What are typical food truck monthly expenses?

Food truck monthly expenses run $5,000–$20,000 depending on revenue, crew size, and city. The biggest line items are food and ingredients (30–35% of revenue), labor ($0–$5,000), and commissary kitchen rental ($500–$2,000). Fuel, insurance, permits, and payment processing add another $750–$2,100/month.

How much is commissary kitchen rent for a food truck?

Commissary kitchen rental runs $500–$2,000/month. Most cities require food trucks to use a licensed commissary for prep, storage, and cleaning. The rate depends on your city, how many hours you use per week, and whether storage is included. Some commissaries charge by the hour ($15–$30/hr) instead of a flat monthly fee.

What percentage of food truck revenue goes to food cost?

Food cost (ingredients and supplies) typically runs 25–35% of gross revenue. Coffee and dessert trucks land at the low end (18–25%) because product margins are high. BBQ and seafood trucks land at the high end (35–42%) due to expensive proteins. The industry target is 30% or below.

What does a food truck P&L look like?

A typical food truck doing $25,000/month in revenue spends roughly: food cost $7,500 (30%), labor $4,000 (16%), commissary $1,000 (4%), fuel $500 (2%), insurance $350 (1.4%), permits $100 (0.4%), payment processing $400 (1.6%), maintenance $300 (1.2%). Total expenses: ~$14,150 (57%). Net profit before owner pay: ~$10,850 (43%). After owner draw of $4,000–$6,000, net profit: $4,850–$6,850.

Food Truck Monthly Expenses: What Operators Actually Pay (2026)

$5K to $20K/month. Here's where that money goes, what's fixed, what's variable, and a real P&L example so you know what to expect.

Monthly Expense Overview

Expense	Low	High	Notes
Food & Ingredients	25% of revenue	35% of revenue	Biggest variable cost — scales directly with revenue
Labor	$0	$5,000+	$0 for solo operators; $2,000–5,000 for 1–2 employees
Commissary Kitchen	$500	$2,000	Required in most cities for prep, storage, cleaning
Fuel & Propane	$300	$800	Driving to locations + generator fuel if gas-powered
Insurance	$200	$500	Commercial vehicle + general liability + product liability
Permits & Licenses	$50	$200	Amortized annual fees; event permits extra
POS & Payment Fees	$50	$500	2.6% per tap on Square; $50–$150/mo for SaaS platforms
Maintenance & Repairs	$150	$600	Oil changes, generator service, equipment repairs

Ranges are for solo or 1-employee operations. Multi-crew trucks scale up significantly on labor.

Expense-by-Expense Breakdown

Food & Ingredients

25–35% of revenue

Food cost is your biggest variable expense and the one with the most room to manage. At $20,000/month in revenue, 30% food cost is $6,000. At 35%, that's $7,000 — a $1,000/month gap that compounds fast.

Coffee / desserts18–25% of revenue

American / Mexican / Asian28–33% of revenue

BBQ / seafood / premium proteins35–42% of revenue

Track food cost weekly, not monthly. Spoilage, theft, and portioning errors show up faster on weekly reports. Most successful operators target 28–32% and flag anything over 35% immediately.

Commissary Kitchen

$500–$2,000/month

Most cities require food trucks to operate out of a licensed commissary for overnight parking, food prep, fresh water, and waste disposal. Some markets let you use a restaurant's kitchen off-hours; others have dedicated commissary facilities.

Basic parking + hookups only$500–$800/month

Parking + kitchen access (shared)$800–$1,400/month

Full-service with dedicated prep station$1,400–$2,000/month

Hourly rate (where available)$15–$30/hour

In dense cities like LA, NYC, and Chicago, commissary spots fill up. Budget at the high end and get on waitlists early.

Fuel & Propane

$300–$800/month

Diesel / gas (truck driving)$200–$500/month

Generator fuel (gas-powered gen)$100–$250/month

Propane (cooking, if applicable)$50–$150/month

Fuel costs run 15–25% higher in winter due to idling and heating. Propane generators cost more upfront but are 30–40% cheaper per hour than gas generators.

Insurance

$200–$500/month

Commercial vehicle insurance$100–$250/month

General liability ($1M)$50–$150/month

Product liability$30–$80/month

Workers comp (if employees)$100–$300/month

Most event venues and private clients require proof of $1M liability before you can operate. Get it before you start booking events, not after.

Permits & Licenses

$50–$200/month (amortized)

Most permits are annual fees paid upfront. Divide by 12 to get the monthly cost impact on your P&L.

