Catan Building Cost Comparison (Resource Cards)
Catan building costs in resources, from road 2 to city 5 plus development card 3. Official rulebook costs with linked converter tool. See all 11 costs here.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Road Brick Half a road. Zero victory points. | 1 resources | Road needs 1 Brick plus 1 Lumber | Catan Base Rules 2020 p.Build 3a: Road Requires Brick and Lumber |
| Road Lumber Half a road. Forest or wood in older prints. | 1 resources | Road needs 1 Lumber plus 1 Brick | Catan Base Rules 2020 p.Build 3a: Road Requires Brick and Lumber |
| Settlement Brick Quarter of a settlement. Worth 1 VP built. | 1 resources | Settlement needs 4 mixed resources | Catan Base Rules 2020 3b: Settlement Requires Brick, Lumber, Wool and Grain |
| Settlement Lumber Quarter of a settlement. | 1 resources | Settlement needs 4 mixed resources | Catan Base Rules 2020 3b: Settlement Requires Brick, Lumber, Wool and Grain |
| Settlement Wool Sheep or pasture in older prints. | 1 resources | Settlement needs 4 mixed resources | Catan Base Rules 2020 3b: Settlement Requires Brick, Lumber, Wool and Grain |
| Settlement Grain Wheat or fields in older prints. | 1 resources | Settlement needs 4 mixed resources | Catan Base Rules 2020 3b: Settlement Requires Brick, Lumber, Wool and Grain |
| City Grain Two fifths of a city. City scores 2 VP. | 2 resources | City upgrade needs 2 Grain plus 3 Ore | Catan Base Rules 2020 3c: City Requires 3 Ore and 2 Grain |
| City Ore Three fifths of a city. Mountains resource. | 3 resources | City upgrade needs 3 Ore plus 2 Grain | Catan Base Rules 2020 3c: City Requires 3 Ore and 2 Grain |
| Development Card Wool Third of a card. Deck holds 25 cards. | 1 resources | Card needs 1 Wool plus 1 Grain plus 1 Ore | Catan Base Rules 2020 3d: Development Card Requires Ore, Wool and Grain |
| Development Card Grain Third of a card. | 1 resources | Card needs 1 Wool plus 1 Grain plus 1 Ore | Catan Base Rules 2020 3d: Development Card Requires Ore, Wool and Grain |
| Development Card Ore Third of a card. Fourteen knights in deck. | 1 resources | Card needs 1 Wool plus 1 Grain plus 1 Ore | Catan Base Rules 2020 3d: Development Card Requires Ore, Wool and Grain |
About this converter
Catan prices builds in resource cards. A road costs 1 brick and 1 lumber for 2 total. A settlement costs 1 brick, 1 lumber, 1 wool and 1 grain for 4 total and scores 1 point. A city upgrades a settlement for 3 ore and 2 grain, 5 total, and scores 2 points. A development card costs 1 wool, 1 grain and 1 ore for 3 total from a 25 card deck with 14 knights. The bank trades at 4 to 1, harbors at 3 to 1 or 2 to 1 for one type.
How to use it
Pick two entries and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. Try 1 City Ore against Settlement Wool to compare 3 to 1. Totals per build ride in the intro since each row holds one resource slice.
Victory points stay out of the rows since points and cards use different units. Settlements score 1, cities score 2, Longest Road scores 2 at 5 segments and Largest Army scores 2 at 3 knights, with 10 to win. Piece limits are 15 roads, 5 settlements and 4 cities per color. Resource names changed across prints but counts never did.
FAQ
How much does a settlement cost in Catan?
Four cards: 1 brick, 1 lumber, 1 wool and 1 grain. It scores 1 victory point.
How much does a city cost?
Five cards: 3 ore and 2 grain, paid to upgrade a settlement. It scores 2 points.
How much does a road cost?
Two cards: 1 brick and 1 lumber. It scores zero but five in a row takes Longest Road for 2 points.
How many development cards are there?
Twenty five: 14 knights, 6 progress and 5 victory point cards. Each costs 3 resources.
Sources
- Catan Base Rules 2020 (catan.com PDF): Build costs 3a Road, 3b Settlement, 3c City, 3d Development Card
- Catan 25th Anniversary Rules (catan.com PDF): victory point table and deck mix
- Catan 6th Edition Rulebook 2025 (catan.com PDF): Road 0 VP, Settlement 1 VP, City 2 VP, Longest Route 2 VP, Largest Army 2 VP, win at 10 VP
Last verified: 2026-10-01 · 11 entries
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