First-year TCO · estimates as of 2026-09-01
Starlink first-year cost
Direct answer
Year-1 Starlink TCO is hardware plus twelve months of service — not the advertised monthly rate. With unofficial US defaults (Standard kit bought at $349, Residential 100 at $55/mo, no surcharge, install, or tax), first-year TCO is about $1,009 and month-1 is about $404. Renting that Standard kit at $10/mo instead of buying cuts year-1 hardware from $349 to $120, so year-1 TCO falls to about $780; buying typically wins if you keep the dish about three years ($10 × 35 ≈ $350). Verify the live cart on starlink.com — StarCost is unofficial and not affiliated with SpaceX or Starlink.
What first-year TCO includes
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. Shipping, mounts, and cable extras are not in the presets — fold them into install if you care.
Buy the Standard kit vs rent it
Buying at $349 front-loads hardware; renting at about $10/mo keeps month-1 lower and year-1 hardware at $120. The two paths are roughly even after 35 rental months. Renting is the better unofficial estimate if you might cancel in year 1 or 2, or if your address offers $0 promotional rent. Mini kits are purchase-only here ($199).
Month-1 cash vs the twelve-month view
Month-1 is the kit (or the first rental month) plus the first service invoice and any one-time fees. First-year TCO repeats service eleven more times and, if you rent, eleven more rental months. Use 12 months in the calculator below (the default). Flip to 36 months when you want a 3-year view of the same inputs.
What this estimate leaves out
StarCost does not look up your address, so it cannot see promotions, shipping, or a surcharge that only appears at checkout. Pause fees, in-motion and maritime products, and accessory SKUs are out of scope. Treat every dollar as an unofficial US list-price estimate dated 2026-09-01.
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.
| Horizon | Residential 100 | Roam 100GB |
|---|---|---|
| Month-1 | $404 | $404 |
| Year-1 | $1,009 | $1,009 |
| Monthly service | $55 | $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.