If you’re a creator planning to drop merch in 2025, here’s the uncomfortable truth: that “$5 T-shirt” you see in memes basically doesn’t exist anymore.
Cotton prices, shipping, wages, compliance, even your print method, all of it stacks up. In this post, we’ll walk through what it actually costs to produce clothing in 2025. We’ll use real numbers where possible.
1. The 2025 backdrop: why everything feels more expensive
Before we talk about T-shirts and hoodies, it helps to understand the big forces driving your cost per unit.
Cotton is still not “cheap”
Global cotton prices are nowhere near the extremes of the pandemic years, but they’re still elevated compared to older long-term averages. In June 2025, the global price of cotton sat around 78 US cents per pound. FRED+1
For a basic T-shirt, you’re looking at maybe 0.3–0.4 lb of cotton equivalent once you factor in losses and yarn spinning. That means raw fiber alone can easily be $0.25–$0.35 of your cost before it even becomes fabric.
Wages in key supplier countries are rising
Major producing countries have raised minimum wages in the last couple of years. In Bangladesh, the world’s most cost-competitive T-shirt producer, garment workers’ minimum wage was revised to 12,500 taka per month (around US$110–115) from late 2023/2024. The Daily Star
Higher wages are a good thing from a human perspective, but they push per-unit costs up, especially on labor-intensive items like shirts, dresses, or complex cut-and-sew pieces.
Shipping has calmed down, but not back to “cheap”
Container prices have cooled since the pandemic peak, but are still meaningful. A typical 40-ft container from Asia to North America now costs roughly $2,500–$10,000 depending on lane and season. conexwest.com+1
If you pack, say, 20,000–25,000 T-shirts into a 40-ft container, the ocean freight alone often lands around $0.10–$0.40 per piece before local trucking, customs brokerage, and duties.
2. Real benchmark: what 100 T-shirts actually cost in 2025
Instead of talking in theory, let’s use a recent dataset that compared the cost of making 100 blank T-shirts in different countries (including shipping). Successful Fashion Designer+1
Here’s a simplified snapshot:
- New Jersey, USA
- Manufacturing: $16.50/shirt
- Shipping: $1.00/shirt
- Total: ~$17.50 per shirt
- Guangdong, China
- Manufacturing: $9.10/shirt
- Shipping: $4.04/shirt
- Total: ~$13.14 per shirt
- Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Manufacturing: $5.40/shirt
- Shipping: $3.15/shirt
- Total: ~$8.55 per shirt
- Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
- Manufacturing: $6.35/shirt
- Shipping: $5.13/shirt
- Total: ~$11.48 per shirt
These are for wholesale blanks, not finished “creator merch” with your branding and packaging, and they’re for 100 units, which is a relatively small run.
So if you’re in the US, Europe, or the Gulf and thinking “I’ll get quality blanks for $3 and print locally,” that’s usually not 2025 reality unless you’re ordering very large volumes or going ultra-basic.
3. What actually makes up the cost of a garment?
Regardless of where you produce (Asia, Turkey, Portugal, USA), the cost stack is built from similar layers.
3.1 Fabric and materials (25–50%)
This includes:
- Yarn or fiber (cotton, blends, polyester, etc.)
- Knitting/weaving
- Dyeing & finishing
- Fabric wastage
For a “nice” 220–240 GSM cotton T-shirt in 2025 using mid-range cotton prices, the fabric alone can land around $2–$3 per shirt for smaller runs, and lower for huge orders.
Sustainable fabrics (organic cotton, recycled polyester, TENCEL, etc.) or heavy fleece for hoodies can push this significantly higher, sometimes double.
3.2 Trims, prints, and embellishments (5–20%)
- Neck labels (woven, printed)
- Hangtags
- Care labels
- Zippers, buttons, drawcords
- Screen prints, DTG prints, embroidery, patches
Simple inside neck print + one chest print might add $1–$3 per piece in a small run.
Multiple locations, puff prints, 3D embroidery, or heavy back art can quickly take that to $4–$6+ especially in Europe or North America.
3.3 Cut & sew labor (10–25%)
The labor cost depends on:
- Country wages
- Factory efficiency
- Complexity of pattern (boxy tee vs panelled hoodie)
In a low-cost country, sewing labor for a basic tee might only be $0.40–$0.80/piece; in Portugal, Italy, or the US, it could be $3–$8+ once you include social charges and overhead.
