All businesses / Gym or training studio

At a glance: money to start · hours · how fast it pays · how much you keep · how much it can earn. Taller bars are better; the dashed line is halfway.

Gym or training studio: what it really costs to start

Starting a gym or training studio in Europe costs €15,000–€85,000 in 2026, with first income after about 16 weeks and earnings of up to €5,900 a month working full time.

Last updated: September 2026 · sources at the bottom of the page

Small premises selling memberships rather than hours.

Gym or training studio in numbers
Money to start €15,000–€85,000 What you spend before the first customer pays: kit, stock, licences, launch.
Hours a week 30–60 What it takes to run it properly, from part time to full time.
Weeks to first income about 16 How long you pay in before any money comes back. You still need to live in those weeks.
Kept of every €100 €28 What stays with you after running costs, before you pay yourself for your hours.
Most it earns a month €1,600 part time · €5,900 full time + A realistic ceiling for you running it. It can grow further, but only by hiring or adding units.
Competition medium Some competition: running it well is what decides.
Licence or qualification needed Count it in months, not weeks, and check the rules where you live.

This maximum is not a wall

The figure above is what this earns in the shape described: you, running it. Past that it keeps going, but by hiring people or adding units, not by you working more hours. That is a different job from the one you would be starting, and worth knowing before you start it.

Does it fit you?

See what else fits me →

What nobody usually tells you

Memberships are the point: income that arrives whether or not anyone turns up is the difference between this and personal training. But the same subscription that carries you in a good year is what you lose in a bad month, all at once, and retention is a harder skill than training.

The route, in five steps

  1. Presell founding memberships before the fit-out, and let that decide whether you open
  2. Lease the equipment rather than buying it for the first year
  3. Fix the capacity per class and price so a full class pays the month
  4. Measure retention from month three: everyone joins in January and the truth is in April
  5. Add one-to-one coaching for the members who would otherwise leave

What you'll need to buy

These are the categories this business pays for in the first month. We go through the software side on the tools page.

premises lease and fit-outequipmentinstructor qualificationmembership and booking software

Turn this page into a plan: the gym or training studio start kit

Instant access, works on any device, save it as PDF. Digital product delivered immediately.

LaunchKit · €390 + VAT

Starting a gym or training studio? Open with a real website.

A site made for your a gym or training studio business, Google profile, domain and email, a QR poster and a 30-day launch plan built on the numbers above. Live in about a week.

Get my LaunchKit →Open the example ↗

Common questions

How much does it cost to start a gym or training studio?

Between €15,000 and €85,000 to begin. That covers premises lease and fit-out, equipment, instructor qualification and the rest of the setup. It does not cover your own living costs during the 16 weeks before the first income arrives, which is the cost most people forget.

How long after starting a gym or training studio does the first income arrive?

Around 16 weeks to the first euro. Reaching the realistic maximum of €5,900 a month takes considerably longer, and assumes 60 hours a week.

How much can you earn a month if you start a gym or training studio?

Up to about €5,900 a month working full time, or €1,600 part time. Of every €100 it takes, about €28 stays with you after running costs. Past that it can grow, but by hiring people or adding units rather than by working more hours.

Can you start a gym or training studio alongside a job?

Yes, at a cost. Part time it realistically tops out around €1,600 a month, against €5,900 working full time, and it needs 30–60 hours a week.

Is there a lot of competition?

Competition is medium. Neither crowded nor protected: winning comes down to how well you run it rather than whether you can enter.

Similar businesses to compare

Sources

Where these numbers come from. Figures are rounded ranges for European markets; check the ones you are about to spend money on. Last checked September 2026.

  1. REP Fitness UK — UK commercial gym start-up costs (boutique PT studios £5,000–40,000) money to start
  2. ANNA — How to start a fitness business (boutique studios 20–40% margins) share kept · money to start · what it earns

Does it fit you?

These numbers are the average case. Whether this business clears your target depends on your money, your hours and how long you can wait. Put them in and see.

See if it fits my budget → Get the guide free

Free: the 10 questions to answer before you spend a euro

A one-page checklist that goes with any business on this site. We email it to you straight away.