How much XP does level 30 cost in Minecraft?

Reaching level 30 from zero takes 1,395 experience points in total. However, enchanting at level 30 only spends 3 levels, and each enchant after that costs progressively less total XP than refarming from zero - higher levels cost more points per level.

Is the XP formula the same in Java and Bedrock?

Yes. Both editions use the same experience curve: levels 0-16 cost 2L+7 points each, levels 17-31 cost 5L-38, and level 32+ costs 9L-158 per level.

Minecraft XP Calculator

Convert between experience levels and raw XP points. Same formula in Java and Bedrock.

Quick answer: Level 30 needs 1,395 XP total. Enchanting spends only 3 levels, but going from 27 to 30 costs 306 XP while 0 to 3 costs just 32 XP - so enchant as soon as you hit 30.

Levels to XP

XP to levels

Level-up cost

How Minecraft XP works

Every level costs more XP than the last. The game tracks your progress in raw experience points, and the level is derived from them:

Levels 0-16: each level costs 2L + 7 points (level 0 to 1 costs 7, level 15 to 16 costs 37).
Levels 17-31: each level costs 5L - 38 points.
Level 32+: each level costs 9L - 158 points and keeps growing.

Total XP to reach a level L from zero: L² + 6L (up to 16), 2.5L² - 40.5L + 360 (17-31), and 4.5L² - 162.5L + 2220 (32+). The formula is identical in Java and Bedrock Edition.

Why you should enchant at exactly level 30

An enchanting table spend is 3 levels, not a fixed amount of XP. Going from level 0 to 3 costs 32 XP, but going from 27 to 30 costs 306 XP - almost ten times more for the same enchant. So always enchant the moment you reach level 30: each subsequent enchant costs far fewer total points. The same logic applies to anvil work: do expensive jobs at lower levels when the level cost is small.

Best XP sources

Mob farms: a good general mob farm or enderman farm gives level 30 in minutes.
Furnace XP banks: smelted items store XP in the furnace; pull one item out after a big smelting session (works with cactus, cobblestone, kelp).
Mining: quartz, coal, redstone, lapis and diamond ore all drop XP - a Fortune pick does not increase XP drops.
Bottle o' enchanting: 3-11 XP each; master clerics sell them for 3 emeralds.
Trading and breeding: steady low-level XP while doing other work.