How Much Does an Infrared Sauna Cost Per Month?

Most home infrared saunas cost only a few dollars a month to run. For light use, around three sessions a week, expect roughly 2.50 to 6 dollars per month in electricity. Daily use in a higher-rate state still lands around 10 to 12 dollars per month. Infrared saunas are cheaper to operate than traditional saunas because they draw only about 1 to 3 kilowatt hours per hour and heat your body directly instead of heating a whole room of air.

Looking at the purchase price rather than the power bill? See our infrared sauna cost guide for prices by size, installation and long-term value.

The short answer

The monthly cost of an infrared sauna depends on three things: how often you use it, your session length, and your local electricity rate. A typical home infrared sauna uses about 1 to 3 kilowatt hours per hour. At the US average residential rate of roughly 18 cents per kilowatt hour, a single 30 to 45 minute session costs about 0.20 to 0.40 dollars. Multiply that out and light use of three sessions a week comes to about 2.50 to 6 dollars a month. Regular use of a two-person model averages about 5 to 7 dollars a month. Even daily use in a high-rate state like California stays near 10 to 12 dollars a month. Those numbers make the running cost of an infrared sauna one of the smallest parts of ownership; the purchase price matters far more than the monthly bill.

How is the monthly cost calculated?

The math is simple. Take your sauna's power draw in kilowatts, multiply by hours of use, then multiply by your electricity rate. Most home infrared cabins pull 1.5 to 3 kilowatts. A 45 minute session at 1.6 kilowatts uses about 1.2 kilowatt hours. At 18 cents per kilowatt hour that session costs about 0.22 dollars.

The national figure to plug in is the US Energy Information Administration average residential price, which sits near 18 cents per kilowatt hour in 2026 (U.S. EIA). Your state rate may be lower in the South and Midwest or higher in the Northeast and California, so adjust accordingly. Treat any single figure as an estimate, since wattage and rates vary.

What does it cost at different usage levels?

Usage	Sessions per month	Estimated monthly cost
Light	About 12, or 3 per week	2.50 to 6 dollars
Regular	About 20	5 to 7 dollars
Daily	About 30	8 to 12 dollars

These ranges assume a one to two person cabin at the national average rate. Larger cabins with more or higher-wattage panels sit toward the top of each range, and high-rate states push the daily number to around 12 dollars. The cost per session generally stays between 0.20 and 0.40 dollars across all of these.

What affects how much you pay each month?

Several factors move the number up or down. Your location matters most, because electricity rates vary widely by state. Cabin size and heater wattage come next; a four-person cabin draws more than a one-person unit. Session length and frequency obviously scale the bill. Insulation quality also plays a role, since a well-insulated cabin holds heat and spends less energy maintaining temperature.

You can trim costs without trimming sessions. Running the sauna during off-peak hours where time-of-use pricing applies, choosing a sensible temperature rather than the maximum, and keeping the door closed during heat-up all help. For a fuller picture of what a sauna adds to your power bill, the Cleveland Clinic overview of infrared saunas covers how they work, and our infrared saunas collection lists the panel and wattage details that drive consumption.

How does infrared compare to a traditional sauna?

Infrared is the cheaper of the two to run. A traditional electric sauna heats a full room of air to 150 to 195 degrees and uses a higher-wattage stove, so it draws more power per session, especially during a longer heat-up. Infrared warms your body directly at 110 to 135 degrees, reaches usable temperature faster, and uses less energy overall. If keeping the monthly bill low is a priority, infrared has the edge, though a traditional sauna or a hybrid sauna may still be the right call if you want hotter, humid sessions. Either way, the operating cost difference is measured in single-digit dollars per month, not hundreds.

Does a red light sauna cost more per month to run?

Not by much. A red light sauna is an infrared cabin with added red and near infrared LEDs, so most of the electricity still goes to the far infrared heaters, and the monthly math above applies. Check the wattage listed on the product page of the model you are considering and plug it into the formula. The bigger difference is the purchase price, which is higher than a standard far infrared cabin. For the full price breakdown, see how much a red light sauna costs, browse our saunas with red light therapy, or read how a full spectrum sauna compares with far infrared. If you are only after a light routine, a standalone device from our red light therapy collection uses less power than a sauna cabin. This is general wellness information, not medical advice.

