How to Calculate the Steam-to-Cash Price Ratio
Updated
API reference: POST /v1/archive/steam · POST /v1/archive/csfloat
Divide Steam's daily median sale price by CSFloat's daily completed-sale average on UTC dates where both archives return sales for the same exact item.
The result is an observed, item-specific relationship between Steam wallet value and one cash marketplace. It is not a universal withdrawal rate.
The two sale series
| Archive | Daily price | Volume | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | Native median sale price | Number of purchases | Daily since April 26, 2013 |
| CSFloat | Arithmetic average completed-sale price | Number of completed sales | Daily since 2022 |
Both endpoints return prices normalized to USD and require Scale or Enterprise. Steam also offers native 1h buckets from May 9, 2026; CSFloat is daily only. Steam sale history supports regular items, while CSFloat can include supported variant series.
Calculating the ratio
Request matching daily date ranges and the same regular market_hash_name. Join rows by UTC date, then divide the Steam price by the CSFloat price only where both are positive and both volumes show completed sales.
For a period summary, publish the weighting rule. An unweighted mean gives a thin day the same influence as a busy one. A volume-aware method can weight each paired date by the smaller of its Steam and CSFloat sale counts, but that minimum remains a confidence weight rather than matched transactions.
Keep the inverse cash-per-Steam calculation separate. The average of daily reciprocals is generally different from the reciprocal of an averaged Steam-to-cash ratio.
Applicable endpoints
| Endpoint | Returns | Plans |
|---|---|---|
POST /v1/archive/steam |
Native Steam median sale price and purchase count | Scale, Enterprise |
POST /v1/archive/csfloat |
CSFloat average completed-sale price and sale count | Scale, Enterprise |
Interpretation limits
- Median and arithmetic mean react differently to the distribution of sold assets. Float and sticker mix can move the ratio.
- Do not fill a one-sided date with zero or a prior sale. Restrict the ratio to matched returned dates.
- Steam wallet value, marketplace fees, and withdrawal constraints are distinct concepts. The archives do not convert one into another.
- Do not apply one item's ratio to an inventory without checking several liquid, comparable items on matching dates.
The Steam and CSFloat sales comparison keeps the source definitions visible before calculating a ratio.