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Sauna Running Cost Calculator
By Marcus Ellery. Prices checked .
Pick a sauna size or type in the watts, set how long and how often you use it, and enter your electricity rate. The result is the most you will pay, because it assumes full power the whole time.
Calculator
How it is calculated
Cost equals kilowatts times hours times your rate. A 2,050 watt cabin for one hour at 18.2 cents is 2.05 × 1 × $0.182 = $0.37.
The default rate is the U.S. average home electricity price for 2026 from the Energy Information Administration. Your rate is on your power bill, in cents per kWh.
Typical numbers
| Sauna | Watts | Per hour | Per month at 3 hours a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person infrared | 1,800 | $0.33 | $4.26 |
| 2 person infrared | 2,050 | $0.37 | $4.85 |
| 3 person infrared | 2,850 | $0.52 | $6.74 |
| Traditional 4.5 kW | 4,500 | $0.82 | $10.65 |
| Traditional 6 kW | 6,000 | $1.09 | $14.20 |
Why your real cost is lower
Heaters do not run flat out for the whole session. Once the cabin reaches temperature they cycle on and off. Treat the calculator result as a ceiling.
Questions people ask
How much electricity does an infrared sauna use?
About 1.8 kWh per hour for a 1 person cabin, 2 kWh for a 2 person and 2.85 kWh for a 3 person, based on models with published wattage.
How do I find my sauna’s wattage?
It is on the spec sheet or the label near the power cord. For a traditional sauna use the heater size, for example 6 kW is 6,000 watts.