The average laundromat costs $4.00 to $8.00 per load in 2026. That is $2.00 to $5.00 to wash and $1.50 to $4.00 to dry. A single person spends about $40 to $65 per month. A family of three or four spends $100 to $150 before gas and detergent.
Here is the full breakdown: average laundromat prices by machine size, what the dryers cost, how much money to bring, and what laundry costs per month across the US. It also covers prices here in St. George, Utah, and when having machines at home beats the laundromat.
| Laundromat Cost | 2026 Average |
|---|---|
| Wash (per load) | $2.00 – $5.00 |
| Dry (per load) | $1.50 – $4.00 |
| Total per load | $4.00 – $8.00 |
| Single person (per month) | $40 – $65 |
| Family of 3–4 (per month) | $100 – $150 |
Laundromat Cost Per Load in 2026
A standard wash cycle runs $2.00 to $5.00. The price depends on the machine size. A regular top-loader sits around $2.00 to $3.00. A double-load front-loader costs $3.50 to $5.00, and large-capacity machines for comforters and family loads run $6.00 to $10.00. Prices skew higher in big cities, where a single load can reach $10.
Drying adds $1.50 to $4.00 per load. Most dryers charge about $0.25 for every 5 to 8 minutes, and a full load takes 30 to 45 minutes. Thick items like towels and blankets often need a second round.
One load of laundry costs $4.00 to $8.00 when you combine washing and drying. That is the baseline. Detergent from the vending machine adds another $1.00 to $2.00 if you forget to bring your own.
Coin laundries, washaterias, and laundrettes all price the same way. The name changes by region. The cost per load does not.
Average Laundromat Prices by Machine Size
Laundromats price washers by capacity. The bigger the drum, the higher the price per cycle.
| Machine | Holds | Average Price |
|---|---|---|
| Top-load washer | 1 load (12 lb) | $2.00 – $3.00 |
| Double-load front-loader | 2 loads (20 lb) | $3.50 – $5.00 |
| Triple-load front-loader | 3 loads (30 lb) | $5.00 – $6.50 |
| Large washer | 4 loads (40 lb) | $6.00 – $8.00 |
| Mega washer | 6 to 8 loads (60–80 lb) | $8.00 – $10.00+ |
| Dryer | 30 to 45 minutes | $1.50 – $4.00 |
Bigger machines cost more per cycle and less per pound. Four separate top-load washes cost $8.00 to $12.00. One 40-pound machine washes the same pile for $6.00 to $8.00.
Use the big machines for bedding, towels, and a full week of family laundry. Use the small ones for a single basket.
How Much Does It Cost to Dry Clothes at a Laundromat?
A laundromat dryer costs $1.50 to $4.00 per load. Most charge $0.25 for every 5 to 8 minutes. The final price depends on how long your clothes take to dry.
| Load | Dry Time | Dryer Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Light load (shirts, synthetics) | 20 – 30 minutes | $1.00 – $1.50 |
| Full mixed load | 30 – 45 minutes | $1.50 – $2.50 |
| Towels, jeans, bedding | 45 – 60 minutes | $2.50 – $4.00 |
The dryer is where people overpay. Three habits cut the bill:
- Pick the highest spin speed on the washer. Less water in the clothes means fewer minutes in the dryer.
- Do not overload the dryer. A packed drum takes twice as long and costs twice as much.
- Combine two washer loads into one large dryer. Most laundromat dryers hold 30 to 45 pounds.
How Much Money Should You Bring to the Laundromat?
Bring $10 for one load and $20 for two. That covers the wash, the dry, a second dry cycle for thick items, and detergent from the vending machine.
| Loads | Wash and Dry Cost | Bring |
|---|---|---|
| 1 load | $4 – $8 | $10 |
| 2 loads | $8 – $16 | $20 |
| 4 loads | $16 – $32 | $35 |
| 6 loads | $24 – $48 | $50 |
Check how the laundromat takes payment before you go. Coin laundries run on quarters, and one load takes 16 to 32 of them. Newer laundromats use a reloadable card or a phone app. Change machines break, so bring your own quarters to a coin laundry.
How Much Does Laundry Cost Per Month?
A single person doing 1 to 2 loads per week spends $16 to $64 per month at the machines. Most land around $40 to $65 once detergent and the occasional double-dry cycle are counted.
A typical family of 3 to 4 people generates 5 to 8 loads of laundry per week. That is 20 to 32 loads per month. At the low end, 20 loads at $4.00 each costs $80 per month. At the high end, 32 loads at $5.50 each costs $176 per month. Most families land between $100 and $150 per month on laundromat costs alone.
| Household | Loads Per Week | Monthly Laundromat Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 1 – 2 | $40 – $65 |
| Couple | 3 – 4 | $60 – $100 |
| Family of 3–4 | 5 – 8 | $100 – $150 |
| Family of 5 or more | 8 – 10 | $150 – $220 |
How Much Does Wash-and-Fold Laundry Service Cost?
Full-service wash-and-fold is the expensive shortcut. Drop-off laundry service runs $1.50 to $3.00 per pound, so a typical 15-pound bag costs $25 to $45. Doing that weekly puts a family well past $200 per month.
Pickup and delivery services charge more. Expect $2.00 to $3.50 per pound plus a delivery fee or a minimum order of $30 to $40.
Laundromat vs. Laundry at Home: Cost Per Load
A load of laundry at home costs $1.00 to $2.00. Electricity for the washer and dryer runs $0.60 to $1.00. Water adds $0.15 to $0.30. Detergent adds $0.25 to $0.50.
The same load costs $4.00 to $8.00 at the laundromat. At 25 loads a month, that gap is $75 to $150.
