All businesses / Street food and food truck
Starting a street food or food truck business in Europe costs €25,000–€70,000 in 2026, with first income after about 14 weeks and earnings of up to €3,500 a month working full time.
Last updated: September 2026 · sources at the bottom of the page
Mobile kitchen at markets and events.
| Money to start | €25,000–€70,000 | What you spend before the first customer pays: kit, stock, licences, launch. |
|---|---|---|
| Hours a week | 35–60 | What it takes to run it properly, from part time to full time. |
| Weeks to first income | about 14 | How long you pay in before any money comes back. You still need to live in those weeks. |
| Kept of every €100 | €30 | What stays with you after running costs, before you pay yourself for your hours. |
| Most it earns a month | €3,500 full time | A realistic ceiling for one person running it. Your own hours are the limit. |
| 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. |
High capital, brutal hours, and permits change by municipality with timelines nobody warns you about. Not compatible with a parallel job: full time or nothing.
These are the categories this business pays for in the first month. We go through the software side on the tools page.
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LaunchKit · €390 + VAT
A site made for your a street food or food truck business 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.
Between €25,000 and €70,000 to begin. That covers fitted vehicle, food safety licences, permits and the rest of the setup. It does not cover your own living costs during the 14 weeks before the first income arrives, which is the cost most people forget.
Around 14 weeks to the first euro. Reaching the realistic maximum of €3,500 a month takes considerably longer, and assumes 60 hours a week.
Up to about €3,500 a month working full time. Of every €100 it takes, about €30 stays with you after running costs.
Not really. This one produces nothing at reduced hours: it is full time or it is nothing. At 35 hours a week minimum, and 14 weeks before the first euro, there is no part-time version of it that pays.
Competition is medium. Neither crowded nor protected: winning comes down to how well you run it rather than whether you can enter.
Compare further: every business you can start with €50,000 · what it costs to start a business, across all 115 · all 115 ranked by startup cost
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.
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.
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