In the example, a year at the gym costs $408.88, working out at home costs $340.00, and the equipment pays for itself in month 9
To compare a gym with home workouts, separate what you pay once from what you pay every month. In the example, the gym has no sign-up fee, but it costs about $34.07 a month: a $24.99 membership plus a $49 annual fee and $60 of shoes, gloves and towels spread over 12 months. Home workouts cost $150 for dumbbells, a mat and bands at the start, then about $15.83 a month: a $10 app plus $40 of extra gear and $30 of supplies spread over 12 months. Home workouts are $18.24 a month cheaper, which covers the $150 head start in month 9. After a full year the gym has cost $408.88 and home workouts $340.00, a difference of $68.88.
How often you actually go matters just as much. At 3 workouts a week you work out 156 times a year, so a workout costs $2.62 at the gym and $2.18 at home. If you go once a week, the same membership costs $7.86 per workout. Pick a time frame and a weekly frequency, enter both sets of costs, and the calculator shows total cost, cost per workout, the month the equipment pays for itself, a cumulative cost chart and tables by time frame and frequency.
When this comparison is worth running
- Before joining a gym with a yearly commitment: Planet Fitness's homepage lists Classic from $15 a month and the PF Black Card from $24.99 a month, plus a $49 annual fee, and its fine print says prices vary by location and memberships may include a 12-month commitment. The monthly price on the banner is only part of the cost, so add the annual fee and any extras before comparing.
- Before buying home equipment: Equipment is paid up front, so home workouts cost more for the first months. In the example, stopping after 6 months leaves home workouts $40.56 more expensive than the gym ($245.00 against $204.44). If you buy $1,000 of equipment instead of $150, the gap does not close until 4 years and 7 months.
- When personal training is on the table: At $60 a session, 4 sessions a month add $240 a month. Over a year the example gym goes from $408.88 to $3,288.88, or $21.08 per workout at 3 workouts a week.
- When your routine changes: A new job, a move or working from home changes the drive and the number of visits. A $5 round trip per visit takes the example gym from $408.88 to $1,188.88 a year and brings the equipment payback forward to month 2.
How the calculation works
- Workouts: A year has 52 weeks, so workouts in the period = workouts per week × 52 × months ÷ 12. A month is about 4.33 weeks. Counting a month as exactly 4 weeks would make a year 48 weeks and undercount workouts by about 7.7%.
- Gym: Up-front cost = sign-up fee. Monthly cost = monthly fee + locker or towel rental + round-trip travel × workouts per month + personal training price × sessions per month + yearly costs (annual fee and gear) ÷ 12.
- Home workouts: Up-front cost = equipment purchase. Monthly cost = app or online classes + other monthly costs + (extra equipment per year + gear per year) ÷ 12.
- Cumulative cost and payback: Cost after m months = up-front cost + monthly cost × m. The two lines cross at (home up-front − gym up-front) ÷ (gym monthly − home monthly), rounded up to a whole month. If home workouts cost the same or less from day one, the result is “home cheaper from the start”. If the gym is also the same or cheaper every month, the equipment is never paid back.
- Cost per workout: Total cost for the period ÷ workouts in the period. A personal training session counts as one of your weekly workouts.
Example conditions: 1 year, 3 workouts a week. Gym: $24.99 a month, no sign-up fee, no rentals, no travel cost, no personal training, and $109 a year for the $49 annual fee plus $60 of shoes, gloves and towels. Home: $150 of equipment, a $10 monthly app, $40 a year of extra gear and $30 a year of supplies. The gym price comes from the Planet Fitness homepage, read on 2026-10-16; every other amount is an assumption. Replace all of them with the posted prices of the gym you are considering and the gear you would actually buy.
