Is Full-Time RV Living Cheaper? Real Costs of Living in an RV

One of the first things I wondered when we first started thinking about RV living was about the cost of living in an RV full time. Would we be able to afford it? Is full time RV living cheaper than living in a house or apartment?

What I found was that the answer to these questions totally depends on how you live and travel. 

Maybe that answer isn’t as straightforward as many would like it to be, but it is the honest truth—and really, it makes sense. After all, anyone’s month-to-month living costs are dependent on how they choose to live. When we first started traveling, we were living on less than $2,000 a month. These days, we spend quite a bit more than that.

How Much Does Full-Time RV Living Cost Per Month?

Like I said before, full time RV living cost varies widely. Most full-time RVers spend between $3,000 and $6,000 a month, but you could easily make your total expenses more or less than that. 

To give you a better idea of our RV living monthly cost, here are the things we spend money on as full-time RVers in a given month:

• Campgrounds and RV parks: between $0 and $1,000 per month
• Fuel: roughly $200 to $800 per month
• RV insurance: around $100 a month
• Vehicle insurance: around $100 a month
• Maintenance and repairs: around $100 to $400 per month
• Food and groceries: about $400 to $800 per month
• Internet and cell service: approximately $250 per month
• Health insurance: $125 a month
• Attractions and fun money: around $500 to $700 a month

Many other RVers also see these costs:

• RV payment (if financed): about $400 to $1,200 per month
• Higher RV insurance costs: as much as $300+ a month
• Higher vehicle insurance costs: as much as $300+ a month
• Higher health insurance costs: as much as $1000+ a month

Your total cost of living will depend on what rig you buy, whether you finance it, how much you have to spend on insurance, where you choose to camp, how you shop for groceries, what sorts of attractions you choose to check out, and how quickly you travel. 

Slow Travel vs. Fast Travel

I’m not gonna lie, I love a season of fast-paced travel now and then. That said, moving every few days isn’t really sustainable over the long term. For one thing, we get tired. For another thing, it gets expensive. Higher fuel costs from driving more miles per month are one factor. On top of that, nightly campground rates tend to be higher per night than monthly rates, and moving often causes more wear and tear on the RV. 

By choosing to travel slowly during the fall, winter, and spring, we save quite a bit of money, which we then apply to our faster summertime travels. 

RV Living vs. Traditional Housing: Cost Comparison

When comparing RV life vs house cost, it’s important to look at the full financial picture.

Living in a traditional house, you’ll have to pay rent or mortgage payments and utilities. You may also have to pay property taxes and pay for ongoing home maintenance. 

When we switched to full-time RV living, we got rid of the mortgage and property taxes, but had to account for campground fees and the occasional utility bill (though for us, utilities are usually included in campground costs). Since we bought an older rig and paid cash for it, we also did not have to make an RV payment and our insurance payment was low. That said, some people may choose to finance an RV, which will mean RV payments and possibly higher insurance costs. 

The Biggest Expenses of Full-Time RV Living

Obviously, there are lots of small day-to-day costs associated with RV living (and living life in general). That said, there are a handful of bigger expenses that make up the majority of our budget as full timers. Here’s a full time RV expenses breakdown.

Campground and RV Park Fees

We may not have to pay rent, but we do have to budget for camping fees when figuring out full time RV living cost. Fortunately, I have found a few ways around spending tons of money on campsites.

For instance, we have a Thousand Trails membership that allows us to camp at Thousand Trails parks across the country while paying only our annual dues. We also have a Boondockers Welcome membership that gives us the opportunity to camp on private land for free or very low cost. On top of all that, we tend to do a lot of boondocking, dry camping, and camping in free or extremely low-cost city park campgrounds. 

That said, there are still times when we need to pay for a campsite. In these cases, I like to turn to state parks, national forest campgrounds, or county park campgrounds, which tend to be around $25–$50 a night. This is much more affordable than the $50–$100+ a night that many private parks charge. 

The exception? Some private parks offer monthly rates that break down to be much less per night than other options. 

Fuel Costs

Fuel is another major cost for our family, especially in the summer when we are moving quickly. Obviously, the amount of fuel you use will depend entirely on how often you move, how far you move, the size and weight of your RV, and whether it runs on gasoline or diesel. 

In general, we have found that all of our rigs have gotten between 6 and 10 MPG. We have spent as little as $200 a month on fuel during the winter when we were moving once a month, and as much as $1,000 a month on fuel during the summer when we were moving every few days. 

RV Payments or Purchase Costs

Of course, RVs themselves are also incredibly expensive, especially if you buy new. We chose to buy a used older RV for our first rig and kinda stuck to that theme for every RV we purchased after that. The thing we found was that we loved not having an RV or truck payment, and I don’t mind doing most of my own RV repairs, so this has worked out well for us. We have spent anywhere from $6,000 on a super old truck and trailer a decade ago to $25,000 on an older motorhome just a few years ago. 

