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Startup Cost Calculator

Estimate one-time and recurring startup costs, monthly burn rate, and runway.

One-Time Costs

$0.00

Recurring Monthly Costs

$0.00
Total Startup Cost
$0
Monthly Burn Rate
$0
Estimated Runway

Runway = (available funding − total one-time costs) ÷ monthly burn rate.

About This Tool

Free startup cost calculator online — list your one-time launch costs (equipment, incorporation, website, initial inventory) and recurring monthly costs (rent, software, salaries, marketing), and instantly see your total startup cost, monthly burn rate, and how many months your available funding will last at that burn rate. Founders use this before launch to sanity-check whether their savings or raised funding cover a realistic runway, and to see which cost categories dominate the budget. Add or remove line items freely — everything recalculates live as you type, entirely in your browser.

How to Use

  1. 1

    Add one-time costs

    List each one-time startup expense and its amount — equipment, legal fees, website, initial inventory, and so on.

  2. 2

    Add recurring monthly costs

    List each recurring monthly expense — rent, software subscriptions, salaries, marketing spend.

  3. 3

    Enter available funding

    Enter your total available savings or raised funding.

  4. 4

    Read your runway

    See your total startup cost, monthly burn rate, and estimated runway in months.

Frequently Asked Questions

What counts as a one-time vs. recurring cost?+
One-time costs are paid once to get started — equipment, incorporation fees, initial inventory, website build. Recurring costs repeat every month — rent, software subscriptions, salaries, and ongoing marketing spend.
How is runway calculated?+
Runway is your remaining funding (after subtracting one-time costs) divided by your monthly burn rate (total recurring monthly costs), giving the number of months your funding will last.
Should I include my own salary as a cost?+
Yes, if you plan to pay yourself from the business funds, include it as a recurring monthly cost so your runway estimate is realistic.

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