Fabric Price per kg vs per Metre: The Conversion Buyers Get Wrong
Short answer: to turn a price per kilogram into a price per metre, multiply by the cuttable width in metres and by the GSM divided by 1000: USD/metre = USD/kg × width (m) × GSM ÷ 1000. To go the other way, divide instead.
Most knit fabric is traded by weight. Most garment costing is done by length. The gap between the two is where quotes get misread — especially when two suppliers quote the same USD/kg on different widths.
The conversion, both directions
USD per metre = USD per kg × width (m) × GSM ÷ 1000
USD per kg = USD per metre ÷ (width (m) × GSM ÷ 1000)
metres per kg = 1000 ÷ (GSM × width (m))
The reason is simple: a one-metre length of cloth at width W metres has an area of W m², so it weighs G × W grams. A heavier or wider fabric therefore contains more material in every linear metre.
Worked examples from our own catalogue
| Fabric | GSM / width | USD/kg | USD/metre | m/kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brushed Milk Silk 240 | 240 / 160 cm | 4.15 | 1.59 | 2.60 |
| Butterfly Mesh 160 | 160 / 165 cm | 4.15 | 1.10 | 3.79 |
| TR Air Layer 320 | 320 / 185 cm | 12.54 | 7.42 | 1.69 |
| Double-Sided Cationic Warm Fleece 320 | 320 / 175 cm | 18.35 | 10.28 | 1.79 |
Figures are examples from the standard tier shown on each product page; volume-tier pricing is lower. They illustrate the arithmetic, not an offer.
Three mistakes that cost real money
- Using nominal width. A 165 cm nominal width with 160 cm cuttable changes the per-metre price by about 3%. Use the cuttable figure confirmed after finishing.
- Forgetting GSM tolerance. If GSM lands 5% above nominal, the same roll produces fewer metres. Settle tolerance and settlement weight in writing before production.
- Mixing metres and yards. One yard is 0.9144 m. A USD/yard figure is about 9% lower than the equivalent USD/metre, and the difference accumulates across a container.
What a quote should contain
Ask for composition, construction, GSM, cuttable width, price basis (USD/kg or USD/metre), MOQ, colour minimum, lead time and whether the price includes finishing and inspection. A number without those fields is not comparable with another supplier’s number. Our product pages publish composition, GSM, cuttable width and both price tiers so the conversion can be checked before you request a sample.
Frequently asked questions
Why is fabric sold by weight rather than by length?
Yarn, dyeing and finishing costs are incurred by weight, and weight is unaffected by how wide the roll happens to be. Pricing by kilogram keeps a quote comparable across different widths and constructions.
How do I compare two suppliers quoting different widths?
Convert both to USD per square metre (USD/kg × GSM ÷ 1000) or both to metres per kg. Comparing USD/kg alone is meaningless when widths differ.
Does brushing change the price per metre?
Brushing adds a finishing step and can reduce usable width while raising loft, so both GSM and width should be re-measured after finishing. Always confirm the finished specification, not the greige one.
Can I order in metres instead of kilograms?
Yes — we can cut to a requested length, but the order is still settled by weight with a 300 kg minimum per quality and colour. See our guide to GSM, width and yield for the arithmetic.
Send us a quote you want to sanity-check and we will convert it against the finished specification. Contact the mill or browse the fabric range.