How Much Does Home Gym Cost? | Creating Workout Experience At Home

Gym memberships can be quite expensive, and for those seeking regular workouts, membership renewal can become quite hefty on the wallet in the long run. 

This may lead some to consider building a gym setup in their home with all the bells and whistles of a traditional gym. But this begs the question: how much would it cost to make a home gym a smart investment? 

Here’s a thorough breakdown of the average home gym cost and how the expenses stack up against monthly gym memberships. 

Indoor Or Outdoor Home Gym Cost

Indoor setups are typically less expensive than outdoor home gym setups, with the former costing anywhere between $3,500 to $25,000. You can opt to set up equipment such as power cages, treadmills, and other training equipment in addition to your workout essentials.

The cost of indoor gym factors in everything you could need in the gym, including labor costs, floor plans, and additional features like a sauna.

In contrast, outdoor gyms can be up to three times as expensive as indoor gyms and make good use of the additional space. An outdoor gym can contain a court for sports like basketball or tennis, along with a swimming pool close to the workout area. All of this, besides the basic home gym equipment, brings the price range from $5,000 to $80,000.

While machines used in indoor gyms can be placed outside, they are designed to remain indoors and away from the elements. The moisture and risk of rust can easily cut the lifespan of your home gym equipment short. This also means that simply having them in an open area with a covered roof isn’t enough to protect them. If you live in a temperate or tropical area, it’s best to keep your workout implements inside at all times.

And lastly, if you’re willing to splurge on an outdoor gym setup, you can transform it into a mini-outdoor recreational park. Gym implements designed specifically for outdoors can be used in your home gym, along with a few choice workout tools such as self-weighted rowers. 

How Much Does Home Gym Cost By Room

Remodeling an existing space is a common way to have your home gym ready to go. You can choose to either do the bare minimum and arrange your home gym equipment immediately or start from scratch and build a home gym from the ground up.

Now, the expenses of building a home gym will fluctuate depending on which room you choose for the purpose. For example, it’s usually more cost-effective to remodel a spare bedroom into a home gym rather than an attic.

Let’s look at a brief overview of how the cost of a home gym varies between different rooms.

1. Spare Bedroom

Modifying a spare bedroom into a gym will require you to spend anywhere between $2,000 and $10,000. The reason for such a large gap between the bare minimum and fully-equipped is the scope of modifications that can be made in a bedroom.

Your home gym setup could involve a complete remodeling of the flooring, and replacing the carpets with natural rubber flooring instead. In addition to this, the bedroom may have enough space to accommodate multiple stations with several indoor gym equipment.

While not ideal for a workout environment, the existing elements of the bedroom can be left in place as is. This can save you quite a bit of money, and the gym can serve as a place of accommodation should a guest drop by unexpectedly.

Remodeling a spare bedroom can be one of the most cost-effective solutions to the home gym dilemma, depending on how intense your workouts will be. After all, it only makes more sense to invest a lot of money if your intense workout schedule becomes a mainstay in your daily routine.

2. Attic 

The attic will require quite a bit of modification to serve as a home gym as it needs a couple of additional layers of flooring. It would leave quite a mess if the flooring couldn’t hold your gym implements, let alone the dangers of neglecting such a thing.

Additionally, your attic will require an easily-accessible set of stairs that are strong enough to help transport all your fitness equipment. This type of modification can become very expensive very quickly, and the space left in your attic after remodeling may not be exceedingly large.

So, if you remodel your attic into a gym, expect the project to set you back by $3,000 to $5,000. And that’s before you bring in any workout stations or equipment. Once you begin adding all the necessary workout implements into the attic, the cost can potentially shoot up into the tens of thousands.

3. Basement

Basements are typically roomy enough for a home gym space. This also means that you have the freedom to customize it as per your requirements, making it comparable to a spare bedroom.

Where basements have a leg up on spare bedrooms is if you have concrete flooring, you won’t need any additional reinforcements for the home gym flooring. Concrete flooring can withstand heavy equipment being dropped without a hitch, so the only addition you need is a layer of rubber flooring. Add a few lights, and you’re ready to start setting up your gym equipment.

