Living full-time in a van has become a popular alternative to houselife.

Vanlife is adventurous, freeing, and a good way to save money… or is it?

There are significant costs associated with living in a van on a monthly basis. From fuel and insurance to maintenance and parking fees, the cost of living in a van can quickly add up.

In this article, we’ll explore the various expenses that van dwellers can expect to incur each month. We’ll break down the costs of essentials such as food, hygiene, and communication, as well as the expenses related to maintaining and outfitting a van for living. Additionally, we’ll discuss tips for budgeting and managing the cost of living in a van.

Whether you’re considering van living as a long-term lifestyle choice, or just a short-term financial fix, this article provides real-world insight into the cost of living in a van per month. 

⏩️ JUMP STRAIGHT TO MY MONTHLY BUDGET

Table of Contents

↠ About Me
↠ Typical Monthly Van Life Costs
↠ Detailed Cost Breakdown
 ↠ Food & Groceries
 ↠ Fuel, Parking & Tolls
 ↠ Maintenance & Fees
 ↠ Laundry
 ↠ Insurance
 ↠ Tax
 ↠ Campsite Fees
 ↠ Vanlife Apps
 ↠ Water
 ↠ LPG / Gas
 ↠ Heating (diesel)
 ↠ Waste Disposal
 ↠ Phone & WiFi
 ↠ Gym Membership
 ↠ Breakdown Cover
 ↠ Co-working Office
 ↠ Miscellaneous Expenses
↠ Base Van Costs
↠ Van Conversion Costs
↠ Money-saving Tips
↠ Conclusion
↠ Frequently Asked Questions

About Me – I’m a Full Time Vanlifer

Who am I to talk about van life expenses?

Good question!

I’m Helen, the proud founder of Vanlife Hub. I’ve been living full-time in my converted campervan for two years.

When it comes to considering the cost of living on the road, costs will vary depending on your setup and lifestyle.

Here’s a snapshot of my situation:

I live alone in my camper; I’m on the road full time.

I typically hang-out in the south-west of England, and occasionally take longer roadtrips.

I manage three small businesses from my van, so I don’t have to go to a fixed workplace.

My campervan (Manny) is a 2014 Volkswagen Crafter (LWB) – similar to a Sprinter van – with 134,000 miles on the clock.

Manny is designed for seamless full-time off-grid living in the UK. He’s got:

• 3 leisure batteries (AGM)
• 700W of solar
• B2B charging capabilities
• 240V electrics
• Underslung LPG tank (75L)
• Underslung grey water tank (58L)
• 2 x water tanks (20L fresh and 100L washing)
• Chinese diesel heater
• Electric fridge (runs on 240V)
• Compost toilet (self-built) and inside shower

This is a strong, fairly common van life set-up for full-time life on the road.

This is my first van and the upfront cost of the base van was £10,500 (bought in November 2020 – at the height of van prices post-COVID).

The cost of my conversion was around £15,000 (I’ll detail this in another article). N.B. This is expensive, you can get a cheaper van or a basic van with a solid set-up for A LOT less!

Cost Breakdown: Typical Monthly Van Life Costs

In this article, I promise to be transparent, sharing not only my REAL costs but also highlighting potential expenses that may not directly impact me but are worth considering in case they affect you.

Disclaimer: Being budget-conscious (tight!), I diligently search for the best value prices. While the prices outlined in this breakdown may not be the most competitive right now, they were when I made the decisions. Towards the end of this article, I’ll also share some of my money-saving van life hacks.

So what’s the average monthly cost to live in a campervan?

To get straight to the point, over the last 12 months of van life, I spent £1,013 per month, on average. This includes some non-essential spending, and I could reduce this to £745 per month.

Here’s how that works out:

Expense	Monthly Cost
Food & Groceries	£220
Fuel, Parking & Tolls	£154
Maintenance & Fees	£196* (partially non-essential)
Laundry	£30
Insurance	£34
Tax	£25
Campsite Fees	£0
Vanlife Apps*	£1*
Water	£10
Co-work*	£200*
LPG / Gas costs	£5
Heating (diesel)	£8
Waste disposal	£20
Phone & WiFi	£37
Gym Membership	£30
Breakdown Cover	£13
Miscellaneous Expenses	£30
TOTAL	£1,013

*These costs could be considered non-essential or ‘lifestyle’ choices. Without these, my monthly expenses could be as low as £745 per month.

