E-learning as a medium for teaching and learning is one of the major cost drivers in open and distance learning. The type and quality of e-learning available in an institution depends on how much the institution actually has to expend on it, especially in an open and distance education where the learner is separated from the teacher. This study therefore, examined the total and unit cost of e-learning in three Nigerian universities providing distance programmes through a descriptive survey employing the ex-post facto design.