Steam Level Calculator
XP, card sets, and cost to reach any Steam level.
Cheapest games to level up Steam
Every crafted trading card set is worth 100 XP, so the game with the cheapest set gives you the most Steam XP per dollar. Below is a live ranking of curated card games by their current Community Market set price - cheapest first.
| # | Game | Cards | Set price (100 XP) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Counter-Strike 2 | 5 | $0.19 | Buy |
| 2 | Dota 2 | 8 | $0.38 | Buy |
| 3 | Sid Meier's Civilization V | 8 | $0.45 | Buy |
| 4 | Team Fortress 2 | 9 | $0.46 | Buy |
| 5 | Don't Starve Together | 6 | $0.47 | Buy |
| 6 | Euro Truck Simulator 2 | 7 | $0.49 | Buy |
| 7 | Left 4 Dead 2 | 8 | $0.53 | Buy |
| 8 | Path of Exile | 10 | $0.53 | Buy |
| 9 | Wallpaper Engine | 6 | $0.53 | Buy |
| 10 | PAYDAY 2 | 9 | $0.54 | Buy |
| 11 | Garry's Mod | 9 | $0.55 | Buy |
| 12 | Rust | 5 | $0.62 | Buy |
| 13 | War Thunder | 8 | $0.64 | Buy |
| 14 | Terraria | 9 | $0.66 | Buy |
| 15 | Brawlhalla | 9 | $0.93 | Buy |
| 16 | Unturned | 10 | $1.04 | Buy |
Prices are pulled live from the Steam Community Market and refreshed a few times a day. A set price is the sum of the cheapest listing of each card, before the ~10% market fee on your own future sales. Actual costs move with the market.
How we rank the cheapest games to level up
Leveling up on Steam comes down to crafting badges, and every badge craft is worth exactly 100 XP. A badge needs one full set of a game’s trading cards, so the cheapest set is simply the cheapest 100 XP you can buy. For each game we add up the lowest market price of every card in the set and sort ascending.
The cheapest sets are usually older or free-to-play games with lots of cards in circulation. Once you know your cost per 100 XP, plug your current and target level into the Steam level calculator to see exactly how many sets - and how much money - stand between you and your goal.
Tips for leveling up cheaply
- -Buy complete sets rather than single cards to avoid overpaying for the rare one in a set.
- -Idle games you already own to farm the free half of each set, then buy only the missing cards.
- -Watch seasonal Steam sales - card prices dip and event badges hand out bonus XP.
- -Remember the market fee: selling cards nets you about 87% of the list price. Check the exact amount with the market fee calculator.
FAQ
- What is the cheapest way to level up on Steam?
- Crafting badges from the cheapest trading card sets. Because one crafted set is always 100 XP, the game with the cheapest full card set gives you the most Steam XP per dollar. This page ranks games by their live card-set price.
- How is the cheapest game to level up decided?
- For each curated game we fetch the current lowest price of every card in its set from the Steam Community Market, add them up, and rank ascending. Prices are live and cached for a few hours, so the ranking reflects the real market.
- How many card sets do I need per Steam level?
- One crafted set is 100 XP. Early levels cost 100 XP each, so one set is roughly one level; higher tiers cost more XP per level. Use the Steam level calculator to see the exact number of sets between two levels.
- Do trading cards from free games count?
- Yes. Cards for free-to-play games still exist on the market and craft into badges worth 100 XP. You just buy the set instead of earning drops from playtime.
- Is this tool free?
- Yes. It reads public Steam Market prices, needs no login, and never spends anything on your behalf.