How much does Starlink actually cost in Canada?
Total first-year cost for a typical Canadian household on Roam Unlimited: roughly $2,580 (dish + plan + tax + shipping). Total cost for a two-week salmon trip via rental: $298. Full math below.
- Hardware: $349 (Mini) to $599 (full kit) plus tax
- Shipping: $30 Canada-wide flat rate
- Plans: $65 to $500+/month
- Rental alternative: $45/day, $149/week, $399/month all-in
Starlink Mini kits from $45/day · unlimited data · refundable deposit · pickup in St. John's or NL-wide shipping.
Check Rental AvailabilityYear-one ownership cost
A Canadian buying the standard Starlink kit and running Roam Unlimited for 12 months pays approximately: $599 hardware + ~$78 HST + $30 shipping + ($165 × 12 = $1,980) plan fees ≈ $2,687 CAD year one. Year two drops to ~$1,980. That's the "make Starlink work anywhere" number for a family or a small crew.
Renting is cheaper for anything short
The break-even on ownership vs renting sits at roughly 8 months of continuous use. If you need Starlink for a week, a season, a shoot, or a cabin summer — renting is the correct answer every time. A two-week salmon lodge rental costs $298 all-in vs $2,687 to own it for the same purpose year one.
Hidden costs of ownership
- Storage between trips (the case is bigger than a carry-on)
- Roam pauses reactivate as full-month bills
- Cable replacement if you damage a proprietary line ($60–$90)
- Depreciation — a used Starlink kit resells for ~60% of new
See the live calculator on the Roam vs rental page for numbers on your exact trip length.
Frequently asked
Starlink Mini is $349 CAD, the standard Actuated dish is $499, and the full Roam kit runs $599 depending on the promotion window. Add HST/GST/PST and $30 shipping.
Residential Lite $80, Residential $140, Roam 50GB $65, Roam Unlimited $165, Priority tiers $250 and up. Plus tax.
One-time activation ($0 currently), shipping ($30), taxes at your provincial rate. Roam pauses count as a full month on reactivation. No contract lock-in.
Yes — rent one. From $45/day with unlimited data and no hardware purchase. Fully refundable if you cancel 48h+ before pickup.