Residential 100
- Month-1
- $404
- Year-1
- $1,009
- Monthly service
- $55
Address surcharge math · estimates as of 2026-09-01
Starlink demand surcharge break-even
A demand (congestion) surcharge is a one-time, address-specific fee that can appear at Residential checkout in busy cells. Public reports put it anywhere from $0 to about $1,500. It is not a national list price — drag the slider to whatever starlink.com shows for your address.
Roam typically does not attach service to a home address, so this calculator treats Roam’s surcharge as $0 in the side-by-side. The break-even question is: how many months of extra Roam service cost equal the surcharge you would pay to stay on Residential?
Formula: break-even months = surcharge ÷ (Roam monthly − Residential monthly), when Roam is more expensive per month. If Roam’s monthly rate is lower or equal, any surcharge makes Residential more expensive from day one in this model.
Worked examples (same hardware on both sides)
$250
- Residential /mo
- $55
- Roam /mo
- $55
Equal monthly rates. Roam wins as soon as the surcharge is greater than $0.
$500
- Residential /mo
- $55
- Roam /mo
- $175
$120 extra per month on Roam Unlimited. 500 ÷ 120 ≈ 4.2 months.
$1500
- Residential /mo
- $85
- Roam /mo
- $80
Roam 300GB is $5 cheaper per month than Residential 200, so Roam wins at every horizon if it avoids the surcharge.
| Surcharge | Residential /mo | Roam /mo | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| $250 | $55 | $55 | Equal monthly rates. Roam wins as soon as the surcharge is greater than $0. |
| $500 | $55 | $175 | $120 extra per month on Roam Unlimited. 500 ÷ 120 ≈ 4.2 months. |
| $1500 | $85 | $80 | Roam 300GB is $5 cheaper per month than Residential 200, so Roam wins at every horizon if it avoids the surcharge. |
Residential vs Roam break-even
Same hardware, install, tax, and electricity. Surcharge is applied to Residential only — Roam is modeled at $0 surcharge because it typically avoids a fixed-address fee. Surcharge math.
Roam 100GB
- Month-1
- $404
- Year-1
- $1,009
- Monthly service
- $55
The two families tie at this horizon in this model.
Monthly rates are equal or Roam is cheaper ($55 vs $55). Any Residential surcharge makes Roam win from month 1 in this comparison.
- Month-1
- $404
- Year-1 TCO
- $1,009
Surcharge questions
Does the Starlink demand surcharge apply to Roam?
The surcharge is address-specific and typically appears on Residential checkout in congested cells. Roam usually does not require a fixed service address, so it typically avoids that surcharge — that is the comparison StarCost models. Some third-party reports say a surcharge can still appear in certain Roam activations. Treat $0 as the Roam default and verify the live cart.
How do I estimate demand-surcharge break-even vs Roam?
If Roam’s monthly rate is higher than Residential, extra monthly cost × months eventually exceeds the one-time surcharge. Break-even months ≈ surcharge ÷ (Roam monthly − Residential monthly). Example: $500 surcharge and Roam Unlimited at $175 vs Residential 100 at $55 is $120 extra per month, so about 4.2 months. After that, paying the surcharge and staying on Residential is cheaper in this model. If monthly rates are equal (both $55), any surcharge makes Residential more expensive from month 1.
What is Starlink first-year TCO?
First-year total cost of ownership (TCO) is hardware for the year (the kit purchase, or 12 × monthly rent) plus 12 × the monthly plan, plus one-time surcharge and install, plus optional tax and optional dish electricity. Defaults: $349 + 12 × $55 = $1,009 before tax, surcharge, or install. StarCost does not include shipping or accessories unless you add them as install.
Are these official Starlink prices?
No. Presets are unofficial US list-price estimates dated 2026-09-01 (Aug/Sep 2026 public bands). Live checkout is authoritative and can include promotions, regional hardware pricing, shipping, or a surcharge that never appears on marketing pages.
More detail lives in the full FAQ and methodology.