How Much Does a Food Truck Really Cost Per Month?
Starting a food truck is exciting. But before your first service, one question is critical: how much will I spend each month to keep my business running? Many new food truck owners underestimate their expenses and end up working hard without generating real profits.
This guide gives you an honest, detailed overview of monthly food truck expenses in 2026, with realistic ranges and tips to keep them under control.
Fixed Costs: What You Pay No Matter What
Fixed costs are expenses that do not vary (or vary little) with your revenue. They form your "floor" of costs to cover before earning any profit.
Vehicle and Equipment Loan Repayments
If you financed your food truck through a business loan, the monthly repayment typically runs between €400 and €1,200 per month depending on the loan amount and term. A second-hand food truck financed at €30,000 over 5 years costs around €550/month. A new fitted-out vehicle at €80,000 over 7 years costs over €1,000/month.
Tip: if you can self-finance part of the purchase through grants or subsidies, you significantly reduce this burden. Check our article on food truck financing and available grants.
Professional Insurance
Insurance is mandatory and non-negotiable:
- Commercial vehicle insurance (truck and any trailer): €150–350/month
- Professional liability insurance: €50–150/month
- Equipment insurance (fryers, fridges, etc.): €30–80/month
- Multi-risk professional insurance: €80–200/month
Social Contributions and Taxes
As a self-employed operator (sole trader or LLC), your social contributions represent approximately 22 to 45% of your revenue under actual expense accounting. In practice, food trucks generate €8,000 to €20,000 in monthly revenue. Contributions therefore run between €1,800 and €9,000/month, making this your primary expense.
If you have employees, add employer contributions: approximately 42% of gross salary per employee.
Subscriptions and Software
- SumUp payment terminal: €0 (no subscription, transaction commission only)
- FoodTracks food truck management software: from €29/month
- Accounting / accountant: €100–250/month
- Mobile phone and internet: €30–60/month
- Social media / marketing tools: €0–100/month
Variable Costs: What Fluctuates With Your Activity
Raw Materials (Ingredient Purchasing Costs)
This is your main variable cost and typically your largest operational expense. In food trucking, the food cost (raw materials / revenue ratio) should ideally sit between 28 and 35%.
On a revenue of €10,000/month, this means €2,800 to €3,500 in ingredient purchases. At €15,000/month: €4,200 to €5,250.
The key to controlling this: rigorous recipe cards, precise ordering, and real-time stock tracking. This is exactly what FoodTracks enables with its invoice scanning and inventory management module.
Fuel and Travel
A food truck consumes 12 to 20 liters of diesel per 100 km depending on the vehicle and load. Counting trips home-to-spot, spot-to-supplier, and between locations, the monthly fuel bill runs between €200 and €600/month depending on your operating area and schedule.
Note: your generator also consumes fuel if you work without an electrical connection. Budget an additional €50–150.
Packaging and Consumable Supplies
Trays, cutlery, napkins, bags, paper towels, gloves, cleaning products... These small expenses add up. Realistic budget: €150–400/month depending on your volume and packaging type (standard plastic vs. compostable).
Vehicle Maintenance and Repairs
Oil changes, tires, servicing, equipment repairs... On average, budget €150–400/month by setting aside funds for major repairs. A food truck often covers over 30,000 km/year.
Summary: Typical Monthly Food Truck Budget
| Item | Low | Mid | High | |------|-----|-----|------| | Vehicle loan repayment | €400 | €700 | €1,200 | | Insurance | €300 | €500 | €780 | | Social contributions | €1,800 | €3,500 | €6,000 | | Raw materials | €2,800 | €4,200 | €7,000 | | Fuel | €200 | €380 | €600 | | Packaging/supplies | €150 | €250 | €400 | | Vehicle maintenance | €150 | €250 | €400 | | Software/subscriptions | €130 | €250 | €440 | | TOTAL | ~€6,000 | ~€10,000 | ~€17,000 |
How to Reduce Costs Without Sacrificing Quality
1. Optimize Food Cost Through Data
The best way to lower your ingredient spend without cutting quality is to buy exactly what you need. With FoodTracks, sales predictions by location let you adjust orders week by week, avoiding waste and stockouts.
2. Negotiate With Your Suppliers
Group your orders, buy in volume, and build lasting relationships with 2-3 main suppliers. Discounts of 5 to 15% are common for regular customers.
3. Plan Your Routes Efficiently
A well-structured location schedule reduces your mileage. Group your spots by geographic zone and avoid unnecessary back-and-forth trips. The fuel savings can represent €100–200/month.
4. Monitor Your Margins in Real Time
Don't discover at month's end that you worked at a loss. With a tool like FoodTracks connected to your SumUp terminal, you see your revenue, food cost, and net margin in real time. You can act immediately if a cost line goes off track.
Conclusion
Monthly food truck expenses typically range between €6,000 and €17,000 depending on the size of the operation. The key to profitability is not spending less at all costs, but knowing your costs precisely so you can set the right prices, optimize your orders, and make informed decisions.
A food trucker who controls their numbers is a food trucker who lasts. Start by clearly mapping your fixed costs, measure your food cost, and use a management tool to run your operation day to day.
Try FoodTracks for free and take control of your finances today.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does a food truck cost per month in fixed expenses?
- A food truck's fixed costs include vehicle loan repayments (€400–1,200/month), professional insurance (€300–780/month), software and subscriptions (€130–440/month). Excluding social contributions, fixed costs run between €830 and €2,420 per month.
- What is a food truck's monthly raw material budget?
- A food truck's raw material budget should ideally represent 28 to 35% of revenue. For monthly revenue of €10,000, that equals €2,800 to €3,500 in ingredient purchases. This ratio is called food cost and must be monitored continuously to protect margins.
- How much revenue does a food truck need to be profitable?
- To reach break-even, a food truck must cover all its costs (fixed + variable). With total expenses around €10,000/month, you need to generate at least €13,000 to €15,000 in revenue to make a real profit, depending on food cost rate and social contributions. The best-managed food trucks achieve 20 to 30% net margin.
- How to reduce food truck expenses?
- The main levers are: optimize food cost through AI sales predictions (avoid waste), negotiate supplier discounts for bulk purchases, plan routes to reduce fuel costs, and use a management tool like FoodTracks to track the cost of each service in real time and react quickly to overruns.
- What share of food truck expenses are social contributions?
- For a self-employed food truck operator, social contributions represent 22 to 45% of revenue depending on the tax structure chosen (sole trader or actual expense accounting). This is often the heaviest expense after raw materials. Good tax planning with an accountant specializing in mobile food businesses can help optimize this item.