3.4 Factory overhead & profit (10–25%)
Factories must cover:
- Rent, machines, maintenance
- Management, quality control
- Compliance audits, certifications (BSCI, WRAP, GOTS, etc.)
- Finance costs
This is where one factory can “feel” vastly more expensive than another. Higher-end European and Turkish factories that specialize in premium streetwear often charge more but offer:
- Lower MOQs
- Better quality control
- Faster lead times
- Stronger sustainability/compliance credentials Thygesen Textile Vietnam+1
3.5 Freight, customs, and duties (5–20%)
For creators in North America, Europe, or GCC:
- Ocean freight from Asia or Turkey might be $0.10–$0.60 per piece on large shipments.
- Air freight (for urgent drops) can easily add $3–$8 per piece on small runs.
- Import duties and VAT/sales tax differ by country and garment type.
You’ll usually pay duties on the landed value (garment cost + freight + insurance), then add VAT or sales tax on top at the point of sale.
3.6 Your own costs (10–40%+)
Creators often forget to price in:
- Design time (your own or a designer’s)
- Sampling (can be hundreds or thousands of dollars)
- Content production (photos, reels, UGC)
- Warehousing/fulfilment fees or 3PL
- Shopify/Shopify apps fees, payment gateway fees
In a real P&L, these can represent a big chunk of your overhead per unit, especially if your volumes are still small.
4. Example 1: “I want a decent tee made in Bangladesh”
Let’s imagine you’re a mid-size creator in Europe or North America and want:
- Mid-weight 200–220 GSM cotton tee
- Good quality blanks, not ultra-budget
- One front print, one back print
- Production in Bangladesh, 300 units per design
Step 1: Ex-factory cost
Based on 2025 benchmarks, we know 100 basic tees from Dhaka (with shipping) clock in around $8.55 per shirt. Successful Fashion Designer+1
For a more customized tee (better fabric + prints), your ex-factory price might look more like:
- Fabric & sewing: $4.00
- Trims & labeling: $0.50
- Printing (2 locations): $2.00
- Factory overhead & margin: $2.00
Ex-factory total: ~$8.50 per shirt
Step 2: Freight, customs, and local costs
Let’s say you ship by sea to Europe or the US:
- Ocean freight, insurance, handling: $0.40–$0.60 per shirt
- Import duties + customs fees: $0.50–$1.00 per shirt (varies a lot by country)
- Local trucking/handling: $0.20–$0.50 per shirt
Now you’re at roughly $9.60–$10.60 landed cost per shirt sitting in your local warehouse or storage unit.
Step 3: Creator-side costs per unit
Some rough allocations:
- Design & sampling (say $900 spread across 300 units): $3.00 per shirt
- Content, photo/video shoot (say $600 spread across 300 units): $2.00 per shirt
- Packing materials, warehouse labor, payment fees, platform fees: $1.50–$2.50 per shirt
Add another $6.50–$7.50 on top.
Your realistic total cost
- Total cost per shirt: ~ $16–$18
So if you’re selling at $35–$45 retail, you’re not being greedy, you’re just leaving room for:
- Returns/exchanges
- Discount codes
- Ads
- Cash to fund your next drop
5. Example 2: Premium hoodie made in Portugal or Turkey
Now imagine you’re going more up-market: a heavyweight hoodie, 450 GSM fleece, pigment dye, premium stitching, small-batch (say 75–150 units). This is the kind of thing a serious streetwear or “fashion-forward” creator might do.
Recent European case studies show small-batch technical garments in Portugal at €43.20/unit manufacturing cost, with total project costs (sampling + shipping) going up to €51.60 per unit for a 75-piece run. Athleisurebasics+1
A heavyweight hoodie is typically simpler than a technical activewear set but uses more fabric and often complex details. It’s realistic in 2025 to see:
- Manufacturing in Portugal/Turkey: €25–€40 per hoodie for 50–200 units
- Sampling (patterns, size sets, washed approvals): maybe €500–€1,000 per style
- Shipping within Europe or to the US: €1–€4 per unit in bulk
By the time you add:
- Your design/content costs
- Warehousing & fulfilment
- Platform & payment fees
You can easily be at €35–€55 per hoodie total cost.
That’s why European brands and creators often price hoodies at €90–€140 (or $100–$150) if they’re doing premium cut-and-sew in Europe. The margin isn’t crazy once you see the real cost stack.