What changes when you change one condition
Each row changes one thing in the example (1 year, 3 workouts a week). A negative number in “Saved at home” means the gym is cheaper.
| Condition changed | Gym, 1 year | Home, 1 year | Saved at home | Equipment payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example values | $408.88 | $340.00 | $68.88 | after 9 months |
| Personal training: $60 per session, 4 a month | $3,288.88 | $340.00 | $2,948.88 | after 1 month |
| $5 round trip to the gym per visit | $1,188.88 | $340.00 | $848.88 | after 2 months |
| $1,000 of home equipment | $408.88 | $1,190.00 | −$781.12 | after 4 yr 7 mo |
| Budget plan: $15 a month, $49 annual fee, no extra gear | $229.00 | $340.00 | −$111.00 | after 3 yr 11 mo |
A pricier equipment list or a cheap gym pushes the payback past the first year. Costs that repeat every month, such as personal training or travel, bring the payback forward to a few months. What decides the result is usually the monthly gap, not the up-front gap.
Total cost by time frame (example, 3 workouts a week)
Equipment is spread over more months the longer you keep working out, so the home cost per workout falls with time. The gym has no up-front cost in the example, so its cost per workout stays at $2.62 whatever the time frame.
| Time frame | Gym | Home | Saved at home | Home per workout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 months | $204.44 | $245.00 | −$40.56 | $3.14 |
| 1 year | $408.88 | $340.00 | $68.88 | $2.18 |
| 2 years | $817.76 | $530.00 | $287.76 | $1.70 |
| 3 years | $1,226.64 | $720.00 | $506.64 | $1.54 |
| 5 years | $2,044.40 | $1,100.00 | $944.40 | $1.41 |
Cost per workout by frequency (example, 1 year)
The same total looks very different once you divide it by the workouts you actually do. Days you paid for and skipped still cost money, so use the number of workouts you realistically expect.
| Frequency | Workouts in 1 year | Gym per workout | Home per workout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1×/week | 52 workouts | $7.86 | $6.54 |
| 2×/week | 104 workouts | $3.93 | $3.27 |
| 3×/week | 156 workouts | $2.62 | $2.18 |
| 4×/week | 208 workouts | $1.97 | $1.63 |
| 5×/week | 260 workouts | $1.57 | $1.31 |
| 6×/week | 312 workouts | $1.31 | $1.09 |
Before you sign: cancellation terms, medical deductions and federal rules
- Commitment and cancellation terms: Read the contract length, how and when you can cancel, and whether the annual fee renews automatically. The Planet Fitness homepage notes that memberships may include a 12-month commitment, so a low monthly price can come with a year of payments you cannot easily stop.
- Gym dues are not a medical expense: IRS Publication 502 (2025) says you can't include health club dues or amounts paid to improve your general health in medical expenses, and that you can't include membership dues in a gym, health club or spa. Separate fees for weight-loss activities can count if the program treats a specific disease diagnosed by a physician, such as obesity, hypertension or heart disease. This calculator compares amounts before any tax effect.
- The federal “click to cancel” amendments are not in force: In October 2024 the Federal Trade Commission amended its Negative Option Rule. On July 8, 2025, the Eighth Circuit vacated the amended rule because the Commission had not done the required preliminary regulatory analysis. The FTC has since asked for public comment on whether the rule needs amendments. Do not assume you can cancel online just because you signed up online. Check the cancellation clause in your own contract and the rules in your state.
Common mistakes
- Entering a multi-month price as the monthly fee: The monthly fee field takes one month's cost. Divide a 3-, 6- or 12-month total by the number of months and enter the sign-up fee separately.
- Ignoring the annual fee: A $49 annual fee adds $4.08 a month. Enter it under annual fee and gear so it is spread over 12 months.
- Judging cost per workout on the plan, not on your habits: Choose the weekly frequency you will realistically keep. In the example, dropping from 3 workouts a week to 1 takes the gym from $2.62 to $7.86 per workout.
- Entering monthly travel as the per-visit cost: The travel field is the round-trip cost of one visit. The calculator multiplies it by the number of workouts in a month, so a monthly total would be counted many times.
- Counting only the first equipment purchase: Heavier weights, new bands and a replacement mat come up every year. Put that yearly amount under extra equipment and replacements.
