How long each fragrance concentration lasts, and what it costs per ml
The extra wear costs less than shelf prices suggest. Stepping from eau de toilette to eau de parfum of the same fragrance, at the same bottle size, costs a median 18% more per ml (233 pairs), for a cited 6-8 hours of wear against 4-6 hours. Going further, from the EDP to parfum costs a median 5% more per ml (cited 8-12 hours), and extrait de parfum costs a median 17% more per ml (cited 8-12+ hours). Wear times are industry-cited ranges, not our measurement; prices measured Sep 30, 2026.
Published · Figures updated · By Daily Fragrance Scout
What does the extra duration actually cost?
| Step | Cited wear | Extra cited hours | Median per-ml premium | Higher tier cheaper in | Pairs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDT to EDP | 4-6 to 6-8 h | about 2 | +18% | 22% of pairs | 233 |
| EDP to Parfum | 6-8 to 8-12 h | 2-4 | +5% | 37% of pairs | 91 |
| EDP to Extrait | 6-8 to 8-12+ h | 2-4+ | +17% | 31% of pairs | 124 |
The premium is measured: the same fragrance from the same house at the same bottle size, priced live in both concentrations, cheapest per-ml offer against cheapest per-ml offer. Only the concentration moves. A step with fewer than 20 such pairs is left out rather than shown on a handful. On the shelf, houses mixed, the median full-bottle EDP costs 64% more per ml than the median EDT; on the same fragrance the gap is 18%. The difference is which fragrances get made as EDPs, not the concentration itself.
The hours are not measured. "Extra cited hours" is the difference between the two cited ranges, arithmetic on attributed figures, and we do not divide the premium by it: a "cost per hour of wear" would look precise while resting on a range nobody on this site timed. The column that keeps the comparison honest is the last but one. In that share of pairs the longer-lasting version was the cheaper bottle per ml, so the extra wear cost nothing at all.
Is eau de parfum long lasting?
Eau de parfum is commonly cited at 6-8 hours, the middle of the ladder, against 4-6 hours for eau de toilette. It is the default strength for most modern releases, and on the same scent it costs a median 18% more per ml than the EDT (233 pairs, measured Sep 30, 2026). Composition matters as much as concentration: a woody or amber EDT can outlast a citrus EDP, which is why the ladder is a way to bet rather than a promise.
The ladder with oil percentages and how many fragrances of each tier we price live is on which concentration lasts longest.
Fragrance concentration levels and duration
From strongest to lightest, the cited wear in hours: extrait de parfum 8-12+, parfum 8-12, eau de parfum 6-8, eau de toilette 4-6, eau de cologne 2-3. Parfum and extrait overlap because many houses use the two names interchangeably. What each tier costs per millilitre on the shelf, by bottle size, and every same-scent pair we measure, are on price per ml by concentration.
Common questions about concentration, wear and price
- Is parfum worth the extra cost for how long it lasts?
- Held to the same scent and bottle size, parfum costs a median 5% more per ml than the EDP (91 pairs) and extrait de parfum costs a median 17% more per ml than the EDP (124 pairs), measured Sep 30, 2026. The industry commonly cites 8-12 hours for parfum against 6-8 hours for EDP. Whether those hours arrive depends on the composition and your skin, which no price table can measure.
- How much more does EDP cost than EDT per ml, on the same fragrance?
- A median 18% more per ml across 233 same-size EDT/EDP pairs (the same scent at the same bottle size, priced live as both an EDT and an EDP), measured Sep 30, 2026. In 22% of those pairs the EDP was actually the cheaper one per ml.
- Does a longer-lasting concentration always cost more?
- No. On the same scent and size, the higher concentration was the cheaper one per ml in 22% of EDT to EDP pairs, 37% of EDP to Parfum pairs, 31% of EDP to Extrait pairs, measured Sep 30, 2026. Check the exact fragrance: its page prices every concentration and size we track per millilitre.
- Is eau de parfum long lasting?
- Eau de parfum is commonly cited at 6-8 hours of wear, the middle of the ladder: longer than eau de toilette (4-6 hours) and shorter than parfum (8-12 hours). Those are industry-cited ranges, not our measurements; composition and skin move the result in either direction.