How Much Does Van Life REALLY Cost? My Actual Monthly & Yearly Expenses

Van life costs (actual example from the speaker)

The video breaks down the speaker’s last month and estimates a yearly total based on their real spending.

Running costs

• Fuel (diesel): £154 last month
  • Depends heavily on how far they drive; they were staying in the same area.
  • Plans a bigger trip later in the month (family + festivals), which would raise fuel costs.
• LPG gas (for oven/hob combo)
  • Full tank costs £16 and lasts about 3 months (longer in winter due to more tea/hot breakfasts).
  • Approx. £5/month
• Diesel heater: “Free” in summer (no update yet for winter costs)
• Electricity: also “free” (summer perk)
• Water
  • Mostly low/free, but they budget £10 for the month.
  • Sometimes they top up at petrol stations when buying diesel (and add shop purchases into the cost).
  • Sometimes small campsites let them fill water for about £5.
  • They’re staying in one spot long enough to know where to fill up for free.

Living costs

• Food: £180 consumed last month
• Eating out / coffees / treats: £18
  • Mainly small purchases while out (cakes/coffee/ice cream)
• Campsites & paid parking: £16
  • They don’t use campsites often.
  • They pay for car parks for views, especially along the coast.
  • Some places allow sleeping for a couple of pounds; they mostly wild camp.
• Laundry: £13
  • They avoid cheaper outdoor laundries if they feel they’re not properly cleaned.
  • Tip given: if you’re already at a campsite with washing machines, using it and hanging clothes to dry can be cheaper than a standalone laundrette.
• Phone contract: £12/month
  • Unlimited everything, including streaming apps (Spotify/Netflix/social media/YouTube mentioned)
• Toiletries: £5/month
  • They estimate based on normal grocery add-ons; they don’t use expensive brands.
• Subscriptions
  • Netflix: £5.99/month
    • They admit they don’t use it much in summer but keep paying; consider canceling/restarting in winter.
  • Lightroom (photo editing): £11.99/month

Big yearly expenses (added to monthly total later)

• Insurance: £1,800/year
  • Includes ability to drive/travel abroad.
• Road tax: £345/year
  • ≈ £28.75/month if paid monthly
• MOT + servicing: £323 last year
  • If monthly would be ≈ £26.92, but paid in one go
• Unexpected repairs buffer: £32
  • They mention buying small maintenance items (e.g., wire wool, Sikaflex, rust converting spray) despite not having major repairs needed.

Totals

• Monthly total (including running costs listed, plus small repair buffer): £430
• Monthly equivalent after adding yearly expenses: £639.31
• Estimated yearly total: £7,671.76
  • Calculated by combining monthly costs + yearly costs and spreading yearly totals across the year (their math may be imperfect, but this is the final figure they arrive at).

Notable locations, products, or speakers mentioned

• Locations / travel plans: UK area + family visits, festival trip, and coastal car parks
• Products / gear: LPG underslung gas tank, oven/hob, diesel heater, Lightroom
• Apps / services: Spotify, Netflix, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube
• Speaker: the content creator (no specific name given in the subtitles)