If you do decide to finance an RV, monthly payments can vary widely depending on the RV type and purchase price. They commonly fall somewhere between $400 and $1,200 per month.

Maintenance and Repairs

Unfortunately, RVs do require maintenance and repairs. Motor oil needs to be changed, tires need to be replaced, broken bits and bobs need to be fixed, and you gotta keep the appliances up and running. There is no way around this. If you do the repairs yourself, you can save a lot of money, but you will still need to budget some amount for parts. 

These expenses don’t necessarily occur every month, but they can be significant when they do happen. Because of this, I like to set aside several hundred dollars every month for maintenance. This is great because it ensures we have a safety net when things do need to be fixed. 

Hidden Costs Many New RVers Don’t Expect

The expensive budget line items mentioned above make up the majority of our budget. That said, there are also plenty of smaller expenses that need to be taken into account when you’re trying to get a feel for how much RV living might cost you. 

Some commonly overlooked RV living expenses include:

• Internet and mobile hotspot plans: Reliable internet is essential for many travelers, especially remote workers who depend on connectivity. Cell plans and satellite internet are the options for travelers, and both can be pricey.
• Laundry: Since we (like many other full-time RVers) don’t have an onboard washer and dryer, we have to use laundromats and campground laundry rooms. This can be a surprisingly big expense.
• Dump station fees: When we boondock, we have to find dump stations to empty our tanks. Sometimes these stations charge a fee for dumping, which is something we have to account for when budgeting. 
• Propane: In our rig, propane is used for heating, cooking, and operating the water heater. During the winter, we can burn through propane quickly, so we have to make sure to include propane as a line item in our budget. 
• Storage units: Some full-time RVers keep a storage unit for belongings that don’t fit in their RV. This isn’t something we choose to do, but if you will need to store things, make sure to keep the associated fees in mind. 
• Membership programs: We tend to carry a few different memberships at any given time. Some are memberships that reduce campground fees. Others are reciprocal memberships to attractions. All have annual fees that we have to account for. 

When Full-Time RV Living Is Actually Cheaper

RV living can save money if you do it right. We have definitely saved money over living in a house in our time on the road, and it has allowed us to build a decent savings account. 

If you want to save money while RVing full-time:

• Pay cash for an older RV.
• Do your own RV maintenance and repairs.
• Travel slowly.
• Look for monthly rates, boondock, or use a membership to camp for free or cheap.
• Visit tourist areas during the off season.
• Use reciprocal memberships for free attraction entry or look for free things to do.

When RV Living Can Cost More Than a House

I think it’s important to point out that RV living is not necessarily automatically cheaper than living in a house. We could easily spend a lot more than we do every month, but we make a point of being frugal. 

Some common pitfalls that may cause full time RV living cost to be more expensive for you include:

• Purchasing a brand new rig
• Traveling long distances quickly
• Paying someone else to do RV repairs and maintenance
• Staying in luxury RV parks
• Visiting high-priced attractions rather than free alternatives

There is nothing inherently wrong with these lifestyle choices, but they are not the best options if you are looking to save money while living in an RV. 

Try the RV Lifestyle Before Going Full-Time

When we decided to hit the road full-time, we jumped right in feet first. While this ended up being fine for us, it’s not something I recommend doing. Instead, I highly recommend renting an RV and heading out on an RV trip first. 

This will allow you to…

• Experience different types of RVs.
• Learn how campgrounds and hookups work.
• Understand the real costs of traveling.
• Discover whether the lifestyle fits your daily routine.

If RVing is truly the right fit for you and your family, you will come back with a better idea of what kind of RV you might need. On the other hand, if this lifestyle isn’t for you, you’ll come back knowing that and will have saved thousands of dollars and lots of time and effort in the process. 

Final Thoughts: Is Full-Time RV Living Worth It?

In my opinion, yes, full-time RV living is absolutely worth it! We figured out how to RV on the cheap so we could save hundreds of dollars a month while also traveling the country and experiencing all kinds of amazing things. We’ve also met families who spend thousands more than us every month who are totally okay with that, able to sustain the spending, and are having the time of their lives. 

That said, this lifestyle is not for everyone. If you are heading into RVing purely to save money and aren’t willing to 1) travel slowly, 2) seek out inexpensive campground options, and 3) DIY your own repairs, you probably aren’t going to love it. Likewise, if you don’t love cramped spaces, don’t love car travel, or don’t want to leave your life in your home city behind, RVing might not be for you no matter how much you have available to spend. 

My advice is to rent an RV first and then carefully consider your finances versus full time RV living cost, what you want and need to be comfortable, and your RVing goals to decide whether RV living fits into your life and budget.