Retreat profit & break-even calculator
A residential retreat is almost all fixed cost, so the difference between a good one and a painful one comes down to a handful of bookings. Put your own numbers in and see what it makes when it fills, what it makes when it doesn't, and where break-even sits.
Retreat Ledger
Retreat Profit & Break-even Calculator
A residential retreat is almost all fixed cost, so a handful of bookings decides whether it pays. Answer a few questions about your venue and see what it makes full, what it makes quiet, and where break-even sits.
- 1 Venue
- 2 Rooms
- 3 Costs
- 4 Prices
Tell us about the venue
That leaves 7 rooms for guests.
How can each room be set up?
Tick every way a room can be made up. Lots of rooms can be either a double or twins, so tick both. If a room has a note that changes what you would charge for it, add it — you will see it again when you set your prices.
What does it cost you?
What will you charge?
Every box starts at the same suggested price. Change any of them: charge less for the small room with the shared bathroom, more for the best one. Watch the numbers on the right as you go, and keep an eye on whether you are still hitting your target.
One thing worth knowing: a room with a single person in it still costs you the whole room, so people travelling alone usually pay more than people sharing.
Nominal: — per guest.
Nothing you type here is stored or sent anywhere. Figures are a planning guide, not a quote — always confirm costs with your venue and caterer in writing.
The costing model behind this calculator is based on the method used by Satvada Retreats, who run residential yoga retreats in the UK.
What does this calculator tell you?
It tells you the two ends of the same retreat: what you make if every room sells to one person, and what you make if the house fills up. Those two numbers are usually much further apart than people expect, on identical costs.
Alongside them you get your committed cost, which is what you owe before a single person books, and your break-even, which is the number of guests that has to say yes before the retreat stops losing money.
Why solo bookings hurt more than empty rooms
Venues charge for the house, not the head. A room costs the same whether one person sleeps in it or two, so a guest travelling alone has to carry the whole room rather than half of it. A single supplement rarely covers the whole gap.
The result catches people out: a retreat can be fully occupied, with every room sold, and still land well under the margin it was priced for. It is worth modelling both before you set your rates.
The catering minimum works in your favour
If your caterer charges for a minimum number of people, you have already bought those meals. Guests arriving below that line cost you nothing extra to feed, so the early bookings carry more margin than the later ones.
That is useful to know late in the day. If you are a couple of places short and wondering whether to discount them, the food is already paid for, so almost all of what you take is surplus.
Check the studio, not just the bedrooms
A venue that sleeps thirteen is worth nothing to you if the practice space only holds ten. Whichever is smaller sets your real capacity, and the places you cannot sell are cost you cannot recover. Ask about the practice space before you commit.
Common questions
How do I work out if a yoga retreat is profitable?
Start by separating the costs that stay the same from the ones that grow with bookings. The venue, teacher fees and insurance are fixed: you pay them whether two people come or twenty. Catering is the main cost that scales, though it usually has a minimum. Subtract both from what you expect to take, and the difference is your surplus.
Why does one person in a room cost me so much?
Because the venue charges you for the room, not the person. A room sold to one guest costs exactly what it costs sold to two, so a solo booking has to carry the whole room on its own. This is why a retreat sold entirely to solo guests can miss its margin badly even though every room is occupied.
What is a catering minimum and why does it matter?
Many caterers charge for a minimum number of people regardless of how many turn up. If your minimum is 10 and you have 2 teachers, you have already paid for 8 guests' meals before anyone books. Those first 8 guests cost you nothing extra to feed, which means the early bookings are worth more to you than people assume.
How many guests do I need to break even on a retreat?
It depends on your fixed costs and your price, but the calculation is straightforward: divide your committed cost by what each guest pays, allowing for any catering that scales. The calculator on this page works it out from your own numbers, and shows how the answer changes depending on whether guests share rooms or come alone.
Does the size of my practice space limit how many I can take?
Often, yes, and it catches people out. If the rooms could take 13 people but the studio only holds 10, the studio is your real capacity and three of those places can never be sold. It is worth checking the practice space before you commit to a venue, because you may be paying for room capacity you can never use.
Is this calculator free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, and nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere — the maths runs entirely in your browser.