14 · REFERENCE · STARDUST
Stardust cost reference
The numbers behind every dust decision — power-up totals, trade costs by friendship and rarity, second-move unlock pricing, and purification costs. Bookmark this for when the in-game UI hides the numbers behind a tap.
01 · POWER UP · CUMULATIVE COSTS
Total stardust + candy + XL Candy from a freshly caught L1 mon to the listed level. Lucky and Best Buddy each halve the dust shown in-game (apply on top of these base numbers). Open the power-up planner →
| Level | Stardust | Candy | XL Candy | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L30 | 49,500 | 70 | — | Old level cap pre-2018 |
| L40 | 270,500 | 296 | — | Old level cap (2020-2021) |
| L41 | 295,500 | 321 | 25 | XL Candy required from here |
| L45 | 495,500 | 521 | 225 | PvP investment threshold |
| L50 | 1,020,500 | 1,046 | 750 | Maxed — Best Buddy adds +1 effective level |
02 · TRADE · STARDUST BY FRIENDSHIP
Trades cost both partners stardust. Cost depends on friendship level and whether the receiving trainer already has the species. Best Friends cuts costs by 96 %. Open the trade evaluator →
| Category | Already in dex | New to dex | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Great | Ultra | Best | Good | Great | Ultra | Best | |
| Standard mons | 100 | 80 | 8 | 4 | 20,000 | 16,000 | 1,600 | 800 |
| Different form / regional | 1,000 | 800 | 80 | 40 | 20,000 | 16,000 | 1,600 | 800 |
| Legendary / Mythical (special) | 20,000 | 16,000 | 1,600 | 800 | 1,000,000 | 800,000 | 80,000 | 40,000 |
| Shiny / Purified / Lucky (special) | 20,000 | 16,000 | 1,600 | 800 | 1,000,000 | 800,000 | 80,000 | 40,000 |
Lucky trades cap at 40 000 dust each side regardless of category. The 100 % Lucky cap is hard-baked into the trade evaluator.
03 · SECOND MOVE UNLOCK
| Rarity | Dust | Candy |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 10,000 | 25 |
| Uncommon | 50,000 | 50 |
| Rare | 75,000 | 75 |
| Legendary / Mythical | 100,000 | 100 |
| Mega-base species | 75,000 | 75 |
04 · PURIFICATION COSTS
| Shadow rarity | Dust | Candy |
|---|---|---|
| Common shadow | 1,000 | 1 |
| Uncommon shadow | 3,000 | 3 |
| Rare shadow | 5,000 | 5 |
| Legendary shadow | 20,000 | 20 |
Stardust farm tips
- Star Pieces give a 50 % bonus to all dust earned for 30 minutes — stack with Community Day or Spotlight Hour 2× / 3× catch dust for huge gains.
- Trainer-Battle wins reward 500–1 000 dust per set on top of GO Battle League season rewards. Ace Trainer grind is dust-positive.
- Hatch Day events drop egg-hatch dust to 4 000+ for low-km eggs — combine with Adventure Sync rewards for steady passive accumulation.
- Reaching Best Friends for 9 different trainers costs ~9 days of gifts but unlocks a 96 % discount that pays back in any single special trade.