Mixed Cost
In accounting and economics, a mixed cost (also known as a semi-variable cost) has both fixed and variable components.
The fixed component is a base cost that must be paid regardless of the level of output or activity. It doesn’t change with the volume of output within a relevant range. Examples might include a base rental fee for machinery or a base salary for an employee.
The variable component changes with the level of output or activity. As production or service volume increases, the total mixed cost increases, but not necessarily at a constant rate. Examples might include the cost of raw materials or commissions on sales.
For instance, consider a company that leases a delivery truck for $1,000 per month (a fixed cost), and also pays $0.50 per mile driven for gas and maintenance (a variable cost). If the truck is driven 2,000 miles in a month, the total cost of operating the truck for that month would be $2,000 ($1,000 fixed cost + $0.50/mile * 2,000 miles). If the truck is driven 3,000 miles the next month, the total cost would be $2,500 ($1,000 fixed cost + $0.50/mile * 3,000 miles). This illustrates a mixed cost structure.
Understanding the nature of mixed costs can help a company plan its operations and make decisions about pricing, budgeting, and investing.
Example of a Mixed Cost
Let’s consider a telecommunications company to illustrate mixed cost.
Let’s say a telecom company provides internet services to its customers. The company pays a fixed monthly cost of $10,000 to maintain its infrastructure, regardless of how many customers it serves. This is the fixed cost component.
In addition to this, the company also incurs a cost for every gigabyte of data used by its customers. This is charged at a rate of $0.05 per gigabyte. This is the variable cost component as it changes depending on the data usage by customers.
In a month, if the customers collectively use 100,000 gigabytes of data, the variable cost for that month would be $5,000 ($0.05 * 100,000). So, the total cost for that month (fixed + variable), which is the mixed cost, would be $15,000 ($10,000 fixed cost + $5,000 variable cost).
In another month, if the customers use 200,000 gigabytes of data, the variable cost for that month would be $10,000 ($0.05 * 200,000). The total mixed cost for that month would be $20,000 ($10,000 fixed cost + $10,000 variable cost).
This example illustrates how the total mixed cost increases with the level of activity (data usage by customers), but not at a constant rate, as there is a fixed cost component that remains the same regardless of the level of activity.