Annually, I spend up to £12,156, but could reduce this to £8,940 if I just stuck to the essentials.

Detailed Cost Breakdown of Life on the Road

Vanlife costs me around £1,000 per month with some non-essential spending included (or £745 per month if I just stuck to the essentials).

There are lots of things to consider when living the van life, so next I’ll share exactly how I make my spending decisions…

Buying Food: £220 per month

For me, cooking on the road requires a delicate balance between thriftiness and health consciousness. There are also some unique challenges that van life throws into the mix!

Reduced (or no) fridge space, lack of freezer, and limited storage mean bulk buying and batch cooking are off the menu. Most people living vanlife in the UK shop little and often, which can make vanlife more expensive. You’ll need to budget for this (and never go shopping hungry!)

Weekly Grocery Budget

My weekly food budget is £50 – £60. Setting a budget means that I’m more likely to stick to it and to plan my meals intentionally. I usually shop in Lidl/Aldi and the Co-op.

Conservative Shopping Habits

I prioritise a healthy eating approach. I don’t eat a lot of meat, and if I do it’s usually because I’ve cooked up a large batch of something (like a chilli) and that’s a commitment – I’ll be eating it for days! I don’t drink alcohol, so if you do, you’ll need to take this into account.

Eating Out

I don’t eat out, but I do use the Too Good To Go app for occasional restaurant food purchases. This savvy approach can mean that I’ll land 2-3 meals for around £5, if luck is on my side.

Coffee Indulgence

My caffeine fix comes in the form of Costa, I’ll usually have 1-2 Costa coffees a week.

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Fuel Costs, Parking & Tolls: £154 per month

Monthly Cost of Fuel: £132

Navigating the open road comes with its share of financial considerations. Unless you’re entirely stationery, fuel will most likely be one of your largest costs. The amount you spend will vary month to month.

Here’s a closer look at the typical costs associated with keeping my wheels turning:

• My van has a 75L tank. I buy premium diesel, so the cost to fill it is £132 (Jan 2024). The same tank with standard diesel would cost around £120. 
  
• My 2014 VW Crafter campervan is heavy, so it has pretty poor fuel economy, I might manage up to 450 miles per tank – so 28mpg. Although, real-world figures can sometimes be closer to 23 mpg. To put this into context, I used to drive 2.0L Mini Sport (diesel), which would typically get 60 mpg. Vans are thirsty beasts!
  
• One tank will usually last me a month, but I also have a fold-out bike in my van for short trips – to the gym and supermarket etc.
  
• I don’t have a single place of work or any commitments that I need to travel to regularly.

My fuel costs are actually pretty low compared to some full time vanlife folk. These costs are driven by the frequency and distance of travel, and I don’t travel a huge amount at the moment. When I do, I do so slowly because there’s no urgency for me to be anywhere. If I wanted to go and do the NC500 driving route, I could take as long as I wanted to get to Scotland, and as long as I like to drive the route. This spreads the costs and lets me be more intentional about trips.

If (like me) you’re working remotely, more travel = more cost AND less time to earn money! So I’m in no rush; if I take my time I can work as I go. Hence, my monthly fuel costs aren’t very high. 

When it comes to fuel, it’s important to consider about what YOUR vanlife experience will look like and to budget for it. Fuel can be a major cost, especially if you’re using your campervan as your daily drive or you’re really going places. 

Is van life cheaper than car life when it comes to fuel? HELL NO!

Monthly Cost of Tolls: £0

I’m based in the UK and I don’t love cities, so I only entered one Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in the last 12 months (£8.50 in Bath). However, if you’re looking to live and travel in a camper van, and you need to enter CAZs regularly, you’ll need to budget for this.

A few points to note:

• Most vans with diesel engines made since 2016 are Euro 6 compliant; these vans do not incur charges in CAZs.
  
