How to price a retreat: costs, margin and break-even

To price a retreat, add up the fixed costs (facilitators, marketing, any venue minimum), work out what each guest costs you (lodging, meals, transfers, payment fees) and choose a price that leaves a margin per guest. Divide the fixed costs by that margin and round up: that is how many places you need to sell to break even.

The rest of this guide walks through the numbers with an illustrative example in Canadian dollars. Swap in your own quotes; the method is the same for a weekend in the mountains or a week by the sea, in Canada, the US or abroad.

What costs go into a retreat?

Split every cost into two groups. That split is what makes the break-even maths possible.

Fixed costs stay the same whether 6 or 16 people come:

• facilitator and support staff fees;
• marketing (ads, photos, video);
• materials, sound, insurance and staff travel;
• an exclusive venue fee or a guaranteed minimum number of guests.

Variable costs grow with every guest:

• lodging and meals, usually priced per person per night;
• airport or station transfers;
• welcome kit, excursions and add-on activities;
• the payment processing fee on each sale.

The most common mistake is forgetting to pay yourself. If you lead the retreat, put your own fee in fixed costs. Profit is what is left after that, not instead of it.

How do you work out a retreat’s break-even point?

Here is an illustrative example: a 4-day, 3-night retreat with 16 places at a rural lodge. The figures are invented to show the method, not market averages.

Item	Type	Amount
Two facilitators	Fixed	CA$4,000
Marketing	Fixed	CA$1,000
Materials, insurance and contingency	Fixed	CA$700
Staff travel	Fixed	CA$600
Total fixed		CA$6,300
Lodging with meals (CA$300 a night, 3 nights)	Per guest	CA$900
Transfers	Per guest	CA$80
Welcome kit	Per guest	CA$20
Total per guest		CA$1,000

At a price of CA$2,200 and an example payment fee of 4% (CA$88; use your processor’s real rate), the margin per guest is:

CA$2,200 minus CA$1,000 minus CA$88 = CA$1,112.

Break-even is fixed costs divided by margin: CA$6,300 divided by CA$1,112 is 5.7. Rounded up, 6 guests cover every cost. With all 16 places sold, you have CA$35,200 in revenue, CA$17,408 in per-guest costs and fees, CA$6,300 in fixed costs and CA$11,492 in profit.

What if the venue asks for a guaranteed minimum?

Many lodges and retreat centres ask for a minimum number of guests or an exclusive booking. That turns part of the lodging into a fixed cost.

In the same example, if the lodge bills at least 12 guests, you pay 12 times CA$900 (CA$10,800) even with fewer sign-ups. Fixed costs become CA$17,100, and each guest up to the twelfth now contributes CA$2,012 (the price minus transfers, kit and fee). CA$17,100 divided by CA$2,012 is 8.5, so you need 9 guests to break even, not 6.

Read the venue contract before you set the price. Confirmation deadlines and the right to lower the minimum matter as much as the nightly rate. More on this in how to choose a retreat venue.

How should you price single rooms, shared rooms and no lodging?

Give each lodging option its own price and number of places. A simple rule: the base price is a bed in a shared room, and other options add or subtract the real difference in cost.

Option	Lodging cost (3 nights)	Example price
Bed in a shared room	CA$900	CA$2,200
Single room	CA$1,500	CA$2,800
No lodging (meals and sessions only)	CA$300	CA$1,500

Here the single room costs CA$600 more than a shared bed, and its price rises by the same CA$600. If single rooms are scarce and sell first, you can charge a little more. A no-lodging option suits locals and eases pressure on rooms. See retreat rooming and lodging options for the details.

How do early bird prices work without losing money?

Early bird prices sell the first places, and those sales usually fund the venue deposit. Three rules:

1. The early bird price still needs a margin. In the example, 10% off brings the price to CA$1,980 and the margin to about CA$901. Still positive, but break-even rises if most guests buy at that price.
2. Cap it by date or by number of places (for example, the first 6 places or until 60 days out).
3. Say when it ends and stick to it. An early bird that keeps coming back teaches people to wait.

Promo codes for partners or past guests work the same way: check the margin before you share them.

What else belongs in the price?

• Payment fees. Card fees differ by card type and country, and cards issued abroad can cost more. Check your processor’s pricing page, for example Stripe’s pricing for Canada (checked October 2026).
• Sales tax. In Canada, check whether you must register for and charge GST/HST; the Canada Revenue Agency explains when to register (checked October 2026). In the US, sales tax rules vary by state. Ask an accountant before you publish the price.
• A contingency buffer. Rain, a sick facilitator, a kitchen that bills extra. A buffer of 5% to 10% of the budget keeps one surprise from eating the profit.
• Cancellations. Even with a clear policy, some guests drop out. A well set deposit and a waiting list soften the blow; see retreat deposit and balance.

How do you know the price is right for your audience?

The maths gives you the lowest healthy price, not the ideal one. To refine it:

• compare what similar retreats in your area include (nights, rooms, meals, sessions), not just the headline price;
• ask past guests and regular students what they would spend and what they value most;
• start with a shorter or smaller retreat if your audience is new to you.

If the price your audience accepts does not clear break-even with room to spare, change the structure (fewer nights, another venue, more shared rooms) instead of cutting your margin.

Where do you set up the places and prices?

Once the price is set, each lodging option becomes a ticket type with its own price and number of places. With elastudio for retreats, you create those ticket types, take a deposit at purchase and charge the balance by saved card on the date you choose, with no cut of your sales.

The maths in five steps

1. List fixed costs (including your own fee) and per-guest costs.
2. Pick a price and subtract the per-guest cost and payment fee.
3. Divide fixed costs by the margin and round up.
4. Rerun it with the venue minimum and with the early bird price.
5. If the price does not work, change the structure, not your margin.