Cubic meters to liters
L = m³ × 1,000
Exact factor, from 1 m³ = 1,000 dm³ and 1 dm³ = 1 L.
Convert cubic meters to liters (and liters to cubic meters)
Two-way m³ ↔ liters converter: exact factor (1 m³ = 1,000 L, since 1 L = 1 dm³), formula, the move-the-decimal shortcut, pool and tank volumes and how to read a water bill.
Conversion table
| m³ | L |
|---|---|
| 1 m³ | 1,000 L |
| 2 m³ | 2,000 L |
| 5 m³ | 5,000 L |
| 10 m³ | 10,000 L |
| 20 m³ | 20,000 L |
| 50 m³ | 50,000 L |
| 100 m³ | 100,000 L |
| 1,000 m³ | 1,000,000 L |
| L | m³ |
|---|---|
| 1 L | 0.001 m³ |
| 10 L | 0.01 m³ |
| 100 L | 0.1 m³ |
| 200 L | 0.2 m³ |
| 500 L | 0.5 m³ |
| 1,000 L | 1 m³ |
| 5,000 L | 5 m³ |
| 10,000 L | 10 m³ |
| 100,000 L | 100 m³ |
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How does this tool work?
This converter turns cubic meters (m³) into liters and liters into cubic meters: type a value in either field and the other updates instantly. It is used to read a water bill given in m³, to work out the capacity of a pool, a rainwater tank or an aquarium, or to move from a job-site volume (concrete, soil) to liters.
The cubic meter is the SI unit of volume: the volume of a cube with 1 m edges. The liter is a non-SI unit accepted for use with the SI, defined since 1964 as exactly 1 dm³ (a cube with 10 cm edges). Since 1 m = 10 dm, 1 m³ = 10 × 10 × 10 dm³ = 1,000 dm³ = 1,000 L exactly, and 1 L = 0.001 m³ (SI, BIPM brochure).
To convert cubic meters to liters, multiply by 1,000; to convert liters to cubic meters, divide by 1,000. Nothing needs rounding: the conversion simply moves the decimal point three places. For a volume worked out from dimensions, length × width × height in meters gives m³ directly: 8 × 4 × 1.5 = 48 m³ = 48,000 L.
In your head, 1 m³ is 1,000 L: 2.5 m³ = 2,500 L, and 750 L = 0.75 m³. Smaller units follow the same logic: 1 L = 1 dm³ = 1,000 cm³, so 1 mL = 1 cm³. For water, 1 m³ weighs about 1 tonne (998 kg at 20 °C) and 1 L about 1 kg.
Do not confuse m³ (volume) with m² (area), or the m³ of water with the m³ of gas: a gas meter shows m³ of gas that the bill converts into kWh with a coefficient, which has nothing to do with liters of liquid. The kiloliter (kL) is exactly 1 m³, and the cord of firewood, where used, is a stack of logs including the gaps, not solid wood.
How to use this tool
Enter a volume
Use the Cubic meters or the Liters field; decimals are accepted, for example 0.75 m³ or 3.5 L.
Read the conversion
The other field updates as you type: the value in liters is the value in m³ times 1,000, with no rounding.
Check the table
The table under the converter lists common values in both directions, including typical tank and pool volumes.
Cubic meter ↔ liter conversion formulas
The liter is defined as a cubic decimeter, which ties the two units together exactly.
Liters to cubic meters
m³ = L ÷ 1,000
Just move the decimal point three places to the left.
Volume of a box in liters
L = length × width × height × 1,000 (in m)
Dimensions in meters; the product gives m³, to be multiplied by 1,000.
- m³
- volume in cubic meters (a cube with 1 m edges)
- L
- volume in liters (1 L = 1 dm³)
- length, width, height
- dimensions in meters
Example: a pool measuring 8 × 4 × 1.5 m holds 48 m³, which is 48 × 1,000 = 48,000 L.
Use cases
Water bills
Understand a meter reading in m³ and compare it with everyday uses given in liters (shower, toilet flush, washing machine).
Pools, ponds and aquariums
Work out the water volume to size a pump, a filter or a dose of treatment product.
Tanks and storage
Turn the capacity of a heating-oil tank, an IBC container (1,000 L) or a tanker given in m³ into liters.
Building and DIY
Convert a volume of concrete, soil or sand calculated in m³ into liters, buckets or wheelbarrows.
Examples
One cubic meter in liters
1 m³ = 10 × 10 × 10 dm³ = 1,000 dm³ = 1,000 L.
Input
1 m³Result
1,000 LA pool of 8 × 4 m, average depth 1.5 m
8 × 4 × 1.5 = 48 m³, which is 48 × 1,000 = 48,000 L to fill or treat.
Input
48 m³Result
48,000 LA year of water consumption
120 × 1,000 = 120,000 L a year, about 329 L a day (120,000 ÷ 365).
Input
120 m³Result
120,000 LA rainwater tank
2,500 ÷ 1,000 = 2.5 m³.
Input
2,500 LResult
2.5 m³A 750-liter tank
750 ÷ 1,000 = 0.75 m³, three quarters of a cube with 1 m edges.
Input
750 LResult
0.75 m³Tips and best practices
- Remember 1 m³ = 1,000 L = 1,000 dm³: just move the decimal point three places.
- A volume in m³ is three dimensions in meters multiplied together; convert centimeters to meters first.
- For water, 1 m³ ≈ 1 tonne and 1 L ≈ 1 kg, but this does not hold for other liquids or for gases.
- On a water bill, the price per m³ divided by 1,000 gives the price per liter.
Sources and references
- BIPM, The International System of Units (SI Brochure) (opens in a new tab), Bureau international des poids et mesuresPage in English
Frequently asked questions
How many liters are in a cubic meter?
A cubic meter holds exactly 1,000 liters, because 1 L = 1 dm³ and 1 m³ = 1,000 dm³.
How do I convert m³ to liters?
Multiply the number of m³ by 1,000. For example, 3.2 m³ is 3,200 L and 0.05 m³ is 50 L.
How do I convert liters to m³?
Divide the number of liters by 1,000. For example, 4,500 L is 4.5 m³ and 250 L is 0.25 m³.
What does 120 m³ of water a year represent?
120 m³ is 120,000 L, about 329 L a day (120,000 ÷ 365), a common order of magnitude for a household of two or three people.
How is a cubic meter different from a cord of wood?
A stere (cord-type measure) is 1 m³ of stacked logs, gaps included, equal to about 0.6 to 0.7 m³ of solid wood; a cubic meter is an exact geometric volume of 1,000 L.
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