The catch is the machines. A new washer and dryer set costs $800 to $3,500, and most renters do not want to buy appliances they have to move later. That is the gap renting fills. Here is how renting compares to buying.
The Hidden Costs Most People Ignore
Gas and Drive Time
Unless you live next door to one, the nearest laundromat is a 5 to 15 minute drive. A round trip twice a week burns 2 to 3 gallons of gas per month. At current gas prices, that adds $7 to $10 monthly.
Time Spent at the Laundromat
Each laundromat trip takes 1 to 2 hours. You have to load machines, wait for cycles, move clothes to the dryer, fold, and drive home. Two trips per week means 8 to 16 hours per month sitting in a laundromat.
That is 2 to 4 full workdays every month. For a family with jobs and kids, those hours have real value. You could be working, cooking, or actually enjoying your weekend instead.
Wear on Your Clothes
Commercial laundromat machines run hotter and more aggressively than home units. Clothes fade faster. Elastic breaks down sooner. You replace items more often. It is hard to put a dollar amount on this, but it adds up over a year.
Laundromat Prices in St. George, Utah
St. George laundromats charge right around the national average. A standard wash runs $2.50 to $5.00 and drying adds $1.50 to $3.00, so a full load costs $4.00 to $8.00. A family of 3 to 4 spends $100 to $150 per month at the machines, plus $7 to $10 in gas for the drive.
Availability is the bigger local problem. St. George has grown from 80,000 to over 100,000 residents in the past few years, and the city keeps expanding south and west. New housing developments in Little Valley, Desert Color, and along the Southern Parkway are miles from the nearest laundromat.
Laundromats have not kept pace with the population growth. Fewer locations mean longer drives, more crowded machines, and less availability on weekends. Saturday mornings at any St. George laundromat now means waiting for an open machine.
What Washer and Dryer Rental Costs Instead
Renting a washer and dryer through DryAndWashRent costs $60 per month for both machines. Installation is a one-time fee of $39.99. There is no long-term contract. Nationally, washer and dryer rentals cost $30 to $110 per month.
Here is how the numbers compare side by side:
- Laundromat: $100 to $150 per month (plus gas and time)
- Washer and dryer rental: $60 per month (no extra costs)
- Monthly savings: $40 to $90
- Yearly savings: $480 to $1,080
The rental pays for itself from month one. You save $40 to $90 each month compared to laundromat prices. Over a year, that is $480 to $1,080 back in your pocket.
The Time Savings Are Even Bigger
With machines at home, you start a load in 2 minutes. You do not drive anywhere. You do not wait in a laundromat. You throw clothes in before work and move them to the dryer when you get home.
Those 8 to 16 hours per month you spent at the laundromat go back to your life. No more planning your Saturday around laundry. No more hauling baskets to the car in 110-degree St. George summers.
Here is the full list of reasons in-home laundry beats the laundromat.
Who Benefits Most from Renting
Renters benefit the most. If your apartment or rental home has washer and dryer hookups but no machines, you are stuck choosing between a laundromat and buying machines you cannot take with you when you move.
Renting solves both problems. You get in-home laundry for less than laundromat costs. If you move, we handle the removal. No machines to sell or leave behind.
Families with kids save the most in raw dollars. More people means more loads. A family doing 8 loads per week saves over $100 per month by switching from the laundromat to a rental.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average laundromat cost?
The average laundromat cost in 2026 is $4.00 to $8.00 per load for a wash and a dry. The average wash is $2.00 to $5.00 and the average dry is $1.50 to $4.00. Prices run higher in big cities and for large-capacity machines.
How much money should I bring to the laundromat?
Bring $10 for one load and $20 for two. Four loads cost $16 to $32, so bring $35. That covers washing, drying, a second dry cycle for towels or bedding, and vending machine detergent. Bring quarters if it is a coin laundry.
How much do 4 loads of laundry cost at a laundromat?
Four loads cost $16 to $32 to wash and dry in separate machines. One 40-pound large-capacity washer handles all four loads for $6.00 to $8.00, plus $3.00 to $6.00 for two dryers. That cuts the total to $9 to $14.
How much does a laundromat cost per load?
A full wash-and-dry cycle at a laundromat costs $4.00 to $8.00 per load in 2026. Washing runs $2.00 to $5.00 depending on machine size, and drying adds $1.50 to $4.00. Large-capacity machines and big-city locations can push a single load to $10 or more.
How much does it cost to dry clothes at a laundromat?
Drying costs $1.50 to $4.00 per load. Most laundromat dryers charge about $0.25 for every 5 to 8 minutes, and a full load takes 30 to 45 minutes to dry. Thick items like towels and blankets often need a second cycle, which doubles the cost.
How much does laundry cost per month?
A single person doing 1 to 2 loads per week spends $40 to $65 per month at a laundromat. A family of 3 to 4 doing 5 to 8 loads per week spends $100 to $150 per month on machines alone. Gas and detergent add $10 to $20 more.
Is it cheaper to use a laundromat or do laundry at home?
Laundry at home costs $1 to $2 per load in water, electricity, and detergent. A laundromat charges $4 to $8 for the same load. If you do not own machines, renting a washer and dryer for $60 per month beats the $100 to $150 most families spend at the laundromat.
How much does a laundromat cost in St. George, Utah?
St. George laundromats charge $2.50 to $5.00 to wash and $1.50 to $3.00 to dry. That is $4.00 to $8.00 for a full load, right around the national average. A family of 3 to 4 spends $100 to $150 per month, plus $7 to $10 in gas for the drive.
Ready to rent a washer and dryer in St. George? Fill out our quick form or call (435) 767-7225.