One of the main hurdles of setting up a basement home gym is that it can get uncomfortably hot very quickly during workout sessions. You may face issues if your basement isn’t properly ventilated, necessitating the use of dehumidifiers, ventilation ducts, and air conditioning. If you live in tropical or temperate areas, you may want to address this issue on priority.

All in all, a basement conversion project can cost you anywhere from $2,500 and $5,000 without counting any additional gym equipment.

4. Separate Gym Room

Of course, the ideal prospect for any home gym is to have a room made specifically for the purpose. If you have plenty of space for the said room in the backyard, you can just as easily have a new gym room constructed.

The trouble with this is that it is one of the most expensive decisions you can make for a home gym. Creating a structure that is separate from your home and has all the implements necessary for your workout needs is quite demanding on the wallet.

That said, you get your money’s worth, to say the least. Customized home gym lighting, ventilation, and cooling solutions, and equipment that suit the space are just a few of the pros of a separate gym unit.

If you’re a gym enthusiast and aim to continue building your body for a long time, investing in a separate gym room is a no-brainer. As such, you should be prepared to part with tens of thousands of dollars to make the gym room a reality. Putting a number to this range, a fully furnished gym room can cost you from $20,000 to $100,000.

How Installations Affect Home Gym Cost

Once you’ve remodeled a room into a gym or created a new room entirely, it’s time to add equipment and installations to it. Apart from workout essentials, additional installations serve to make your exercise routine more convenient or enjoyable. But not everything is necessary when building a home gym.

The different installations to add to your home gym setup can range from flooring, mirrors, TV screen to additional lighting and air conditioning. Adding some or all of these can increase your expenses by hundreds or even thousands- something that you should consider if you’re on a budget.

1. Flooring 

Flooring can come in at as low of a price as $70 if you don’t particularly need the floor to do more than the bare minimum. The most basic function of a gym floor is to provide your feet with enough grip to not be slippery during workouts.

For quality materials, the home gym cost can shoot up to a couple of thousands, but you certainly get returns for your investment. Higher quality materials offer greater traction, last longer without showing wear and tear, and can withstand the weight of your gym implements.

If you’re looking for optimal results from the flooring in terms of all of these qualities, rubber can serve you well. Coming in various thicknesses and offering great impact resistance and durability, rubber is one of the most popular flooring options. Of course, depending on the quality, you may need to take any amount between $2 and $16 per square foot.

Low-end rubber is generally meant for rooms and areas that don’t require the flooring to be excessively durable. Fieldhouses, educational facilities, and the like can make great use of it, but not the gym. It won’t be long before you begin to see signs of damage on flooring made out of low-quality rubber. And so, it’s usually best to go with a mid-to-high range when it comes to rubber flooring, balancing comfort with effectiveness.

Guidelines for home gyms dictate that a gym setup should at least have 200 square feet of space. Thus, you may need to spend between $400 and $3,200 to cover your gym space with rubber flooring fully.

2. Gym Mirror

The expenses of a gym mirror depend on how large you make it, the material you choose, and its thickness. 

Wall-to-wall gym mirrors are a popular option for home gym setups that make the room look wider while allowing you to track your exercise form. Now, you don’t necessarily need to affix a wall-to-wall mirror, as a floor-to-ceiling mirror can function as a perfectly fine replacement. And if you don’t want to allocate much of the budget to mirrors, a mirror that matches your height can suffice.

As for the material, there are two main options: glass and acrylic. The former provides you with clearer reflections and is standard in most gym setups, while the latter are shatter-proof and can be stylized. 

It’s important to note that glass mirrors are not shatter-proof, meaning that if something strikes the mirror, the shards left behind are sharp and dangerous. The mere act of cleaning up can become problematic in such instances, as pieces of glass can easily cut through the skin.

In contrast, acrylic mirrors have a ‘cleaner’ shatter, which leads to glass shards that don’t pose any threat to your safety. However, they have a caveat of their own in that they are thinner, have lower-quality reflections, and can flex.