Is the monthly cost a reason to buy or skip an infrared sauna?

The running cost should rarely be the deciding factor. At a few dollars a month, electricity is a rounding error next to the purchase price. If you are weighing a pricier cabin, our breakdown of whether a full spectrum sauna is worth the extra cost compares the upgrade head to head. The more meaningful comparison is against what you spend on sauna sessions elsewhere. A handful of spa or studio visits can cost more in a single month than a year of running a home unit. For buyers weighing the full investment, a home sauna is not automatically eligible for pretax health dollars, but it can be paid for with HSA or FSA funds where a licensed provider issues a Letter of Medical Necessity and your plan administrator approves it, and financing can spread the upfront cost over time.

Health and safety note

Infrared saunas are generally well tolerated by healthy adults, and regular sauna use has been linked with cardiovascular and other benefits in a 2018 Mayo Clinic Proceedings review, though those are associations rather than proof of cause (Mayo Clinic Proceedings). Hydrate before and after sessions. If you are pregnant, have heart disease, or take medication that affects how your body handles heat, check with your clinician before starting a routine.

How much does running cost vary by state?

Your electricity rate is the single biggest reason two people pay different amounts to run the same sauna. In low-rate states across the South and Midwest, where power can sit near 12 to 14 cents per kilowatt hour, light use of an infrared sauna often costs only about 2 to 4 dollars a month. In higher-rate states like California, Massachusetts, or Connecticut, where rates can reach 30 cents or more per kilowatt hour, that same usage can run 6 to 10 dollars a month, and daily use can approach 15 dollars. To estimate your own number, find your rate on a recent utility bill and multiply it by the kilowatt hours your sessions use. Our infrared saunas list panel wattage on each product page, and the sauna buying guide walks through matching a cabin to your space and budget.

What does a sauna blanket or portable model cost to run?

Smaller units cost even less to operate. An infrared sauna blanket typically draws around 0.6 to 1 kilowatt, so a 45 minute session uses well under 1 kilowatt hour and costs roughly 0.10 to 0.20 dollars, often just 1 to 3 dollars a month with regular use. A one-person portable cabin sits a little higher but still well below a full four-person model. If keeping both the purchase price and the running cost low is the priority, browse our portable infrared saunas and portable saunas, which are the most budget-friendly way to start a home routine.

Related reading: How Much Does an Infrared Sauna Cost Per Session? · Can You Finance a Sauna?

Frequently asked questions

Do infrared saunas use a lot of electricity? No. Most home models draw about 1 to 3 kilowatt hours per hour, less than many household appliances. A typical session costs around 0.20 to 0.40 dollars, so even regular use adds only a few dollars to your monthly bill.

Is it cheaper to run an infrared or a traditional sauna? Infrared is cheaper. It warms your body directly at a lower temperature and heats up faster, while a traditional sauna heats a whole room with a higher-wattage stove and uses more energy per session.

How can I lower my infrared sauna running costs? Use off-peak hours if your utility offers time-of-use pricing, run a moderate temperature instead of the maximum, keep sessions to a sensible length, and choose a well-insulated cabin that holds heat efficiently.

Will an infrared sauna raise my electric bill a lot? No. For most homes the increase is only a few dollars a month, similar to running a small appliance a few times a week. Even daily use in a high-rate state rarely adds more than about 12 to 15 dollars to the bill.

How much does it cost to run an infrared sauna per session? A typical 30 to 45 minute session costs about 0.20 to 0.40 dollars at the US average electricity rate. A sauna blanket or one-person unit costs even less, often under 0.20 dollars per session.

Does a bigger sauna cost much more per month? Somewhat. A four-person cabin has more panels and higher wattage than a one or two-person model, so it uses more energy per session. The difference is usually a few dollars a month rather than a large jump.

Does a red light sauna cost more to run than a regular infrared sauna? Only slightly in most cases, because the far infrared heaters still do most of the work. Check the wattage on the model's product page, use the formula above, and see our red light sauna cost guide for purchase prices.

The bottom line

An infrared sauna is inexpensive to run, usually a few dollars a month and rarely more than about 12 even with daily use in a high-rate state. Let the purchase price and the cabin quality guide your decision, not the power bill. When you are ready, browse our infrared saunas and use the sauna buying guide to match a cabin to your space. We include real human support, so contact us with any questions.