it cheaper to make your own distilled water?

For daily or heavy users, yes. Home distillation runs about $0.50 to $0.70 per gallon in electricity, and a mid-range machine typically pays for itself within 2 to 3 years compared to buying it at the store.

How many glasses of distilled water should I drink per day?

The same general guidance applies as any drinking water: about eight 8-ounce glasses (roughly two liters) per day to stay well hydrated, adjusted for activity level and climate.

Is distilled water safe to drink every day?

Yes, it’s safe, though it isn’t automatically healthier than clean tap water since it lacks minerals. Most people do fine drinking it as part of a normal, varied diet.

Can I just use tap water instead of distilled water?

For everyday drinking in most U.S. households, safe tap water is a reasonable and far cheaper choice. Distilled water remains the better option for CPAP machines, irons, and nasal rinsing specifically.

Does distilled water go bad or expire?

Unopened distilled water has an effectively indefinite shelf life if stored in a sealed, clean container away from sunlight. Once opened, it can pick up airborne contaminants over time, so it’s best used within a few weeks. See our guide on how long distilled water lasts at home for storage tips.

Why is some distilled water more expensive than others?

Price differences usually come down to where you buy it rather than the water itself. Big-box grocery stores keep prices lowest through volume, while pharmacies, convenience stores, and delivery services add a convenience markup that can double or triple the per-gallon cost.

Conclusion

So, how much does distilled water cost? Expect to pay $1 to $2 per gallon at the store, or roughly $0.50 to $0.70 per gallon if you distill it yourself once you’ve covered the cost of a machine. Neither option is expensive, and the right choice comes down to how much you use and what you’re using it for.

If you go through a gallon or more a day, whether for drinking, a CPAP machine, or another regular use, a home distiller usually pays for itself within a few years. If you only need it occasionally, buying a jug at the store remains the simplest, most affordable route.

Either way, distilled water is one of the more affordable purity upgrades you can make at home, and now you have the real numbers to decide whether making your own or buying it by the jug fits your budget and how often you actually use it.