Free calculator
Gym setup cost calculator
Most gym cost estimates you will find are either an equipment seller’s quote or a franchise brochure. Neither includes the two things that actually sink first-time owners: the security deposit a landlord asks for before you touch the space, and six months of running costs to survive on while membership builds.
This adds all of it up. Change any number to yours — the totals move as you type.
What it costs
Rent, salaries and power at ₹2,20,000 a month
Rent itself is ₹1,00,000 a month. Nothing here includes GST or loan interest.
What the calculator includes, and why
Every figure here is a one-time cost except the working capital, which is the money you need in the bank on opening day to cover the months before the gym pays for itself.
- Security deposit — commercial landlords in India routinely ask for three to six months’ rent upfront.
- Fit-out — flooring, mirrors, paint, changing rooms, electrical load upgrade and signage.
- Equipment — cardio, strength machines, free weights and racks.
- Licences — shop and establishment, trade licence, fire NOC where required, music licence.
- Working capital — rent, salaries and electricity for the months before break-even.
The numbers it starts from
Rent runs roughly ₹60–150 per square foot a month in a tier-1 metro and ₹25–60 in a tier-2 city, so a 2,000 sq ft space is about ₹1 lakh a month in many markets.
Equipment for a workable 2,000 sq ft general-purpose gym lands at ₹12–18 lakh with Indian-made kit, and two to three times that imported. Buy Indian for anything a beginner uses; spend the difference on treadmills, which run all day and fail loudly when they are cheap.
Fit-out is commonly ₹300–600 per square foot depending on how much of the space needs building rather than painting. The electrical upgrade inside that is the one people miss: a floor of treadmills and air conditioners needs a commercial connection, and sanctioning it takes weeks.
What it deliberately leaves out
No franchise fee, because an independent gym has none and a franchise will quote you their own. No loan interest, because that depends on terms only you know. And no revenue — this answers what it costs to open, not what you will earn.
For the earning side, use the break-even calculator, which tells you how many paying members your monthly costs actually need.
Questions
- How much does it cost to open a small gym in India?
- A neighbourhood gym of 1,500–2,500 sq ft is commonly ₹12–20 lakh in a tier-2 city and ₹25–45 lakh in a tier-1 metro, with the difference being almost entirely rent and deposit rather than equipment.
- How much working capital does a new gym need?
- Six months of running costs is the figure experienced owners give, because gyms rarely break even in the first year and the ones that fail usually fail on cash flow rather than on demand.
- Is imported gym equipment worth it?
- For treadmills, often yes — they run all day and cheap ones fail visibly. For racks, benches, plates and most strength machines, Indian manufacturing is entirely adequate and a third of the price.
- Does this include GST?
- No. Equipment and fit-out carry GST at their own rates and whether you can claim credit depends on your registration, so those are a conversation for your accountant rather than a number to guess at here.
Stop working this out by hand
CoachFit keeps the members, the attendance and the fees in one place, so these numbers are a glance rather than an evening. ₹299 a month, everything included.