• Clean Air Zones charge from £7.50 – £12.50 per day.
  
• Charges are applied daily, not per 24 hours, so if you stay overnight in a CAZ, you will need to pay for 2 days.
  
• Fines for not paying are steep – usually £120 (reduced to £60 if you pay in 14 days).

Monthly Cost of Parking: £22

I hardly ever pay for parking. My LWB high-top VW Crafter doesn’t fit into car parks with barriers anyway, so I stick to roadside parking.

I occasionally head to Exmouth in East Devon where campers can park on the seafront for £11 a night, so I’ve included fees for 2 nights parking per month in my budget.

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Monthly Cost of Maintenance & Fees: £196

When it comes to monthly maintenance fees, costs can vary widely depending on the age and condition of your camper van. You may find a van that flies through its MOT with little more than a lightbulb…or you may not.

Do you really want to know the honest answer to how much does it cost to live in a van? Take a deep breath, because this is a lot…

My van is a 2014 VW Crafter with 134,000 miles on the clock. In the last 12 months, I spent a huge £2,351 on van maintenance.

Here’s a breakdown of the work I had done throughout the year:

• New cambelt: £502 
• Callipers, Pads & Discs: £809
• MOT, major service, turbo sensor & turbo actuator: £1,040

Total cost was £2,351. 

To be clear about this, my van had a major service (approx £300) and a new cambelt (£502); both of these were optional (but strongly recommended). A well-cared-for van will last longer, so I invest in maintenance. Hence, I could have reduced my costs to £1,551 (£129 per month) by only paying for essential fixes. Also, I take my van to a VW specialist in Somerset called J.M Autos – they’re a great bunch of guys and I trust them implicitly – but maybe there are cheaper places out there.

Sure, I spent a lot, but it’s not unrealistic when you buy a used van. I actually blew more than this on a single visit to a garage in the first year I lived in my van – my clutch went on a roadtrip to Denmark. To replace the clutch and the flywheel cost a massive £2,500. 

Luckily I didn’t need any new tyres in the last 12 months, but for reference I usually pay around £135 each for these (Hankook). 

It’s not cheap to buy a van and to keep the wheels rolling in van life. If you can, keep some money aside. If something goes wrong, you’ll want to fix it fast – this is your home, after all. Personally, I put £200 into my savings each month – just for random van drama.

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Monthly Cost of Van Life Laundry: £30

This is an easy one! I do my laundry every two weeks and I use Revolution to do it. Revolution outdoor washers and driers are a favourite with vanlifers. Available 24-hours, they are typically located at service stations so I can park up, do my washing, and hang out in my van.

I prefer these to local laundrettes because parking is easy, I can always pay by card, and they are open 24 hours.

It costs £15 to wash and dry up to 20kg (so a bit more than most laundrettes), and takes around 90 minutes each time.

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Monthly Cost of Van Life Insurance: £34

This is another hot topic. I’m pretty fortunate, I have over 20 years no claims bonus on a car, 3 years on my van. As a result, my insurance quotes from Adrian Flux (my insurer) are usually pretty reasonable. Annually my insurance costs £412 (fully comprehensive cover).

From what I understand, this is low.

It’s important to anticipate how much insuring a van might cost you before you jump into your van life experience. One of the most common things that catch wannabe vanlifers is the shocking cost of the van insurance; if you’re wondering how much insuring a camper van costs, make enquiries before you get started.

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Monthly Cost of Road Tax: £25

When it’s time to deal with your van’s taxes, road tax rates are uniform for all light commercial vehicles (LCVs/N1s) weighing up to 3,500kg.

This encompasses a spectrum ranging from compact ‘day vans,’ like VW Transporters, to larger LWB vans such as VW Crafters, Mercedes Sprinter, and Ford Transits.

Simplifying matters, vans adhere to a straightforward cost structure, you can expect to spend a flat rate of £290 annually or £304.50 if you opt for 12 monthly instalments (which is what I prefer).

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Monthly Cost of Campsite Fees: £0

In the last 12 months I did not stay on any campsites. My van, designed for off-grid sufficiency, doesn’t need an electric hook-up (EHU), so I stick to free park-ups. This helps me keep costs low.