- Entering a package price as the per-session price: If a 10-session package costs $600, enter $60 and choose the sessions per month below.
Limits of the calculation
- Yearly items are divided by 12 and added to each month, although you pay them once, so the chart for a particular month can differ slightly from your actual spending.
- Resale value of used equipment, inflation, promotions, refundable deposits and tax effects are not included.
- Travel time, the space at home and differences in machines are not priced. If the costs are close, the option you will keep doing gives the lower cost per workout.
- Prices and fees vary by location and change over time; the gym figures here are one chain's published starting prices and are meant as an illustration.
As of October 16, 2026: the Planet Fitness homepage, IRS Publication 502 (2025) and the FTC document were opened on this date. All amounts in the examples are illustrations, not quotes.
Sources
- 01Planet Fitness (planetfitness.com)Classic from $15 a month, PF Black Card from $24.99 a month, $49 annual fee; fine print: prices vary by location and memberships may include a 12-month commitment; checked 2026-10-16
- 02IRS Publication 502 (2025), Medical and Dental ExpensesHealth club dues and amounts paid to improve general health are not medical expenses; weight-loss fees only for a physician-diagnosed disease; checked 2026-10-16
- 03Federal Trade Commission, Rule Concerning the Use of Prenotification Negative Option Plans (advance notice of proposed rulemaking)States that on July 8, 2025 the Eighth Circuit vacated the amended Rule and requests public comment on the need for amendments; checked 2026-10-16
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper over a year, a gym or working out at home?
It depends on the inputs. In the example (gym $24.99 a month plus $109 a year for the annual fee and gear; home $150 of equipment, a $10 app, $40 of extra gear and $30 of supplies a year; 3 workouts a week) a year costs $408.88 at the gym and $340.00 at home, so home saves $68.88. Stop after 6 months and home costs $40.56 more. With a $15 a month plan, a $49 annual fee and no extra gear, the gym costs $229.00 for the year and is $111.00 cheaper.
When does home workout equipment pay for itself?
Payback month = (home up-front cost − gym up-front cost) ÷ (gym monthly cost − home monthly cost), rounded up. In the example home workouts cost $150 more at the start and $18.24 less every month, so the equipment pays for itself in month 9. With $1,000 of equipment it takes 4 years and 7 months.
How is cost per workout calculated?
Total cost for the period divided by workouts in the period (workouts per week × 52 × months ÷ 12). The example gym at 3 workouts a week is 156 workouts a year, or $2.62 each; at 1 workout a week it is 52 workouts, or $7.86 each.
How much does personal training add?
The price per session times sessions per month is added to every month. In the example, $60 a session 4 times a month adds $240 a month, raising the gym's yearly cost from $408.88 to $3,288.88, or $21.08 per workout at 3 workouts a week.
Can I deduct gym membership dues as a medical expense?
IRS Publication 502 (2025) says you can't include health club dues or amounts paid to improve your general health in medical expenses, and that gym, health club or spa membership dues are not included. Separate fees for weight-loss activities can count when they treat a specific disease diagnosed by a physician. The calculator compares amounts before any tax effect.
Is there a federal click-to-cancel rule for gym memberships?
The FTC amended its Negative Option Rule in October 2024, but the Eighth Circuit vacated the amended rule on July 8, 2025, and the FTC has since asked for public comment on whether to amend it. Read the cancellation clause in your own contract and check the rules in your state.
Why are months counted as 52 weeks ÷ 12 instead of 4 weeks?
A year has 52 weeks, so a month averages about 4.33 weeks. Counting 4 weeks a month makes a year 48 weeks and undercounts workouts by about 7.7%, which makes cost per workout look higher than it is. The calculator uses workouts per week × 52 × months ÷ 12.
What does the calculator leave out?
Resale value of used equipment, inflation, promotions, refundable deposits, tax effects and travel time are not included. Costs you pay either way, such as supplements, should be left out or entered on both sides so the difference is not distorted.