The Real Cost of Running a One-Person SaaS

Monthly infrastructure costs range EUR 20-75 depending on usage: hosting, database, APIs, authentication, email, and domain. AI API calls are the largest variable cost, scaling with users; paid tier users cost EUR 0.50-1.50 monthly versus EUR 0.01 for free users. One-time expenses include legal review (EUR 200-500), development tools (Claude Pro, Midjourney), and SSL certificates (free options available). Healthy unit economics exist: Flame users paying EUR 9/month with 50 generations generate sufficient margin versus their API costs. Time is the hidden major cost; building required evenings and weekends alongside full-time employment, not reflected in monthly bills. Every "I built a SaaS" story talks about revenue. Almost none talk about the actual costs. Here's every euro that goes into running RAXXO Studio as a one-person operation, including the costs that surprised me. The Monthly Bill Hosting: Vercel Pro - ~EUR 20/month Vercel's free tier is generous for development, but once you