All things considered, a gym mirror can cost you $125 at the very least, not counting installation charges. Gym mirror installations can set you back another $100, which also fluctuates depending on its size and material.

3. Gym Lighting

Most people favor natural lighting over electrical ones, but you’re going to need a few recessed lights installed anyways. Working out in the moonlight sounds great in theory but completely impractical in reality!

You can install lighting at your discretion as long as they are enough to light up the room well. However, there are a couple of rules of thumb that you should stick to while installing new lights, such as the heat they produce and ergonomics. Overhang lights are fine so long as they don’t get in the way of you or your gym implements.

If you opt for four to six recessed lights, it will cost you from $800 to $2000. Adding extra lighting instruments like dimmers and ambient lights will further increase the bill, but those are optional for workouts.

4. Gym TV

Gym TVs can break the monotony of long workout sessions or provide useful tips by way of tutorials. A gym TV needs to be viewed from the farthest piece of gym equipment and as such, it should be appropriately sized and positioned.

Thus, a typical gym TV is sized at about 40 to 60 inches, which cab set you back by as little as $750 or as high as $5,450. Be sure to place it in a way that allows you to adjust its angle easily when needed.

5. Air Conditioning

If your workout area doesn’t have proper ventilation or air conditioning, the room can become uncomfortably hot very quickly. For smaller areas, you can get away with using a smaller AC unit, but you;d need a more powerful unit for larger areas.

Size aside, you can choose between ductless and central air conditioning as per your requirements. Additionally, you have the option of more premium cooling units that use geothermal elements. Geothermal heating systems are highly effective, although they may not be the best option if you live in warmer areas.

How Much Does Home Gym Equipment Cost

Different workout routines demand the use of different pieces of equipment. This is to say, if you’re only performing pilates, you won’t have to make a major investment in calisthenics. This can have a large impact on the budget you allocate for a home gym, as some exercise implements are inherently more expensive.

Let’s look at each exercise type and find out how much money you’ll need to invest in building a complete workout environment.

1. Equipment For Yoga

Yoga is the simplest of all exercise routines when it comes to gym instruments. A yoga home gym can include yoga straps, blocks, and a mat, making it one of the more cost-effective exercise routines.

A. Yoga Mat

A bare-bones yoga gym setup can be limited to a yoga mat, which ranges from $20 to $130. The price differential between low and high-end mats arises because of the quality of the materials and the cushioning they provide. 

A good mat can readily absorb sweat and reduce the chances of slipping off while being easy to clean. Even for more advanced training setups, a yoga mat is a good place to begin setting up your gym equipment.

B. Yoga Straps

Next, if you want to train your body for flexibility, you’ll need yoga straps. This won’t cost much, with the highest quality yoga straps being about $30 at most. High-quality yoga straps need to be flexible and hold your position while you stretch or position yourself.

C. Yoga Blocks

Stability plays a massive part in a yoga-centric exercise routine, something that a yoga block can help you with. The main role of a yoga block is to steady your positioning and reach when used as a prop. 

You can find blocks of both cork and foam varieties on the market, and their price varies based on material quality and softness. A pair of yoga blocks can cost up to $40 and can help you get going with your yoga routine.

2. Equipment For Pilates

Pilates is the exercise of the body as well as the mind, and so it requires a few extra pieces of workout implements. Regulating your body weight through pilates can be made easier with a fully-equipped pilates home gym.

A typical pilates home gym includes an exercise mat, a stability ball, a TRX kit, and a set of dumbbells.

A. Exercise Mat

Much like yoga mats, exercise mats have moisture-wicking and anti-slip properties while providing ample cushioning while you exercise. This is vital to increasing your grip on the floor and reducing the strain on your joints while kneeling or lying down.

There is a large overlap between yoga mats and exercise mats, so you can choose to use them interchangeably. This makes the price range of an exercise mat between $10 and $130.

