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StarCostUnofficial Starlink cost calculator

Unofficial · US list-price estimates · 2026-09-01

Starlink cost calculator

Estimate month-1 cash out the door and first-year total cost of ownership for US Starlink Residential and Roam plans. Toggle 3-year TCO, a demand surcharge, optional install, tax, and dish electricity. These are unofficial estimates — always verify the live cart on starlink.com.

Estimate your Starlink cost

Client-side US presets dated 2026-09-01. Change any input — the URL updates so you can share it. Verify on starlink.com.

Calculator inputs

Plan family

One-time purchase estimate for the Standard kit.

Address-specific demand / congestion surcharge. Enter what checkout shows for your address (often $0–$1,500). Roam typically avoids a fixed-address surcharge — verify on starlink.com.

Optional professional installation. Public US figures are often around $199 where offered; sometimes bundled on higher tiers. Leave $0 for self-install.

Optional combined tax rate applied to hardware + service + surcharge + install. Electricity is not taxed in this model. Default 0% — add your state/local rate if you want a loaded estimate.

Months of service for TCO

Optional. Starlink dishes often draw roughly 30–75 W depending on kit, temperature, and activity. Converted to a monthly $ using your $/kWh. Collapsed by default because it is small versus hardware and service.

Direct answer

Unofficial estimate: Residential 100 at $55/mo with Standard kit — buy with no demand surcharge modeled costs about $404 in month 1 and about $1,009 in first-year TCO. Verify live pricing on starlink.com — StarCost is not affiliated with SpaceX or Starlink.

Month-1
$404
Hardware + first month + fees
Year-1 TCO
$1,009
12 months of service
Month-1 breakdown
Hardware
$349
Service
$55
Demand surcharge
$0
Install
$0
Tax
$0
Electricity
$0
Total
$404
Year-1 breakdown
Hardware
$349
Service
$660
Demand surcharge
$0
Install
$0
Tax
$0
Electricity
$0
Total
$1,009

How these formulas work — sources, tax treatment, and the unofficial disclaimer.

Residential vs Roam break-even

Same hardware, install, tax, and electricity. Surcharge is applied to Residential only — Roam is modeled at $0 surcharge because it typically avoids a fixed-address fee. Surcharge math.

Residential 100

Month-1
$404
Year-1
$1,009
Monthly service
$55

Roam 100GB

Month-1
$404
Year-1
$1,009
Monthly service
$55

The two families tie at this horizon in this model.

Monthly rates are equal or Roam is cheaper ($55 vs $55). Any Residential surcharge makes Roam win from month 1 in this comparison.

Month-1
$404
Year-1 TCO
$1,009

Quick answers

How much does Starlink cost the first month?

Month-1 is hardware (buy the kit or pay the first rental month) plus the first month of service, plus any demand surcharge and optional professional installation, then optional tax. With StarCost’s default US presets — Standard kit $349 buy and Residential 100 at $55/mo, $0 surcharge, $0 install, $0 tax — month-1 is about $404. Your checkout on starlink.com can differ.

What is Starlink first-year TCO?

First-year total cost of ownership (TCO) is hardware for the year (the kit purchase, or 12 × monthly rent) plus 12 × the monthly plan, plus one-time surcharge and install, plus optional tax and optional dish electricity. Defaults: $349 + 12 × $55 = $1,009 before tax, surcharge, or install. StarCost does not include shipping or accessories unless you add them as install.

Does the Starlink demand surcharge apply to Roam?

The surcharge is address-specific and typically appears on Residential checkout in congested cells. Roam usually does not require a fixed service address, so it typically avoids that surcharge — that is the comparison StarCost models. Some third-party reports say a surcharge can still appear in certain Roam activations. Treat $0 as the Roam default and verify the live cart.

Is StarCost affiliated with Starlink or SpaceX?

No. StarCost is an unofficial, independent calculator. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by SpaceX or Starlink. Always confirm prices, availability, and terms on starlink.com.

More detail lives in the full FAQ and methodology.