What will it actually cost?
Purchase price is the easy part. This calculator adds installation and the electricity bill — the number most buyers forget.
Estimate only. Heater duty cycle, insulation, climate, and electricity plan all move the real number. We use a 45% duty cycle for chillers and ignore standby loads. The five-year total excludes heater, filter, and cover replacement.
How the estimate works
Sauna electricity is close to linear: heater kilowatts × hours of use × your rate. A 6 kW heater running 4.5 hours a week uses about 27 kWh a week, or roughly 117 kWh a month before insulation losses.
Cold plunge chillers are different. They cycle on and off to hold the setpoint, so the honest number is kilowatts × duty cycle × 730 hours. A 0.55 kW chiller at 45% duty uses about 181 kWh a month.
What is not included
- Water (fill and top-off) for cold plunge: usually $5–$20 a month.
- Filter cartridges, sanitizer, and test strips: $20–$50 a month.
- Repairs, cover replacement, and heater elements.
- Financing interest or delivery fees.