When budgeting for park-ups it’s important to think about your personal comfort, needs and budget, as well as your van’s setup. Does your camper robustly support off-grid living, or will you need periodic hook-ups for essentials like heaters?

If you need to live in a camper van on sites, traditional campsites cost £10 to £30 per night, contingent on variables like season, location, and available facilities.

Van Life Dreams: Reality Check

An often romanticised notion in the van life world is that it’s possible to find a permanent stay on a ‘scenic piece of land’.

Reality check: Council tax and planning rules make this difficult, so don’t bank on it. Some van lifers do, however, manage to find work on campsites, earning the perk of a free pitch in exchange for 2-3 hours of daily work. 

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Monthly Cost of Vanlife Apps: £1

The only app I pay for is Park4Night, a dedicated tool for locating park-up spots.

Why do I pay when there’s a free version? Because I like to be able to view park-ups along a route I’m planning. This is a premium feature which allows me to effortlessly plan park-ups on a roadtrip.

I pay an annual subscription fee of £10.

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Monthly Cost of Water: £10

If you are full-time van life, topping up your water can be one of the most annoying things. Unlike Europe – where there are free aires you can top-up at – the infrastructure just isn’t available in the UK, so you have to get creative. 

Personally, I top up water wherever I go – at the gym, at my co-work office, and when visiting friends/family (I rarely show up anywhere without a couple of empty 5L bottles in-hand)! I usually shower at the gym, so I only need water for drinking and washing. 

When I absolutely have to, I’ll buy water to drink from supermarkets – you can get 5L for £1.50 in Sainsbury’s. Hence, I have estimated a modest amount for water in this vanlife budget.

If you think you’ll use more water than I do – for showers etc – the best way to fill-up is at a campsite. Often campsites will allow to refill your fresh water tank, empty grey waste and your toilet cassette for a small fee (somewhere between £5-£10).

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Monthly Cost of LPG / Gas: £5

My VW Crafter campervan has an underslung LPG (propane) tank as opposed to gas bottles. I use LPG to power the hob and the cooker. It’s amazing how long it lasts! It costs £25 to fill the tank, and this powers the hob and cooker for 5 months. I refill my tank 2-3 times per year, at £25 each time (£5 spent per month on gas). 

In my case, my consumption is low because I only use gas for cooking. This cost will increase if you have heating or a three-way fridge running off gas.

N.B. My underslung tank cost around £500 and has paid for itself already – it was one of the best decisions we made for my build! There are always rumours that LPG will disappear from service stations ‘soon’, but there are loads of LPG points in the south-west and I only need to fill it only twice a year, so I’m happy to travel for it! 

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Monthly Cost of Diesel Heater: £8 

Winter in a van can be bitterly cold. Many van lifers to turn to Chinese diesel heaters, and for good reason – they’re super efficient and economical. Producing heat is one of the most energy-intensive processes; it would not be possible to run a standard heater from my solar in winter. Diesel heaters burn fuel to produce heat and require minimal power (will run off 12V).

My camper van is really well-insulated but I do have a load of windows; these are a weakness in winter. I use my diesel heater 4-5 months of the year. This comes at a modest price, with a weekly diesel expense of around £5 (£20 per month). Great value for money! 

Noteworthy is the design of my Chinese diesel heater—it boasts a separate diesel tank neatly tucked away in the ‘garage’ beneath my bed, as opposed to tapping into the main fuel tank. This setup allows me to gauge diesel usage at a glance, a visual cue I find valuable.

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Monthly Cost of Waste Disposal: £20

When it comes to food and general rubbish, I use public bins so that’s free. That’s also the case for toilet waste – I have a self-built compost toilet that doesn’t use any chemicals so it’s simple for me to just dispose of toilet waste in public toilets every couple of days.

The most annoying waste is actually grey water (water from your washing up and showering etc). I don’t tend to shower in my van (I prefer to shower at the gym) and I have a 58L underslung tank to store grey water. Every 2 weeks I need to empty it. In Europe this is pretty straightforward – there are aires where you can dispose of waste, free of charge. Unfortunately this just isn’t a thing in the UK – we don’t make vanlife easy here! 

