What an Infrared Sauna Actually Costs to Run Each Month

A two-person infrared sauna typically costs between $1 and $10 a month in electricity, depending on how often you use it. Occasional use, once or twice a week, lands near the low end of that range, while daily sessions push closer to $10. That’s a modest number compared to what most people assume before they run the math, largely because infrared panels draw far less power than a traditional electric sauna heater.

How Do You Actually Calculate the Cost?

The formula is simple: panel wattage in kilowatts, multiplied by hours of use per month, multiplied by your utility’s rate per kilowatt-hour. Most two-person infrared cabins draw around 1.5 kW. If you use it for a 30-minute session three times a week, that’s roughly 6 hours a month, which at a national average rate near 15 cents per kilowatt-hour comes out to about $1.35 a month. Bump that up to a 45-minute daily session, roughly 22.5 hours a month, and the cost climbs to around $5. Your actual utility rate matters here more than anything else: rates vary widely by region, and if you’re on a higher-cost utility, adjust the math accordingly using the rate printed on your most recent bill.

How Does This Compare to a Traditional Electric Sauna?

A traditional electric sauna heater typically draws 6 to 9 kW to heat both the cabin air and the stones to the higher 170 to 195 degree range that style of sauna runs at. Even though traditional sessions tend to be shorter, often 15 to 20 minutes versus 30 to 45 for infrared, the wattage gap is large enough that per-session electricity cost still usually favors infrared. A traditional session might cost 50 cents to over a dollar in electricity, compared to 15 to 30 cents for an infrared session of similar or even longer duration. Over a month of regular use, that difference adds up to a meaningfully lower electric bill for infrared owners.

Does Usage Frequency Change the Math Much?

Yes, and it’s worth mapping out your realistic usage pattern before assuming a number. Someone using their cabin twice a week is looking at roughly $1 to $2 a month. Someone using it four or five times a week lands closer to $3 to $6. Genuine daily use pushes toward the $5 to $10 range. None of these numbers are large in absolute terms, especially compared to a gym membership, a massage subscription, or a hot tub’s monthly running cost, which typically involves both heating and filtration pumps running continuously rather than only during active sessions. If cost per use is a factor in your decision, infrared compares favorably to most comparable wellness routines once you look at the actual monthly number rather than assuming it based on how much heat the cabin puts out.

Are There Costs Beyond Electricity?

Monthly running costs stay close to just electricity, since infrared cabins don’t use water, chemicals, or a filtration system the way a hot tub or cold plunge does. The costs that do eventually show up are less frequent: occasional cleaning supplies for wiping down the interior, and, further down the line, a possible panel replacement if one underperforms after the warranty period ends. Panel warranties on quality cabins typically run 3 to 5 years or more, so this isn’t a monthly line item for most owners, more something to budget for occasionally over a decade of ownership. If you’re comparing cabins specifically on expected longevity and what that means for long-term costs, it’s worth checking panel specs and warranty terms across a few current listings, such as what’s available through SweatDecks infrared saunas, before settling on a model.

Is the Monthly Cost Worth It?

For most households, the electricity cost of running an infrared sauna is small enough that it doesn’t factor heavily into the buying decision one way or the other. The bigger cost consideration is almost always the upfront purchase price, typically $2,500 to $4,500 for a quality two-person unit, plus any pad prep for the installation site. Once that’s paid for, the monthly running cost is closer to a rounding error on most utility bills than a meaningful recurring expense, which is part of why infrared has become a popular category for people who want a regular wellness routine without an ongoing subscription-style cost attached to it.

How Does the Cost Compare to Other Wellness Routines?

It helps to put the number next to something familiar. A basic gym membership commonly runs $30 to $60 a month, a single massage session can cost more than a full year of daily infrared sauna electricity, and a hot tub’s monthly running cost, which includes both a continuously cycling heater and a filtration pump, is typically many times higher than a sauna’s occasional-use draw. None of this makes an infrared cabin free, since the upfront purchase is the real cost to plan for, but once it’s paid off, the ongoing expense to actually use it regularly is unusually low compared to most other at-home wellness equipment, which is worth factoring in if you’re weighing a sauna against a different recurring expense entirely.

Seasonal use changes the math a little too. Someone who uses their cabin heavily through fall and winter and lightly in peak summer heat will see monthly electricity costs shift accordingly, generally still within the same $1 to $10 range unless usage jumps well beyond daily. Tracking your actual kilowatt-hour rate for a month or two after installation, using a plug-in watt meter if you want precise numbers rather than an estimate, is the most accurate way to know your real cost rather than relying on averages from an article like this one.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to run an infrared sauna once a week?

At roughly 15 to 30 cents per session, weekly use costs about 60 cents to $1.30 a month in electricity.

How much does daily infrared sauna use cost per month?

Daily use typically works out to roughly $5 to $10 a month, depending on session length and your local utility rate.

Does an infrared sauna cost less to run than a traditional sauna?

Generally yes. Infrared draws around 1.5 kW compared to 6 to 9 kW for a traditional electric heater, so per-session cost is usually lower.

Are there other monthly costs beyond electricity for an infrared sauna?

Costs stay minimal: occasional cleaning supplies and, eventually, a possible panel replacement outside warranty. No water or filtration cost is involved.

How can I estimate my own infrared sauna’s monthly electricity cost?

Multiply panel wattage in kilowatts by monthly hours of use, then by your utility rate per kilowatt-hour, which is listed on your bill.

References

• “Cardiovascular and Other Health Benefits of Sauna Bathing: A Review of the Evidence.” Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2018. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30077204/
• “Clinical Effects of Regular Dry Sauna Bathing: A Systematic Review.” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2018. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29849692/
• “Benefits and risks of sauna bathing.” The American Journal of Medicine, 2001. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11165553/

By Ashley Petrenko