See: http://bit.ly/tZfVs9

public struct NoStaticCtor
{
    private static int _myValue = 3;
    public static int GetMyValue() { return _myValue; }
}

public struct StaticCtor
{
    private static int _myValue;
    public static int GetMyValue() { return _myValue; }
    static StaticCtor()
    {
        _myValue = 3;
    }
}

class Program
{
    const long numTimes = 5000000000;

    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        NoCtor1();
        WithCtor1();

        NoCtor2();
        WithCtor2();
    }

    private static void NoCtor1()
    {
        Stopwatch sw = new Stopwatch();
        sw.Start();
        for (long i = 0; i < numTimes; i++)
        {
            NoStaticCtor.GetMyValue();
        }
        sw.Stop();
        Console.WriteLine("No static ctor: {0}", sw.Elapsed);
    }

    private static void NoCtor2()
    {
        Stopwatch sw = new Stopwatch();
        sw.Start();
        for (long i = 0; i < numTimes; i++)
        {
            NoStaticCtor.GetMyValue();
        }
        sw.Stop();
        Console.WriteLine("No static ctor: {0}", sw.Elapsed);
    }

    private static void WithCtor1()
    {
        Stopwatch sw = new Stopwatch();
        sw.Start();
        for (long i = 0; i < numTimes; i++)
        {
            StaticCtor.GetMyValue();
        }
        sw.Stop();
        Console.WriteLine("with static ctor: {0}", sw.Elapsed);
    }

    private static void WithCtor2()
    {
        Stopwatch sw = new Stopwatch();
        sw.Start();
        for (long i = 0; i < numTimes; i++)
        {
            StaticCtor.GetMyValue();
        }
        sw.Stop();
        Console.WriteLine("with static ctor: {0}", sw.Elapsed);
    }
}