In my experience, many campsites will let me empty my grey waste and refill my water tanks for a small fee (typically £5-£10). Some campsites openly advertise this on their websites, but many don’t. Usually I’ll just contact smaller, independent campsites and ask – I find these are much more likely to allow a ‘pit stop’ – or I’ll just rock up and ask nicely, most say ‘yes’.

Each month I budget up to £20 for waste disposal. 

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Monthly Cost of Phone & WiFi: £37 

I’ll openly admit it: this is a financial weakspot for me, and something I could spend less on.  

I currently have two SIM cards on different networks – 3 (£27) and Voxi (£10). I have one SIM in my phone and keep another SIM in my van tracker. I tether to my phone hotspot to access the internet on my laptop. If I don’t have 5G where I’m parked, I’ll swap the SIMs. Most places I can get 5G, or 4G at worst. If I can’t get this, I’ll move. 

N.B. This is a cost I could easily reduce and it’s on my to-do list, but I said I’d be transparent and honest! 

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Monthly Cost of Gym Membership: £30

My gym membership is probably the best £30 I spend each month. Not only does it stop me becoming a sloth, but it’s also where I take a shower and top-up my drinking water. 

I chose an ‘Everyone Active‘ gym because:

• Being a member allows me access to over 200 gyms around the UK.
• Competitive pricing.
• The price includes access to classes.
• No commitment.
• £1 joining fee.

The only downside is that they aren’t open 24/7 like Pure Gym and Anytime Fitness (other favourites that many van lifers use).

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Monthly Cost of Breakdown Cover: £13

I have breakdown cover with Green Flag. I pay annually, and it costs £156.50. This offers a comprehensive level of cover and lots of reassurance if there’s an issue. My cover includes:

• National recovery – if my van can’t be fixed locally the same day, they’ll take me to a destination of my choice anywhere in the UK (or within 10 miles if it’s a tyre issue).
  
• Roadside help – they’ll come and help as long as I am 0.25 miles from ‘home'(!)
  
• Personal cover – it’s me that’s covered, not just my van. If I drive another vehicle and there’s a problem, I’m covered.
  
• Chauffeur service – if I’m away from ‘home’ on my own and I’m declared medically unfit to drive, they’ll arrange for someone to drive me and my van to my destination.
  
• Unlimited callouts.

I chose Green Flag because is doesn’t cost a ton of money to add European cover (from around £80 for multi-trip to cover the whole year) and they have a huge network of call-out technicians. Also, I don’t incur any extra charges because my van is a used camper van – my policy covers any vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes and less than 7 metres long (my LWB VW Crafter is 6.95 metres). 

N.B. So far I’ve called Green Flag twice; both times they’ve been great.

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Monthly Cost of Co-working Office: £200

Because I live in my van full time, the confines of the van can start to feel a bit snug. When this happens I treat myself to a month’s access to a 24/7 co-working space. This costs £200 per month (chargeable to my business).

This is especially good in the winter when I just want hassle-free warmth, water, and laptop charging. Even with a roof full of solar and 3 leisure batteries, I struggle in winter to charge all my devices from my van.

Before I decided to pay for co-work space, I’d to go to McDonald’s or Costa to charge-up, or I’d go for a drive to use my B2B charger to charge my leisure batteries. The cost of buying junk food, coffee, or diesel was adding up…so now I channel this into co-work instead!

This is a totally optional expense.

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Monthly Cost of Miscellaneous Expenses: £30

Campervan owners will tell you that their van is never finished, and they’re right. I’m always tinkering, making changes, or fixing things. There’s always something that needs to be done.

I spend around £30 on random expenses each month. This might be something small like upgrading the latches on my cupboards (don’t rely on magnets folks…seriously, they don’t work), or a bigger investment like my Trusted Housesitters membership (£199 per year). 

