Startup Cost Calculator
Pick a business type and a US city to get an estimated startup cost range with a line-by-line breakdown. The calculator takes published national cost ranges for each expense — registration, equipment, lease, insurance, inventory, marketing — and adjusts the location-sensitive ones using local commercial rent, cost of living and labor rates. Covers 197 business types across 300 US cities. Free, no signup.
Prefer to read rather than click? Each estimate has a full page behind it — for example what it costs to open a coffee shop, food truck startup costs, or the cost of starting a staffing agency — with the same breakdown plus local permit notes and state requirements.
Typical startup costs by business type
National ranges before any city adjustment. Use the calculator above to see what each of these looks like in a specific city.
| Business type | Startup cost range | Time to launch |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee Shop | $80,000 - $300,000 | 2-5 months |
| Food Truck | $50,000 - $200,000 | 2-4 months |
| Restaurant | $75,000 - $250,000 | 3-6 months |
| Hair Salon | $60,000 - $200,000 | 2-4 months |
| Cleaning Service | $5,000 - $50,000 | 1-3 weeks |
| Gym | $50,000 - $500,000 | 3-8 months |
| Laundromat | $200,000 - $1,000,000 | 3-6 months |
| Daycare | $50,000 - $300,000 | 3-9 months |
| Staffing Agency | $30,000 - $150,000 | 2-5 months |
| Auto Repair Shop | $50,000 - $300,000 | 3-6 months |
| Landscaping | $10,000 - $80,000 | 2-4 weeks |
| Online Store | $2,000 - $30,000 | 1-3 months |
How the estimate is built
Every business type in our database carries a set of cost lines — business registration and licenses, equipment, initial inventory, lease and deposits, insurance, professional fees, marketing — each with a published national range. That's the starting point, and it's the part that barely moves between cities: a commercial espresso machine costs roughly the same in Boise as in Boston.
What does move is location. When you pick a city, three adjustments apply. Lease-driven lines scale with that city's commercial rent per square foot against the national average. Cost-of-living-driven lines scale with the city's cost-of-living index. Payroll lines scale with the local labor rate index. Where we hold local permit fees for the city, those replace the generic registration range rather than adding to it. Pick a state instead of a city and the tool flags that state's LLC filing fee against the registration line.
Two things the total deliberately excludes: ongoing monthly operating costs, which are shown separately, and working capital to carry you to profitability. Both belong in your funding target on top of the startup number. The U.S. Small Business Administration publishes a free worksheet for the full exercise, and SCORE offers free mentoring if you want a second pair of eyes on the numbers.
Estimates are for planning only. Actual costs depend on your lease terms, your equipment choices, and local requirements that change. Verify permit and filing fees with your city clerk and Secretary of State before committing a budget.
Know your number? The next step is forming the company.
Business registration is the first line on almost every estimate above — and the one you can clear today.
Form Your LLC — $0 + State FeeState filing fees still apply and vary by state.
Startup cost questions
How accurate is a startup cost calculator?
A calculator gives you a planning range, not a quote. This one starts from published national cost ranges for each expense line, then adjusts the location-sensitive lines using the commercial rent, cost-of-living and labor-rate data we hold for that city. Treat the result as the bracket your real budget should fall inside, then replace each line with actual quotes as you collect them.
Why does the same business cost so much more in one city than another?
Three lines move the most: the lease (commercial rent per square foot varies several-fold between US metros), payroll (local wage levels), and permits (city and county fees are set locally). Equipment and inventory barely move, because you buy those from national suppliers at similar prices wherever you are.
What costs do first-time founders forget?
Working capital is the big one. The estimate below covers what it takes to open the doors, not what it takes to stay open while revenue ramps. Also commonly missed: security deposits (often several months of rent), insurance premiums due before you can sign a lease, professional fees, and the gap between paying suppliers and getting paid yourself.
Should I add a contingency on top of the estimate?
Yes. Build-out overruns and permit delays are the norm, not the exception, and both cost money. Most planning guidance suggests carrying a contingency on top of your line-item budget plus several months of operating expenses in reserve. The U.S. Small Business Administration publishes a free worksheet for exactly this step.
Does the estimate include ongoing monthly costs?
No — the total is one-time startup spend only. Where we hold data for it, the tool shows a separate monthly operating range underneath the total so you can plan the two independently. Your funding target should cover the startup total plus several months of that monthly figure.
More reading: how to start a business · LLC vs S-Corp · all startup guides