Business license (annual)$50–$400/year

Health permit (annual)$200–$1,000/year

Mobile food vendor permit (annual)$100–$500/year

Fire inspection (annual)$100–$300/year

Event/park permits (per event)$25–$200/event

See full permit costs by city on our Permit Costs page. Denver is $811/year total; Boston can top $17,000.

POS & Payment Processing

$50–$500/month

Square (2.6% + $0.10 per tap)~$390 on $15K revenue

Toast (flat monthly + 2.49%)$75/mo + ~$375 on $15K

Clover (monthly subscription)$55–$165/month + fees

Square is the default for most new trucks. No monthly fee, no contract, free card reader. At under $25,000/month in revenue, it's usually the cheapest option.

Maintenance & Repairs

$150–$600/month

Truck oil changes & tires$100–$200/month (averaged)

Generator service$50–$150/month (averaged)

Equipment repairs (as needed)$0–$300/month average

Budget $2,000–$4,000/year for maintenance as a reserve fund. Trucks that skip preventive maintenance end up with $5,000–$10,000 repair bills that shut them down mid-season.

Real P&L Example: $25K/Month Revenue Truck

Here's what a typical food truck P&L looks like at $25,000/month gross revenue, operating 5 days/week with one employee:

Monthly P&L — American / Mexican Cuisine, Mid-Size City

Gross Revenue $25,000

Food & ingredients (30%) −$7,500

Labor (1 employee, part-time) −$2,800

Commissary kitchen −$1,000

Fuel & propane −$500

Insurance −$350

Permits & licenses (amortized) −$100

POS & payment processing −$400

Maintenance & repairs −$300

Total Expenses −$12,950

Net Profit (before owner draw) $12,050 (48%)

Owner draw / operator pay −$5,000–$8,000

Take-home profit $4,050–$7,050

This assumes $25K revenue, no loan payments. Add $1,500–$3,500/month if you financed the truck. Most operators see tighter margins in year 1 as they build routes and reputation.

How Monthly Expenses Change by Season

Winter (Nov–Feb)

Fuel costs up 15–25% (cold starts, idling, heating)
Revenue down 20–40% in cold-weather markets
Fixed costs (insurance, permits, commissary) stay flat
Maintenance issues peak: engine and generator stress

Peak Season (May–Sep)

Revenue spikes 30–60% in markets with active event circuits
Labor costs up $1,500–$3,000/month for extra crew
Event permit costs add $200–$1,000/month
Food cost percentage holds steady (volume increases proportionally)

Common Questions

How much does it cost to run a food truck per month?

Monthly operating expenses run $5,000–$20,000 depending on whether you have employees, your city's commissary rates, and how many days you operate. Solo operators at 3 days/week can run as low as $4,000–$6,000/month. A truck with 2 employees operating 5 days/week easily reaches $15,000–$20,000 in expenses before owner pay.

What's the highest monthly expense for a food truck?

Food and ingredients, by far. At $20,000/month revenue with 30% food cost, that's $6,000 in product alone. If you have employees, labor can compete or exceed it. The difference between food trucks that succeed and fail often comes down to keeping food cost under 32% through portion control, menu engineering, and smart sourcing.

Do food trucks need a commissary kitchen?

In most jurisdictions, yes. Health departments typically require food trucks to operate from a licensed commissary for food prep, storage, and cleaning. Some cities allow you to use a restaurant's kitchen off-hours. A few rural markets have looser requirements. Check with your county health department before assuming you can skip it.

How do food truck loan payments affect monthly expenses?

SBA loans for a $100K truck at 7% over 10 years run about $1,160/month. Equipment financing at 10–12% for $30K in equipment adds $650–$700/month. Total debt service of $1,800–$2,000/month cuts directly into take-home. Many operators who buy used trucks outright avoid this entirely — that's a big part of why used trucks have better first-year economics.

Monthly Cost Calculator

Interactive: enter your city, cuisine, and schedule to get a custom estimate

Startup Cost Calculator

Full city-by-city startup cost breakdown

Equipment Cost Guide

$15K used, $75K new — category-by-category breakdown

Profit Calculator

Break-even point and 3-year profitability estimate

Updated March 2026. Expense ranges are estimates based on operator surveys, commissary listings, and industry data. Actual costs vary by city, crew size, and cuisine type.

Data: Municipal Permit Fee Schedules, SBA Small Business Startup Research, FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Requirements, Commercial Insurance Premium Data

Last updated: January 2026

How we calculate this · Verify current permit requirements with your city before applying. Requirements change without notice.