A single spray tan rarely feels expensive, but the cost is the cadence. Because color fades in about 7–10 days, a year-round glow means roughly three sessions a month, and that is where the annual bill quietly climbs past $1,500.
The yearly math
At the 2026 US average of about $45 a session, tanning every 10 days works out to roughly 36 sessions a year. Add a 15% tip on airbrush or mobile appointments and you are near $1,890, which lines up with the salon rule of thumb of $90–$100 a month at biweekly visits.
What changes the number
Format and frequency move it the most. Booths ($25–$50) are cheaper than airbrush ($60–$95) or mobile ($60–$110), and tanning only in summer (about four months) roughly cuts the annual cost by two-thirds. Stretch the gap between sessions to two weeks and you shave several hundred dollars more.
Make a tan last longer, book less often
Because frequency drives the whole yearly figure, stretching each tan from 7-10 days toward the longer end is the cheapest saving there is. The single biggest lever is cadence: moving from every 10 days to every 14 drops you from roughly 36 to 26 sessions a year, which is several hundred dollars saved without changing anything else. For the full prep-and-aftercare routine that buys those extra days, see how to make a tan last longer.
The cheaper alternative
At-home self-tanner covers 6–8 applications per $30 bottle, so a full year of weekly tanning typically lands at $200–$400 including a mitt. That is over $1,000 saved versus the salon, with the only trade-off being slightly more frequent reapplication.