Most "van life cost" content stops at "how much for a campsite". The reality is that the campsite line is one of about ten cost lines that determine whether van life saves you money or quietly costs more than your old apartment did. This piece walks through a full year, with the lines people forget.
The shorter, monthly-profile version is on the costs page. Below is the year-long breakdown for a typical mixed full-time van lifer.
The honest annual figure
For a full-time van lifer doing 14,000 km/year, mixing wild camping with paid sites at roughly a 50/50 ratio, eating mostly home-cooked, and using public charging only occasionally if running a hybrid:
Approximate full-year cost: €13,500–€15,500.
That's between €1,125 and €1,290 per month all-in. Cheaper than renting in Dublin (where median rent in 2025 was over €2,000/month). Roughly equivalent to renting outside Dublin (median €1,200–€1,400/month for a one-bed), but you get the travel for the same money.
Year-long itemised budget
Vehicle (annual lines)
- Insurance: €850–€1,400/year for specialist motorhome insurance through a broker (Adrian Flux, Caravan Wise). Don't try to use standard van insurance; it doesn't cover the habitation gear.
- Motor tax: €102–€200/year depending on classification. Lower if your van's classified as a motor caravan rather than a goods vehicle.
- NCT (or DOE): €55/year for the test (annual on motorhomes over 4 years old). Add €200–€500 for the inevitable retest items.
- Habitation servicing: €180–€320/year for the gas cert, water system check, and damp survey.
- Annual mechanic: budget €500–€1,200 for the un-budgeted repair. It will happen.
- Tyres: averaged €240/year (a full set every 3–4 years).
- Habitation upgrades: €200–€800/year for replacements (water pump, gas regulator, leisure-battery cell, broken catch).
Vehicle annual subtotal: ~€2,500–€4,800.
Fuel
- 14,000 km @ ~9 l/100 km @ €1.69/l = ~€2,130/year. Adjust for whether you do mostly motorway (better consumption) or back roads (worse).
Site fees
- Mixed profile (50% wild, 50% paid): roughly €220/month average = €2,640/year.
- Lean profile (mostly wild, paid sites only when you need a shower or laundry): roughly €40/month = €480/year.
- Comfortable profile (mostly paid): roughly €520/month = €6,240/year.
Food & living
- Food, cooking-led: €3,400–€4,400/year for one person, €5,000–€7,000/year for two.
- Eating out (~once a week): another €800–€1,800/year.
- Gas (LPG bottle exchange): €320–€420/year.
- Showers, laundry, water fills (when not at a site): €360–€540/year.
- Mobile data + e-SIM: €420/year (one main + one backup network).
One-off lines that bite once or twice a year
- Ferry to UK / Europe (one return trip): €360–€960 depending on operator and season.
- M50 toll usage: €120–€240/year if you're regularly Dublin-bound.
- Annual app subscriptions (Park4Night Pro, eSIM provider): €40–€80.
- Replacement gear (sleeping bag, dehumidifier, kitchen kit): budget €200–€400.
What wild camping actually saves you
The temptation is to think wild camping is "free". It's not, exactly — you trade site fees for the cost of more frequent dump-station visits, public-shower fees, water-fill stops, and the occasional lay-by-coffee-and-toilet-stop. But the savings are real:
- Pure-paid (sites every night): €6,240/year in site fees + low associated costs (showers/water bundled in).
- 50/50 mix (typical): €2,640/year in site fees + €540/year associated.
- Mostly wild (lean): €480/year in site fees + €720/year associated (more dump stations, public showers, water fills).
So pure wild vs pure paid: ~€5,000/year saved. The 50/50 mix is the realistic happy medium — you save roughly €3,000/year vs always-paid, and you get the best of both worlds (the freedom of wild + the warm-shower-and-laundry of sites).
Lines people forget
- Specialist insurance, not standard van. Standard van insurance is cheaper but won't cover the habitation gear. The cheaper premium is a false saving the first time you make a claim.
- Habitation service. Skip it for a year and you'll struggle to insure the van properly or sell it.
- Mid-trip mechanic. Heavier vans on tough Irish roads will need at least one un-budgeted garage visit annually.
- Battery replacement. A 200 Ah LiFePO4 lasts 6–10 years; a 100 Ah lead-acid lasts 2–4. Lithium is cheaper amortised.
- Ferry to UK. If you're planning Scotland trips, factor it in.
- Address-of-record costs. If you're full-time and use a friend's address, you might owe them a contribution.
- Storage when you're not in the van. If you fly somewhere for a month, the van still needs to live somewhere safe.
The honest comparison vs renting
| Living option | Annual housing-equivalent cost | Other notes |
|---|---|---|
| One-bed Dublin (median 2025) | €24,000+ | Plus utilities (~€1,500/yr) |
| One-bed regional (median 2025) | €14,400–€16,800 | Plus utilities |
| Van life lean (mostly wild) | €10,400 | Less freedom in winter, more setup time |
| Van life mixed | €13,500–€15,500 | Best balance for most people |
| Van life comfortable (mostly sites) | €18,500–€20,500 | Closest experience to renting; trades freedom for facilities |
For a Dublin renter switching to van life, the savings are dramatic at any profile. For someone in regional Ireland, the comparison is closer — and a "comfortable" van life profile actually costs more than renting in many counties. The honest answer to "is van life cheaper?" is "yes if you're moving from Dublin, marginal if you're moving from rural rent, more expensive if you're living rent-free with parents".