How much does it cost to open a recovery studio?

Equipment-heavy recovery studios often run $150,000–$500,000+ depending on modality mix — cryotherapy chambers and multiple cold plunges or saunas drive most of the CAPEX, before build-out and working capital.

Which recovery modalities have the best ROI?

It depends on local demand and utilization, but high-throughput, lower-CAPEX services like compression and infrared sauna often pay back faster per dollar than a single expensive cryo chamber. Model your own session volumes.

How is payback calculated here?

Payback is total capital invested divided by monthly net cash flow, giving the number of months to recover the build cost at your assumed utilization.

Free calculator

Recovery Studio Build-Out & ROI Estimator

Pick a build tier, adjust your modality mix, and see equipment CAPEX, monthly revenue, EBITDA, and payback for a recovery-focused wellness studio.

Your inputs

Build tier

Choose a starting mix, then adjust units below

Cryotherapy

Cold Plunge

Sauna

Compression

Red Light

Hyperbaric

PEMF

EWOT

Your results

Total Equipment CAPEX

$159,800

Payback Period

2 months

Monthly Revenue

$155,612

Monthly EBITDA

$105,612

Monthly Membership Revenue

$49,750

Break-Even Utilization

Modality breakdown

Modality	Units	CAPEX	Daily capacity	Daily revenue (at capacity)
Cryotherapy	1	$65,000	180/day	$8,100
Cold Plunge	2	$24,000	144/day	$5,040
Sauna	1	$15,000	24/day	$1,080
Compression	4	$4,800	96/day	$2,400
Red Light	1	$25,000	48/day	$2,880
Hyperbaric	1	$15,000	12/day	$1,440
PEMF	2	$11,000	48/day	$1,680

Cryotherapy

Units: 1
CAPEX: $65,000
Daily capacity: 180/day
Daily revenue (at capacity): $8,100

Cold Plunge

Units: 2
CAPEX: $24,000
Daily capacity: 144/day
Daily revenue (at capacity): $5,040

Sauna

Units: 1
CAPEX: $15,000
Daily capacity: 24/day
Daily revenue (at capacity): $1,080

Compression

Units: 4
CAPEX: $4,800
Daily capacity: 96/day
Daily revenue (at capacity): $2,400

Red Light

Units: 1
CAPEX: $25,000
Daily capacity: 48/day
Daily revenue (at capacity): $2,880

Hyperbaric

Units: 1
CAPEX: $15,000
Daily capacity: 12/day
Daily revenue (at capacity): $1,440

PEMF

Units: 2
CAPEX: $11,000
Daily capacity: 48/day
Daily revenue (at capacity): $1,680

Email these results

A copy of your inputs and numbers, so you can compare scenarios later.

How this is calculated

This calculator models a recovery-studio build-out from equipment CAPEX through steady-state monthly economics. All figures are planning estimates, not guarantees — real results depend on your market, pricing power, and operational execution.

Equipment CAPEX = sum of (units × typical per-unit cost) across the modalities you select. Per-unit costs are fixed midpoint estimates from commercial manufacturer pricing, not editable, so the total stays anchored to realistic ranges.
Daily capacity per modality = units × floor(operating minutes per day ÷ minutes per session). This is the theoretical max, assuming zero downtime between sessions.
Walk-in revenue = monthly capacity revenue × utilization % × (1 − membership share %). Utilization reflects the fraction of theoretical capacity you actually fill.
Membership revenue = member count × monthly membership price, modeled as a separate recurring stream from walk-in/drop-in pricing.
Monthly EBITDA = total monthly revenue minus rent, staffing, and other operating costs (before debt service or owner draws).
Payback month = first month cumulative EBITDA crosses zero after subtracting total equipment CAPEX. This ignores build-out, leasehold, and financing costs — model those separately.
Break-even utilization = the walk-in utilization rate needed for revenue to cover opex, after membership revenue is applied first. If membership revenue alone already covers monthly opex, this reads 0% — walk-in traffic becomes pure upside rather than a requirement.

Worked example

A Standard-tier build (one cryo unit, two cold plunges, one sauna, four compression stations, one red-light unit, one hyperbaric chamber, two PEMF mats) runs roughly $115K in equipment CAPEX. At 45% walk-in utilization plus a 250-member base paying $199/month, monthly revenue lands well above a typical $50K opex base — check your own numbers above.

All outputs are planning estimates, not guarantees. Consult the brand FDD and your advisors for decisions.

Recovery studios are equipment-led businesses: cryotherapy chambers, cold plunges, saunas, and compression gear are the bulk of your up-front capital and the source of your revenue. Getting the modality mix and utilization assumptions right is what determines whether the build pays back.

This estimator totals equipment CAPEX and models monthly revenue by service so you can see payback and return before you commit capital to a recovery-focused build.

The formula

Total CAPEX = sum of equipment + build-out. Monthly revenue = Σ (sessions per modality × price). Payback (months) = CAPEX ÷ monthly net cash flow.

Related guide: Recovery equipment buyer's guide

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to open a recovery studio?: Equipment-heavy recovery studios often run $150,000–$500,000+ depending on modality mix — cryotherapy chambers and multiple cold plunges or saunas drive most of the CAPEX, before build-out and working capital.
Which recovery modalities have the best ROI?: It depends on local demand and utilization, but high-throughput, lower-CAPEX services like compression and infrared sauna often pay back faster per dollar than a single expensive cryo chamber. Model your own session volumes.
How is payback calculated here?: Payback is total capital invested divided by monthly net cash flow, giving the number of months to recover the build cost at your assumed utilization.