B. Dumbbell Sets

Dumbbells are one of the most varied pieces of kit in a gym, which expands their price range beyond other common workout implements. And there are five types of dumbbells: adjustable, round, fixed, studio and hex.

Needless to say, some are quite a bit more expensive than others. The most premium brand adjustable dumbbells can cost as much as $450, while the more basic models may not even set you back by $25. The type of dumbbells you choose will depend on the kind of exercise routine you aim to follow.

C. Stability Balls

Stability balls are those inflatable balls that you see on TV every now and then, and they serve as great workout tools for your back. Your abdomen and back muscles will thank you if you use a stability ball to strengthen them.

The more expensive balls may be priced at around $100, offering slip resistance and durability in return. On the other hand, some of the less-premium balls are not quite as durable and are priced at about $15.

D. TRX Kits

TRX kits are designed to facilitate total-body resistance exercise that allows you to perform suspension training. These kits enable you to cover all bases as far as cardio and strength training is concerned.

A typical TRX kit consists of adjustable straps with handles and loops that hang from a pull-up bar or a similar device to suspend them.

The main differentiators in kit pricing are the handle material, the number of adjustable buckles, the ease of using these buckles, extenders, and weight capacity. So, if you’re looking at the most premium TRX kits on the market, they can go as high as $350 or even $400.

On the other hand, a basic kit barely costs anything and can get the job done regardless. As such, basic kits can be purchased for $25.

2. Equipment For Calisthenics

Calisthenics matches yoga in being one of the most cost-effective gym setups you can find, as these exercises leverage your body weight during the workout. So, the gym equipment setup is fairly minimal, with a few choice implements that can enhance your calisthenics routine even further.

A standard calisthenics setup consists of an ab wheel, a set of calisthenics rings, pull-up bars, an ab mat, and speed ropes.

A. Calisthenics Rings

Calisthenics rings are an essential part of any gymnast’s workout routine, allowing them to perform various bodyweight exercises and gymnastic moves. These rings need to be able to support the weight of the user well, which makes it critical to choose those made from high-quality materials.

The rings themselves are typically made from hard plastic or wood, while the cam-buckle straps offer some flexibility while being highly durable. Both of these play into the pricing of the ring set, which can be between $30 and $150.

B. Pull-Up Bars

Pull-up bars are typically used to suspend calisthenics rings, in addition to facilitating exercises like pull-ups and chin-ups. Naturally, these bars need to be extremely durable to be able to handle various body weights and all the force that comes with calisthenics exercises.

Premium pull-up bars may come with support for different hand grip positions, use heavy-duty steel in their framework, and an easy installation via screws. Such bars can be found on the market for as high as $500.

For a more budget option that is strong enough to handle your weight but doesn't have other premium options, you can find pull-up bars that cost around $40.

C. Speed Rope

A speed rope, or a skipping rope, is a quintessential part of calisthenics, designed to be used indoors or outdoors in a speedy fashion. Good-quality speed ropes are lightweight and have grooves in their handles for the user to maintain a proper grip.

The price range for speed ropes is between $10 and $130, which varies with strap and handle material.

D. Ab Mat

Unlike yoga or exercise mats, ab mats are created specifically to flex the spine and have a curve to them. These work when you flex your abdominal muscles by bending over backward over them and trying to pull up.

Where yoga mats and ab mats do overlap is their pricing, as thicker and denser materials make the mat more expensive. And since you’ll want maximum support from your ab mat, it’s best to invest in a mid to high-range mat.

At most, an ab mat will cost you $50, making them quite a bit cheaper than yoga or exercise mats.

E. Ab Wheel

Ab wheels provide your abdominal muscles with strength training and are one of the most popular exercising implements for a calisthenics-centric workout regime. You can use these by gripping the wheel and pushing it away while on your knees.

Owing to the simplicity of the wheel, you won’t have to spend too much money on your ab training. The most premium ab wheels range from $50 to $70, which is generally cheaper than most other workout tools.

3. Equipment For Weightlifting

Lifting weights is likely the first thing you picture when exercising is brought up. And so, you’ll find plenty of variety in workout implements to choose from, bringing you fitness solutions that cater to all budgets.