I haven’t mentioned Trusted Housesitters yet, that’s for another article… but essentially I undertake petsits. I love animals but don’t have a pet right now, and it’s a great opportunity to sleep in a full-size bed and have a bath. ⭐️ Hit the link above for 25% off annual membership! ⭐️

Any way, point is, it’s good to budget for some random van upgrades and indulgences.

Now that we’ve looked at the monthly costs of vanlife, what about the upfront costs…?

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My Base Van Costs

My van (Manny) is a 2014 Volkswagen Crafter CR35 ST-LN 2.0L TDI BM. He’s long wheelbase and high-top, and had 120,000 miles on the clock when I bought him. Manny was a used fleet van (pharmaceuticals, so nothing too heavy), with no information about service history. He’s essentially a cargo van.

This is my first van and the upfront cost was £10,500. When I bought Manny in November 2020, as an empty van, I was pretty desperate to get started on my build and to get out of houselife. Hence, it was at the height of van prices post-COVID. 

You could definitely find a cheaper like for like van now. And, by holding out and choosing the right van, you might be able to avoid so many maintenance/service fees…but such is life! I wouldn’t change Manny for the world. He’s my ride or die!

If you are just looking for a van to convert, this article will help you avoid campervan scams on Facebook Marketplace etc.

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My Van Build: Van Conversion Costs

When you convert a van, there are a lot of hidden costs and I definitely spent more than I set out to. The cost of my conversion was close to £15,000. If you’re just getting started on your conversion, try to plan as much as you can – it’ll help you stay within your budget.

This article will help if you’d like to know more about how much van conversions cost.

N.B. I have expensive taste and I didn’t scrimp on anything. I’ll detail this in another article soon!

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Money-saving Tips for Vanlife

By living in my van I already save between £350 – £600 per month, compared to when I lived in a house. The main ways to save money once you start to live in a van are to:

• Stick to free parking spots or very basic campsites.
• Minimise fuel consumption – you’ll save more money by topping up fuel regularly rather than driving on a full the tank, for example.
• Plan your meals and always cook in the van.
• Learn how to do essential maintenance and repairs.
• Use the ‘Too Good To Go‘ app to save on food costs
• Allocate ‘pots’ within your bank account to save for repairs and emergencies.

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Conclusion: Navigating the Real Cost to Live in a Campervan

Van life: the allure of adventure, freedom, and the opportunity to save a lot of money beckons, yet the question of ‘how much does van life cost?’ is nuanced, depending on how much you want to travel, where you’ll park, and how ‘mechanically sound’ your van is. 

In my transparent breakdown of costs, I’ve revealed that the amount I typically spend per month is £745 on common monthly van life expenses, with a further £268 on some ‘non-essentials’ (taking the total to £1,013 per month). To be honest, I was surprised to find out just how much it costs to live in a van – I’d assumed it would be less!

When it comes to saving money, there are some costs that are clearly less. Take my ‘gas and electric’ costs, for example. With my solar, LPG tank, and diesel heater I pay £13 per month, compared to £80+ when I lived in a house. This does all come with a hefty price-tag for the kit (over £1,000), but this effectively paid for itself in just over a year.

Then there are clear savings; I don’t pay Council Tax, for example (saving £120 per month). However, there are other costs that have increased, mainly van maintenance. Compared to houselife, I save £350 – £600 per month.

Is Vanlife Cheaper than Houselife? 

While van life undeniably offers potential savings, it may not be the fastest way to save money. By my estimate, if I just paid ‘essential’ costs, I would save £600 per month compared to when I lived in a house (N.B. I used to rent a small 2-bedroom terraced house in rural Devon, so this is my comparison point for rent and bills). 

The key to budgeting for van life lies in understanding the nuances—how frequently you’ll travel, the efficacy of your van setup, and your prior houselife expenses.

Van life is not a one-size-fits-all solution; it depends what your vision for van life is. Either way, it demands strategic financial planning and a keen awareness of personal preferences, before you hit the road!

When people ask me what it’s like to live in a van, I always say:

“There are good van days, and there are bad van days. The good van days are the best days you’ll ever have – far better than any ‘good’ house day. The worst van days are worse. Far, far worse. And the trouble is, you never know which it’s going to be”.

My advice? You need to budget for them all.

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