How much does it cost to open a fitness facility or gym?
Real commercial pricing for 73 equipment and facility items across New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States. Select what you want, get a realistic budget range.
What are you building?
Choose your market, facility type and floor area to get pricing in your currency.
Your market
Facility type
Usable floor
225 m²
after 25% reserve
Peak capacity
45
at one time
Est. members
~320
7:1 ratio
Estimated at 5 m² per simultaneous user, 7:1 total membership ratio. Actual capacity depends on your layout, equipment and how you run sessions.
A real budget, not a ballpark
Most gym setup estimates are made up. A number like "$50,000 to open a boutique studio" is plausible but useless — it tells you nothing about what you're actually buying, which items drive cost, or what's optional versus essential.
This calculator is itemised. You pick the equipment and facilities you actually want. The prices come from commercial retailers in your market — not from a $/sqm rule applied to a generic floor plan. When a price is an estimate, it says so. When it's verified against multiple retailers, it says that too.
The PATO line item at the bottom of the Tech category is the software you'll need to run the gym — bookings, payments, members, marketing and door access in one place. It's the one thing every gym on this list needs, and the trial is free.
What this includes — and what it doesn't
Stated plainly, because a calculator you can't check is one you can't trust.
Equipment costs only
Supply price of the equipment. Not freight, installation, electrical or plumbing work, permits, or site preparation — those can easily equal the equipment cost for wet-area items.
No fit-out or construction
Sauna builds, steam rooms, pool excavation, flooring installation, partition walls and signage are not included in these line items. Budget separately — and get contractor quotes early.
Four markets, local currency
NZ, AU, CA and US pricing sourced from commercial retailers in each market. Prices are pre-tax unless a source explicitly included GST/HST. Never mix currencies between markets.
Wet-area items need professional review
Saunas, cold plunges, steam rooms and hot tubs require structural assessment, drainage, waterproofing, ventilation and local consent. Show these as a planning allowance only until you have a contractor quote.
Price quality varies by item
"Verified" items are confirmed against multiple commercial retailer sources. "Estimate" items are based on web-synthesised data and should be confirmed before procurement.
Not a compliance review
This tool does not check structural loads, fire safety, egress, accessibility or permit requirements. Every facility requires a qualified professional review before construction.
Questions people ask
Prices are sourced from commercial retailers and authorised dealers across each market and reviewed quarterly. Items marked "verified" have been confirmed against multiple local retailer sources and represent current commercial pricing. Items marked "estimate" are indicative planning figures — they're useful for budgeting, but confirm current pricing with suppliers before finalising any purchasing decisions.
No. Equipment prices are supply-only unless a row explicitly says installed. Wet-area equipment (sauna, cold plunge, steam room), flooring, sprung floors, and mirrors require professional installation that can cost as much again as the equipment itself. Budget separately for freight, installation, electrical, plumbing, and permits.
These are the most variable items in any facility budget. Commercial-grade saunas typically start from $14,000–$20,000 in the US and from $42,000+ in NZ/AU (commercial Finnish build-outs cost more here). Cold plunges with active chilling start around $13,000–$15,000 USD. In all markets, installation, drainage, waterproofing, ventilation and local permits can equal or exceed the equipment cost itself. Use these figures as planning allowances only — get a supplier quotation before committing.
Commercial gym equipment spans a genuinely wide range. A commercial treadmill can be $5,000 (entry-level, basic console) or $15,000 (Woodway or Matrix touchscreen). The typical figure is the mid-market choice most facilities actually buy. The low and high give you the realistic spread depending on brand and specification.
PATO is the software that runs the gym — members, bookings, payments, AI coaching, marketing, and door access. Every gym needs some kind of management platform; PATO is the one built for independent gym owners who want everything in one place without paying a commission on every payment. The trial is free and the plan recommendation in the calculator is based on the member capacity your space can support.
Yes. Use the market selector to switch between NZ, AU, CA and US — prices switch to local currency and local retail pricing. Coverage is strongest for standard gym equipment across all four markets. Specialist recovery items like saunas and cold plunges are priced in all markets but commercial installations vary significantly by location — treat those figures as budget allowances and get a local supplier quote.
This calculator only covers new, commercial-grade equipment from authorised dealers. Second-hand commercial equipment can reduce costs by 30–60%, but requires inspection, warranty verification and potentially higher ongoing maintenance. It is not in scope for this version of the calculator.
Run it with the platform built for independent gyms
PATO handles members, bookings, payments, AI coaching and marketing — without taking a cut of what your members pay. Start free, upgrade when you're ready.
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- Cancel any time
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