Many of the traditional workout implements you see can be replaced with low-cost alternatives without sacrificing the quality of your training. And if you’re targeting a specific muscle group, you can choose to allocate more of the budget towards a particular set of weights.

A typical weightlifting-focused gym will have squat racks, barbells, weight plates, barbell spring clips, kettlebells and a gym bench, to name a few.

A. Squat Racks

A squat rack is primarily meant to stow away your barbells and plates safely and securely without any fuss to speak of. You can shift the bars up and down as per your requirement and place it onto the squat rack without much effort.

There are plenty of premium models available for squat racks that come with a pulldown attachment and other accessories to simplify your storage needs. But these features don’t come in an affordable package, with the most expensive models being around the $1800-$2000 range.

If you’re not in the mood to splurge on a squat rack, you can pick one up for about $400 that will work perfectly fine.

B. Barbells

A barbell can be described as a dumbbell that has a longer bar and a higher weight load. For strength training, barbells can be an irreplaceable part of your exercising arsenal, facilitating exercises such as deadlifts, squats, and bench presses.

Without weight plates, a barbell is just a metal rod. Naturally, they’re an essential part of any strength training and an inseparable component of barbells. But you needn’t limit these plates to a barbell, as they can be used separately for exercising as well.

The plates on either end of the barbells can be swapped out at will, giving you complete control over how much weight you want to lift. Depending on the type of training you perform, these weights can vary quite a bit. It’s generally a good practice to consult a gym trainer on how much weight you should be lifting based on your body type.

The more weight plates you add to your collection, the greater the cost will be. You can find them sold separately, starting at around $40 for a pair of 10-pound plates. The price only increases with the weight of these plates, peaking at $300 for a pair of 55-pound plates.

Additionally, you will need barbell spring clips to hold the plates on the ends of the barbell without slipping off. These may come in a set that are specific to the barbell model, which is why it’s usually best to purchase them together. You can find spring clips for about $10 to $40 per set.

With everything in mind, the price of a barbell can be somewhere between $50 and $800, giving you plenty of room to budget your purchase well.

C. Kettlebells

Kettlebells are named as such due to their resemblance to a cannonball with a handle attached to the top of it. Typically made from cast iron or steel, kettlebells are used in a variety of strength training exercises, as well as cardio workouts. I could even argue that they can be better at exercises that demand functional movements than dumbbells!

While they match lower-end dumbbells in terms of price, kettlebells have a leg up over them in the high-cost range. Premium kettlebells are often priced around $250 to $300, which is significantly cheaper than premium dumbbells of a similar range.

D. Gym Bench

A sturdy bench is all but essential for bench pressing and a functional tool for callisthenic workouts. Combined with barbells and dumbbells, a gym bench can help you maximize your strength gains.

Gym benches come in a variety of models that cater to various needs, with differentiating points such as bench inclination, mobility, and more. Needless to say, a premium gym bench can be quite expensive, with prices approaching a thousand dollars for such models.

That said, as long as the bench is sturdy enough to handle the barbells and dumbbells, you can go for a significantly more affordable bench. Low-end gym benches can be purchased for about $100.

4. Equipment For Cardio Workout

If your workout routine doesn’t involve cardio heavily, you can skip out on including an extensive kit for cardio workouts. There are plenty of cardio exercises that can be done without any external aid, after all. 

That said, there are plenty of tools designed specifically for cardio exercises which can be particularly invaluable if you’re going for an athletic build.

Cardio equipment is usually used indoors, with most tools designed to be used and stored with ease. These include skipping ropes, battle ropes, rowing machines, elliptical machines, stationary bicycles, treadmills, heavy bags, and plyo boxes.

A. Battle Ropes

Battle ropes have a simple premise: you attach the ropes to a sturdy bar or object and move their ends in a wave-like motion. The act of moving them in such a fashion is taxing on your muscles, which leads to plenty of benefits for your body.

