Man who built solar-powered yacht that can run forever shares how much it costs to live on compared to living on land or driving a car

The man who built a solar-powered yacht has revealed how much living on it costs compared to living on land.

Lukas Sjoman has been documenting practically every aspect of Helios 11, his yacht that lives off sunlight.

He’s sailed hundreds of miles and seen a lot in his remarkable vessel.

But how much has it cost him financially?

The Helios 11 has seen a lot in its time on the open waters

Ever since he finished the Helios 11, Lukas Sjoman has been documenting its progress on his YouTube channel TRUE NORTH.

Practically every facet of its voyages have been shared online, from  its ability to overtake boats three times its size to its maiden voyage on the frozen canals of France.

It’s not been a seamless process by any means, as was evident when his utility dinghy was stolen and his boat was pelted with rocks.

But no amount of setbacks has deterred Sjoman from sharing details about the Helios 11, whether that was new upgrades or the build guide.

However, now it was time for Sjoman to answer one question that has been on the minds of many of his viewers.

How much does it cost him to live on?

And is it more expensive than living on land or driving a car?

How much has Lukas Sjoman spent to live on his solar-powered yacht?

On his solar-powered yacht, Sjoman lived on a budget of under $1,000 per month.

Not having to spend on fuel was a massive money saver, as you might expect.

He rarely used marinas on account of not needing to fuel up, but when he did visit to access cities, he would pay between $10 and $25.

Maintenance costs came to just under $50 a month as there was very little to fix.

Occasional upgrades like better solar panels or additional batteries would sometimes be factored in.

Food was by far his biggest expense, with him spending between $500 and $600 to sustain his high-quality diet.

By spending just shy of $1,000 a month, he was easily beating out the comparable living expenses of living on land.

In Sjoman’s native Finland, he could expect to spend around $1,952 a month, according to Wise.com.

Even if rent was taken out of the equation, that’d still be around $1,100.

Maybe we’re missing a trick here by living on land?

Whether or not it’s cheaper than owning a car depends very much on what kind of car you drive and how often you drive it.

YLE, the Finnish national broadcaster, estimated that a Finnish driver would spend between 233 and 260 euros ($266 to $297) a month on a car like a Seat Ibiza.

There’s obviously a lot of other factors that come into the equation – breakdowns, model of car, etc.

And that’s not forgetting that very few people could live comfortably in their car – while Sjoman is perfectly happy in the Helios 11.

“This current budget of under $1,000 a month opens up a lot of opportunities,” he said.

“I can invest into other things. I don’t need to purchase any fuel which feels liberating.”

More people are choosing to live out at sea

It’s not just men in solar-powered yachts that are deciding life on land isn’t for them.

Many of these people opt for boats of a bigger size; namely cruise ships.

One American woman made this choice to live on a cruise ship and has since been sharing candid views about her expenses.

For another woman in Tennessee, selling everything she owned to live the high life on a cruise ship was a dream come true.