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StarCostUnofficial Starlink cost calculator

First-year TCO · estimates as of 2026-09-01

Starlink first-year cost

Starlink’s advertised monthly rate is not the first-year bill. Year-1 TCO adds hardware (buy the kit once, or pay rent for 12 months), twelve service invoices, any one-time demand surcharge, optional professional installation, and tax if you model it.

With StarCost’s default US presets — Standard kit bought at $349 and Residential 100 at $55/mo, no surcharge, no install, no tax — first-year TCO is $1,009 and month-1 is $404. Renting the Standard kit at $10/mo instead of buying raises year-1 hardware from $349 to $120, so year-1 TCO falls unless you keep the dish for years.

Use 12 months below (the default). Flip to 36 months when you want a 3-year view of the same inputs. Shipping, mounts, and cable extras are not in the presets — fold them into install if you care.

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

First-year cost questions

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.

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.

Should I buy or rent the Standard kit?

Buying the Standard kit at $349 is $0 more after 35 months of $10 rent ($10 × 35 = $350). If you keep service about three years or longer, buying usually wins in this model. Renting can win if you might cancel early, or if your address offers $0 promotional rent. Mini kits are modeled as purchase-only.

Does StarCost include sales tax?

Not unless you enter a tax percent. The default is 0%. When set, the rate applies to hardware + service + surcharge + install for the period. Dish electricity is not taxed in this model. State and local rules vary — this is a convenience overlay, not tax advice.

How much electricity does a Starlink dish use?

Public owner reports cluster around 30–75 W depending on kit and conditions. StarCost’s advanced toggle converts watts × 24 h × 30.44 days × your $/kWh. At 50 W and $0.16/kWh that is only about $6/mo — usually small versus hardware and service, which is why it stays collapsed.

More detail lives in the full FAQ and methodology.