You’ll be looking at three factors when choosing battle ropes, which also contribute to their price: the material, the length, and the thickness. One of the best possible combinations for battle ropes with each of these factors in mind is a Poly Dacron rope that is 50 feet long and 1.5 inches thick.

On average, this will cost you about $250 to $300, while battle ropes in the lower range can cost as little as $50.

B. Rowing Machine

A rowing machine provides you with a low-impact workout with a great exercise experience. Indoor rowing machines can have one or more resistance types, with the most common being water, air, and magnets.

Combined with sliding seats and space-saving design, you can find a high-end rowing machine for $3,000, while a basic version will only cost about $200.

C. Elliptical Machine

Elliptical machines offer a full-body cardio workout by having you move a set of pedals while simultaneously requiring you to operate a pair of levers. This puts several muscle groups in your body into action, offering a high-quality cardio workout experience.

These are highly customizable, offering different levels of resistance and mechanisms, which leans into their wide price range. On average, they can be purchased for $120 to $4,500, depending on size and functionality.

D. Stationary Bicycle

Gym bikes work on the same premise as ordinary bicycles, giving you a similar workout from the comfort of your gym. Much like elliptical machines, you can find several additional features that can enhance your workout experience. At the same time, these features add a lot to the price of the machines.

You can get a basic stationary bicycle for $200. And features like touch screens, the ability to lean back, fans, and resistance wheels can push this amount up to $4000.

E. Treadmills

Treadmills are an essential part of a cardio workout, and they are based on a premise similar to long-distance running. Walking or running on treadmills is usually a better option for those who want to maximize their running distance without being physically away.

You can find treadmills with a suite of features that offer settings for inclines, speeds, preset courses, and touch screen interactivity. Some models allow you to set goals for exercise that help you hit the target more consistently.

As a result, you can purchase treadmills for an amount between $300 and $8,000.

The Cost Of A Cross-Training Home Gym Setup

Many people like to set up a functional training gym that contains elements from all the training types mentioned earlier. This type of setup creates a balanced workout routine that puts each muscle group in your body into action.

Of course, since a cross-training gym contains some of everything, it may either barely cost you anything or burn a hole in your pocket. If your gym contains just a yoga mat, you won’t be spending a dime above $10.

But let’s assume you include each piece of gym equipment mentioned earlier for a complete workout. The total cost of the most basic versions of these tools would be around the range of $1,200 to $1,900. A premium cross-training setup would land you in the ballpark of $18,000 to $20,000. 

This can fluctuate depending on how many sets of implements and workout plates you choose, and their weight as well.

Gym Membership Costs Vs Home Gym Costs

No matter how you slice it, gym memberships will never be as cost-effective as a home gym if you’re looking for a long-term workout commitment. Typical gym memberships require monthly payments which can rack up over a long time, contrasting heavily with the one-time investment that is a home gym.

According to a survey conducted in 2021, the average home gym costs about $3,141, equipment and room remodeling included. You will have spent the same on a five-year-long gym membership and the longer the membership continues, the more it will end up costing you. Within 10 years of starting the gym membership, you will have spent double the amount required to build a home gym.

The cost of a commercial gym membership only increases with how premium the setup is. Cheaper options often come without a squat rack area, offering a relatively less safe alternative. Commuting, safety and scheduling can make a commercial gym membership difficult to manage in the long run.

There are only a few instances that make a gym membership better than a home gym, such as a short-term workout commitment. Otherwise, it’s near-universally better to build your own home gym setup.

How Much Does Home Gym Cost Conclusion

Building a home gym may seem expensive, but if you’re planning on continuing an exercise routine for years to come, it’s a worthwhile investment.

As a long-term investment, you can’t go wrong with a home gym. Gym memberships can become expensive over a similar period of time, and constraints like queuing and commute costs can become a hindrance to your routine.

A healthy hobby starts at home, and you can begin one by creating a basic gym for yourself. It’s always best to take it slow and buy gym equipment step-by-step until you’re ready to progress.

Home gyms have that personal touch, allowing you to progress at your own pace, and that alone makes them worth your time and money!