6. Print-on-Demand vs bulk: which is “cheaper” in 2025?
For creators in North America, Europe, and the Middle East, print-on-demand (POD) is often the first stop:
- No inventory risk
- No warehousing
- No upfront bulk payment
But it comes with higher unit cost.
POD base prices in 2025
Popular POD platforms list base prices around:
- $17–$20 for a standard POD tee from US/EU fulfilment centers (before your markup, and before shipping to your customer). Printful+1
Compare that to our Bangladesh bulk example:
- Bulk: ~ $16–18 total cost per tee including all your creator costs, when you do things properly.
- POD: $17–20 base price before your own overhead, and your take-home margin per shirt might be just $4–$8 at a $30–35 retail.
So which makes sense?
- If your audience is small or your merch is a test: POD is safer; you avoid unsold inventory.
- If you can confidently sell 300+ units per design: bulk production + fulfilment (even in Europe or Asia) is usually more profitable per unit.
- If your audience is global (US + EU + GCC), POD with distributed fulfilment centers can reduce shipping times, but your per-unit profits will stay lower unless you price high.
7. Regional notes for creators in NA, ME, and Europe
North America
- You can technically produce domestically, there are success stories of Made in USA tees at $12.98 retail thanks to automation and big retail orders, but those depend on Walmart-level volumes and commitments. The Wall Street Journal+1
- For most creators, blanks from Bangladesh/Vietnam/Pakistan + local printing or full overseas production will still be cheaper than true made-in-USA at small scales.
- Fulfilment options are strong; 3PLs and POD providers are everywhere.
Europe (UK + EU)
- Portugal and Turkey are your go-to for premium, small-batch production with strong EU-level compliance and relatively short lead times. Thygesen Textile Vietnam+1
- Eastern Europe can be a mid-cost alternative for basics.
- For cheap basics, importing from Bangladesh, Pakistan, or China is still common, but duties and logistics need careful planning.
Middle East / GCC
- Many Gulf-based creators source from Turkey, Pakistan, or Bangladesh, then import into the UAE, Saudi Arabia, etc.
- Air freight from Turkey or Pakistan can be relatively fast but adds $3–$8 per piece if your volumes are low.
- If you’re shipping out to global customers, consider staging stock in the EU or UAE free zones with 3PLs for better logistics.
8. How to think about pricing as a creator (simple formula)
Here’s a straightforward way to sanity-check your pricing in 2025:
- Landed product cost
Fabric + trims + sewing + printing + factory margin + freight + duties - Creator overhead per unit
(Design + sampling + content + warehousing + platform fees) ÷ expected units sold - Target profit & buffer
Aim for at least 2–3× your all-in cost as retail price to survive discounts, returns, and errors.
Example for our Bangladesh tee:
- Landed product cost: $10.00
- Creator overhead per unit: $6.00
- All-in cost: $16.00
Retail price targets:
- Good: $39
- Comfortable: $45
- Premium: $49+ (if your brand is strong and product feels elevated)
If your audience is price-sensitive, you may accept a lower multiple on some hero items, but you need other pieces (bundles, hoodies, accessories) that carry stronger margins.
9. Key takeaways for creators planning 2025 clothing drops
- That $5 shirt is a myth
For small and mid-size creators, realistic all-in costs for a decent tee usually land in the $15–$20 range once you include your own overhead. - Country of origin changes everything
- Bangladesh/Vietnam/Pakistan: lowest manufacturing cost without losing quality
- Portugal/Turkey: higher unit cost, lower MOQ, faster, often better quality.
- US/EU domestic: premium story, premium cost, works best at scale or with very strong brand positioning.
- Cotton prices, wages, and freight are not going back to 2010 levels
Global cotton and production costs are structurally higher than a decade ago, and minimum wages in producing countries are rightly rising. FRED+1 - POD is about risk, not price
Print-on-demand is less about “cheapest” and more about risk-free testing. Use it to validate designs and markets; move winning designs into bulk. - Your brand is what justifies your margin
Audiences in North America, Europe, and the Middle East will pay $40–$100+ for clothing that:- Feels premium (fabric, fit, details)
- Carries a story (sustainability, origin, community)
- Is tied to a creator they genuinely care about
The numbers above are not meant to scare you off, but to help you price smarter and avoid undercharging.
