Membership · Value
Cost per visit, honestly: what your membership really costs at the frequency you actually go
Everyone joins planning four visits a week. The industry average is closer to one. What premium memberships cost per visit at realistic frequencies, what you would pay for the same things separately, and the honest test of whether yours is worth keeping.
Updated September 2026 · Prices and facilities are illustrative and need verification
Cost per visit by frequency
| Membership | Monthly | 1 visit/wk | 2 visits/wk | 3 visits/wk | 4+ visits/wk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bannatyne | £60 to £85 | £14 to £20 | £7 to £10 | £5 to £7 | £3 to £5 |
| Nuffield Health | £75 to £110 | £17 to £25 | £9 to £13 | £6 to £8 | £4 to £6 |
| Virgin Active | £90 to £180 | £21 to £42 | £10 to £21 | £7 to £14 | £5 to £10 |
| David Lloyd | £110 to £200 | £25 to £46 | £13 to £23 | £8 to £15 | £6 to £12 |
| Third Space | £200 to £300 | £46 to £69 | £23 to £35 | £15 to £23 | £12 to £17 |
| Harbour Club / Equinox | £250 to £400 | £58 to £92 | £29 to £46 | £19 to £31 | £14 to £23 |
| Studio pack (for comparison) | £150 to £280 for 8 to 12 | £18 to £35 per class | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Illustrative monthly prices September 2026 divided by 4.33 weeks; verify prices. Excludes joining fees.
The honest test
Take last month’s actual visits from the club app, divide the fee by that number, and compare to what you would pay for the same things individually: a swim at a good pool (£6 to £10), a class (£15 to £35), a spa day (£40 to £95), a court (£10 to £20 per person). If your per-visit cost is above the sum of what you did there, you are paying for the option, not the use.
Paying for the option
That can be fine. A premium club is partly an insurance policy against not training, and partly access: to a pool at 6am, a court on Sunday, a sauna after a bad day. Value the option honestly and decide if it is worth the gap. Do not tell yourself you will go more next month; the data says you will go about the same.
What moves the number
Going twice a week instead of once halves the cost per visit. Using two facilities per visit (train, then swim or sauna) halves it again in value terms. Bringing family on a joint membership changes everything; see family memberships compared. Paying via an employer or insurer scheme takes 10 to 50 percent off the top; see paying less.
The calculator
Our membership cost calculator (not yet available) does this with your fee, joining fee, contract length and honest weekly visits, and compares against a home gym or a studio pack.
FAQs
Common questions
How often does the average gym member go?
Industry figures put it around once a week or less, with a large share of members visiting under twice a month.
Is David Lloyd worth it?
At three or more visits a week using the pool, courts or spa alongside the gym, the per-visit cost is competitive with a swim and a class bought separately. At once a week, you are paying £25 to £46 a visit.
Run your own numbers.
Guide not yet available