LEGO Price vs Piece Count: Best & Worst LEGO Sets by Cost Coming in 2026

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When previewing LEGO’s sets planned for 2026, it’s natural to wonder about their price. Many factors influence how much a set costs – things like licensing agreements or the new LEGO SMART bricks – and simply counting the pieces doesn’t give you the whole picture.

It’s become hard to understand how LEGO sets are priced, but looking at the price per piece is one of the few ways customers can make sense of it. Based on that, some 2026 sets offer better value than others.

Worst LEGO Sets by Price Per Piece

It’s not really about determining which LEGO sets are ‘best’ or ‘worst’ based on price alone. It’s more helpful to consider what LEGO is focusing on with its 2026 sets – and what types of building and play experiences the company is supporting. Sets with lots of pieces, the ability to build different things, and a timeless design tend to stay popular longer. Sets with fewer pieces often depend on recognizable themes to justify their price. Unfortunately, these five sets highlight that trend.

Police Train Heist (60508)

The LEGO City Police Train Heist offers the least value for your money, costing about 15 cents per piece. Although it has 1,313 pieces, many are large, pre-made sections, tracks, or electronic components, which makes the building experience feel less substantial. It’s a fun set with lots of play features, but the price reflects the cost of those features rather than the complexity of the build itself. This is worth remembering, as this set – which isn’t available until March 1, 2026 – is just one example of how interactive features are driving up LEGO prices.

BB-8 Astromech Droid (75452)

The BB-8 Astromech Droid LEGO set looks great and has some fun mechanical features, but at just over 15 cents per piece, it feels more like a collectible item than a substantial build. While the 569 pieces create a nice-sized model with a moving part, it doesn’t quite stand up to other LEGO display sets released this year. Ultimately, the set relies heavily on BB-8’s popularity to make it appealing.

SMART Play: Throne Room Duel & A-wing (75427)

Set #75427, releasing March 1, 2026, is advertised as offering two different builds for the price of one, but it doesn’t quite deliver on that promise. With 962 pieces and a price of $159.99, the cost per piece is $0.166, suggesting that LEGO’s new interactive SMART play features are increasing the price. While the set includes a good selection of minifigures – SMART Play: Throne Room Duel & A-wing – the build itself feels somewhat lacking. Integrating SMART Bricks shouldn’t result in a design that feels visually or structurally underwhelming.

Cobb Vanth’s Speeder (75437)

The Cobb Vanth’s Speeder set, with only 207 pieces and a price of $34.99, highlights a common issue with licensed LEGO sets: they can be expensive. While the build itself is nice, it costs about 17 cents per piece, which is quite high. The set relies heavily on the included unique minifigure and the popularity of The Mandalorian to justify its cost. It feels like a set that should be an impulse buy near the cash register, but it’s surprisingly pricey.

SMART Play: Luke’s Red Five X-wing (75423)

Releasing on March 1, 2026, the SMART Play: Luke’s Red Five X-wing will be the most expensive set on this list, costing around $0.172 per brick. At $99.99 for 581 pieces, the set feels overpriced. Instead of adding to the building experience, it relies heavily on the SMART Brick system. The included Smart Luke and Leia figures, along with reactive components, suggest LEGO is experimenting with how much they can simplify the physical build while still justifying the price based on the perceived value of SMART Bricks.

Best LEGO Sets by Price Per Piece

Image via Warner Bros.

When it comes to getting the most LEGO bricks for your money in 2026, some sets are better than others. While some of the new SMART brick sets don’t offer great value right now, that should improve over time. However, five upcoming LEGO sets already stand out as offering excellent value for the price.

The Fox (21588)

The Fox Minecraft set is a great value, ranking fifth on our list at just around 8 cents per piece – especially considering it only costs $39.99. It’s also well-designed, with legs that move and a neck that rotates. This set, and others like it, show that LEGO can create affordable sets without sacrificing quality or charm, proving our previous list wasn’t entirely accurate.

Mini Biomes (21589)

The LEGO Mini Biomes set is quickly becoming a favorite, offering excellent value at around 7.5 cents per piece. This clever set, inspired by Minecraft, contains 797 pieces that build five different, connectable landscapes. While it might seem a bit small for its $60 price tag, the set’s appealing design and opportunities for creative building make it surprisingly worthwhile.

Japanese Cherry Blossom Landscape (031218)

Okay, so I just built the Japanese Cherry Blossom Landscape LEGO set, and honestly, it’s amazing. What really surprised me wasn’t just how beautiful it is – the detail is incredible with almost 1,900 pieces – but also how affordable it is. Each piece basically costs just a few cents! It really shows how LEGO is changing; it’s not just about building things to play with anymore, but creating art you can proudly display. The fact that they put so much effort into a set that isn’t tied to a movie or anything interactive tells me LEGO really believes in the value of a beautiful, detailed build for its own sake.

Shopping Street (11371)

The Shopping Street set is the biggest in our selection, containing 3,456 pieces and costing $249.99. This works out to about 7.2 cents per piece, which is a great value. It feels worth the price because of its detailed interior and focus on creating scenes with minifigures. This set is a perfect example of how LEGO excels at designing large, modular sets where every brick contributes to the overall display, making the price-per-piece ratio even more appealing.

Golden Retriever Puppy (11384)

The LEGO Golden Retriever Puppy set is a surprisingly great value, costing only about $0.067 per brick. With 2,102 pieces, it accurately represents the proportions of a real puppy and, like the LEGO Fox set, features poseable paws, mouth, and ears. While it doesn’t have a connection to a specific brand or movie, it’s a worthwhile purchase and a good deal for those considering it.

Price Per Piece Takeaways

LEGO Group

Looking at LEGO’s offerings for 2026, a few trends become clear. The best value sets are generally those without licensed characters, designed for display. On the other hand, sets tied to licenses and those with lots of electronic components tend to be the least cost-effective. It’s worth paying attention to sets that cost more than 15 cents per piece, as you might be paying more for the brand name or technology than for the building experience itself. While it might seem like a small detail to look at the price per piece, it reveals that some LEGO sets are built to be durable and enjoyable, while others don’t offer the same quality for the price.

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2026-02-03 21:06