A month of van life, added up.
Fuel, insurance, campgrounds, food, health insurance and the small stuff, all in one monthly number. Start from an example plan, then put in your own amounts. It works for vans, buses, skoolies and RVs.
Make it your own.
The numbers below are made-up examples to get you started, not typical costs. Replace them with yours.
Example amounts only. Picking a plan replaces the numbers below.
Your changes are saved in this browser only. They aren’t sent to RME or shared. The “Can I afford vanlife?” calculator can use your total.
Monthly totalUSD 3,410
See breakdown ↓Your month, line by line.
| Category | Per month |
|---|---|
| Fuel | USD 352 · 10% |
| Insurance and van payment | USD 600 · 18% |
| Phone and internet | USD 120 · 4% |
| Gym or showers | USD 30 · 1% |
| Mail forwarding | USD 20 · 1% |
| Campgrounds and parking | USD 450 · 13% |
| Food and eating out | USD 600 · 18% |
| Propane | USD 25 · 1% |
| Laundry | USD 40 · 1% |
| Maintenance and repairs | USD 180 · 5% |
| Health insurance | USD 450 · 13% |
| Subscriptions and fun | USD 40 · 1% |
| Pets | USD 60 · 2% |
| Registration and licensing | USD 33 · 1% |
| Storage unit | USD 0 |
| Other costs | USD 100 · 3% |
| Savings cushion (10%) | USD 310 |
| Total per month | USD 3,410 |
How much does van life cost a month?
It depends on how far you drive, where you sleep and what you already pay for, like a van loan or health insurance. That’s why this calculator starts from your own numbers rather than an average. The three example plans are made-up starting points to show how choices change the total. They aren’t typical costs or survey results.
How the estimate works
- US fuel cost = miles per month ÷ miles per US gallon × price per US gallon.
- Metric fuel cost = kilometers per month × liters per 100 km ÷ 100 × price per liter.
- Maintenance per distance = distance per month × your amount per mile or km. Or enter a set monthly amount.
- Registration per month = your yearly registration and licensing cost ÷ 12.
- Monthly total = (every category added up) × (1 + savings cushion ÷ 100).
- Per year = monthly total × 12. Per day = monthly total × 12 ÷ 365.
The starting example is the “Comfortable” plan: 1,500 miles a month at 16 US mpg with fuel at USD 3.75 a gallon, a USD 450 van payment, USD 450 of paid camping, USD 600 for food, USD 450 for health insurance and a 10% cushion. That comes to about USD 3,410 a month. These are illustrative inputs, not current prices.
Switching between US and metric units converts distance, fuel use, fuel price and any per-distance maintenance amount, so the total stays the same. The currency menu only changes the label. Enter amounts in the currency you pick.
What isn’t included?
Buying or building the van, one-time gear, big repairs, taxes, debt payments, travel abroad and income are left out unless you add them under “Other monthly costs”. If you drive a lot, fuel can be your largest cost; if you stay put, the other categories matter more. For a single trip, the trip-budget calculator is a better fit.
Is my budget saved?
Your numbers are saved in this browser only, so they’re still here when you come back on the same device. They aren’t sent to RME. Use “Reset to the example” to clear them. Use “Print or save as PDF” to keep a copy.
Sources
- AAA, Your Driving Costs 2025 fact sheet: maintenance, repair and tires averaged 11.04 cents a mile for new cars.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, gasoline and diesel fuel update: weekly average US pump prices to check your fuel price.
- FuelEconomy.gov (US DOE and EPA): official fuel economy figures. Use your own measured mpg if you can, because a loaded camper may differ from the label.
- NIST unit conversion: 1 mile = 1.609344 km and 1 US gallon = 3.785411784 liters.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, monthly household budget worksheet: the same list-every-cost approach.
- HealthCare.gov: compare US health plans and check what’s covered when you travel out of state.
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