Steam levels are pure arithmetic. One crafted badge is worth 100 XP, and Steam raises the XP price of a level every ten levels. Once you know that, you can work out the cost of any level on paper. Here is the whole thing.
The rule in one line
A level costs 100 XP for every ten levels you have already passed. Levels 1 to 10 cost 100 XP each, levels 11 to 20 cost 200 XP each, levels 21 to 30 cost 300 XP each, and so on. Crafting one badge from one full card set gives exactly 100 XP.
So the card sets needed for a single level is the level number divided by ten, rounded up.
Sets per level, band by band
Every level inside a band costs the same. This is the first hundred levels:
| Level band | Sets per level | XP per level |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 10 | 1 | 100 XP |
| 11 to 20 | 2 | 200 XP |
| 21 to 30 | 3 | 300 XP |
| 31 to 40 | 4 | 400 XP |
| 41 to 50 | 5 | 500 XP |
| 51 to 60 | 6 | 600 XP |
| 61 to 70 | 7 | 700 XP |
| 71 to 80 | 8 | 800 XP |
| 81 to 90 | 9 | 900 XP |
| 91 to 100 | 10 | 1000 XP |
The pattern continues indefinitely. Level 250 costs 25 sets. Level 1,000 costs 100 sets. Level 5,000, the highest we support, costs 500 sets on its own.
Total cost from level 0
Because each band is dearer than the last, the totals grow quickly. These are the exact figures our calculator uses:
| Target level | Card sets | Total XP | Sets for that level alone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 10 | 1,000 | 1 |
| 25 | 45 | 4,500 | 3 |
| 50 | 150 | 15,000 | 5 |
| 100 | 550 | 55,000 | 10 |
| 150 | 1,200 | 120,000 | 15 |
| 200 | 2,100 | 210,000 | 20 |
| 250 | 3,250 | 325,000 | 25 |
| 300 | 4,650 | 465,000 | 30 |
| 400 | 8,200 | 820,000 | 40 |
| 500 | 12,750 | 1,275,000 | 50 |
| 1000 | 50,500 | 5,050,000 | 100 |
| 2000 | 201,000 | 20,100,000 | 200 |
| 5000 | 1,252,500 | 125,250,000 | 500 |
Worked example
Say you are level 37 and you want level 50.
- Levels 38, 39 and 40 sit in the 31 to 40 band, so 4 sets each. That is 12 sets.
- Levels 41 to 50 sit in the 41 to 50 band, so 5 sets each. That is 50 sets.
- Total: 62 sets, or 6,200 XP.
Put 37 and 50 into the calculator and you will get 62 sets back, priced in Gems, TF2 keys, CS2 skins and crypto.
Why the first levels feel quick
Reaching level 10 takes only 10 sets. Reaching level 100 takes 550. Going from 100 to 200 costs another 1,550 on top of that. Nothing is wrong with your account, that is simply the curve: the price steps up every tenth level and never comes back down.
What those levels actually buy you
- Showcase slots. One more profile showcase for every 10 levels, up to 20 slots.
- Friend list cap. 250 to start, plus 5 per level, reaching the 2,000 ceiling at level 350.
- Booster pack drop rate. A higher Steam level improves your chance of booster packs dropping for games you own.
- Coupons, emoticons and profile backgrounds. Crafting badges drops items you can use, trade or sell.
There is a fuller breakdown on the homepage, and it updates for whatever target level you type in.
Skip the grind
Farming sets yourself means owning the games, waiting on drops and buying the missing cards off the Community Market one at a time. We supply complete sets in a single trade instead. Price yours on the calculator, or trade a bot directly.