If you’d like, next step we can build a simple pricing calculator tailored to your audience (NA / EU / GCC) and product type (tees vs hoodies vs sweatpants), so you can plug in your real quotes and see what your retail price should be.
Why Bangladesh Is the Smartest Production Choice for Creators in 2025
If there’s one takeaway from everything above, it’s this:
Bangladesh gives creators the best ratio of quality, consistency, and cost efficiency in 2025.
Not “cheap.”
Not “low-end.”
Not “budget manufacturing.”
Bangladesh today is the global backbone of premium T-shirts, hoodies, and everyday apparel, and it’s become the most reliable starting point for creators who care about:
- Quality fabrics (200–240 GSM tees, premium fleece, French terry)
- Strong compliance standards (WRAP, BSCI, GOTS, OEKO-TEX)
- Competitive pricing
- High production capacity
- Consistency across repeat orders
- Scalability from 300 units to 30,000 units
Why Bangladesh instead of China, Turkey, Portugal, or US/EU domestic production?
▪ China
Still excellent for performance apparel and complex garments, but for basic to premium cotton wear? Prices are significantly higher, MOQs are rising, and shipping lanes fluctuate.
▪ Turkey & Portugal (EU)
Great for small runs and high-end garments, but cost per unit is often 2–3× higher than Bangladesh for similar quality.
▪ USA / Western Europe
Extremely high labor cost + limited cotton spinning capacity. Better for luxury “Made in USA/EU” branding but not for scalable creator merch.
What Bangladesh offers specifically
1. The strongest cotton apparel ecosystem in the world
Bangladesh is one of the largest cotton apparel exporters globally, specializing in:
- T-shirts
- Hoodies
- Sweatpants
- Polo shirts
- Active basics
- Kidswear
- Streetwear essentials
Meaning you get better pricing and quality on the exact items creators actually want to sell.
2. High-quality mid-heavyweight fabrics
Bangladeshi mills have mastered 200–260 GSM cotton tees and 300–420 GSM fleece hoodies, exactly the “premium feel” creators use to justify $40–$100 price points.
3. Cost efficiency without compromising ethics
Even after the new minimum wage of 12,500 taka/month, Bangladesh remains the most cost-effective compliant production hub.
Factories have invested heavily in:
- LEED-certified buildings
- Safety upgrades
- Modern machinery
- Skilled sewing & QC teams
You’re not choosing “cheap”; you’re choosing “efficient.”
4. Scalable from small creator drops to full fashion lines
Whether you’re ordering 200 units or 20,000, the ecosystem supports it.
Creators love Bangladesh because they can:
- Start small
- Perfect fit & details
- Scale orders later without quality changes
5. Strong export routes to North America, Europe & Middle East
Bangladesh → UAE/Saudi
Bangladesh → UK/EU
Bangladesh → USA/Canada
These routes are highly optimized, giving you predictable shipping timelines and no surprises.
Cost comparison, why it wins
Based on 2025 benchmarks:
| Region | Avg Total Cost for a High-Quality Tee | Notes |
| Bangladesh | $8–$11 landed | Best balance of quality + cost |
| Turkey | $12–$18 | Higher labor + energy costs |
| Portugal | $18–$30 | Premium small-batch, but costly |
| USA | $17–$25 | Mostly for “Made in USA” positioning |
If your goal is to maximise margin without sacrificing quality, Bangladesh is the clear winner.
Who Bangladesh is perfect for
Businesses who:
- Want premium-feel garments at fair prices
- Want to sell globally (NA, EU, GCC)
- Don’t want unpredictable shipping
- Want to scale into full apparel lines
- Want consistent fit, fabric, and stitching across multiple drops
- Want to avoid POD’s low margins and unpredictable quality
If your brand focuses on:
- Streetwear
- Fitness
- Lifestyle
- Motivational brands
- Creator merch
- Podcast merch
- Artist/illustrator drops
- Mid-premium basics
Bangladesh is arguably the best production base available worldwide.
The Bottom Line: 2025 Is the Year Creators Should Move Production to Bangladesh
You don’t have to sacrifice:
- Quality
- Sustainability
- Compliance
- Fit & feel
- Speed
- Reliability
Bangladesh offers all of them, with a cost structure that simply makes more sense for creators than anywhere else in the world right now.
When you combine:
- Better margins
- Better fabrics
- Better consistency
- Better scaling potential
…it becomes obvious.