The Coin Cellar · Debasement Basement Tools
How much does it cost to store gold? Safe vs bank box vs vault vs ETF vs IRA
Gold pays no rent, but it can charge you some. Here is what each place to keep it costs over the years, side by side.
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By Joel Perkes · Fees checked November 7, 2026
Keeping $10,000 of gold for 10 years costs about $250 in a gold ETF charging 0.25% a year, $950 in a bank box at $95 a year and $1,000 at home insured at 1% a year. An insured dealer vault costs $1,800, and a gold IRA about $5,145, because its flat yearly fees hit small accounts hardest. The order changes as the amount grows: with $100,000, the vault costs $5,500 over ten years and home insurance $10,000. Enter your own amount, and change any fee to match your quotes.
US fees: US banks, vaults, funds and IRA custodians. Elsewhere the same five choices exist, at local prices: change the fees to match.
Cost to store gold calculator
Change the fees (defaults are sourced below)
US fees. The gold’s value is held at today’s figure, because nobody knows the price in ten years. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
The cost of keeping it
Keeping $10,000 of gold for 10 years costs about $250 in a gold ETF, the cheapest option here, and $5,145 in a gold IRA, the dearest.
$25 a year · 2.5% of the gold$250
$95 a year · 9.5% of the gold$950
$100 a year · 10% of the gold$1,000
$180 a year · 18% of the gold$1,800
$515 a year · 51.5% of the gold$5,145
Percentage fees grow with the pile and flat fees don’t, so the cheapest choice changes as the amount grows. Try a bigger number.
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How this is calculated
- Home safe: the safe’s price once, plus insurance as a percent of the gold each year.
- Bank box: the yearly box fee, plus any insurance you add (none by default; the bank doesn’t insure the contents).
- Vault: the percent fee or the monthly minimum, whichever is more, each year. Insurance is included.
- ETF: the expense ratio on the value each year.
- IRA: setup, one purchase and closing fees once, plus the annual fee and storage (percent or minimum, whichever is more) each year.
The gold’s value is held at the amount you enter. Not included: the dealer premium to buy physical gold, the spread when you sell, a broker’s commission on the ETF, and taxes, which in the US treat gold, gold ETFs and gold IRA withdrawals under their own rules.
Sources for the default fees, read November 7, 2026: home insurance, Money.com (1% to 2% of value a year); bank box, MyBankTracker 2026 guide (medium boxes at major banks, averaged here); vault, APMEX Storage (0.55% a year, $15 a month minimum, insured); ETF, etf.com, June 17, 2026 (IAU 0.25%; GLD 0.40%, GLDM 0.10%); IRA, Vantage IRAs precious metals fee schedule (2025). These are examples from one company each; your own quotes will differ.
Ten years of keeping gold, by amount
At this page’s default fees, the total cost over ten years for different amounts of gold:
| Gold | Home safe | Bank box | Vault | ETF | IRA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $500 | $950 | $1,800 | $125 | $5,145 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 | $950 | $1,800 | $250 | $5,145 |
| $25,000 | $2,500 | $950 | $1,800 | $625 | $5,145 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 | $950 | $2,750 | $1,250 | $5,145 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 | $950 | $5,500 | $2,500 | $5,645 |
| $250,000 | $25,000 | $950 | $13,750 | $6,250 | $8,645 |
Two patterns stand out. Flat fees, like the bank box and the IRA’s yearly charge, are brutal on small amounts and barely noticed on large ones. Percentage fees, like insurance and the vault, grow with the pile. So a bank box is the cheapest place for a few coins, and the vault and the ETF look better as the amount grows.
Home safe: cheapest, until something goes wrong
Gold in a safe at home costs nothing a year if you don’t insure it, and that is exactly the problem. A standard US homeowners policy covers only $200 of coins and bullion in total. Insuring it properly, with a rider or a separate policy, typically runs 1% to 2% of the value a year. Our guide to where to store gold at home covers safes, hiding places and that $200 limit.
Bank safe deposit box: cheap, uninsured
A medium box at a major US bank averaged about $95 a year in MyBankTracker’s 2026 survey. The fee is flat, so it is the cheapest choice here for small and mid-size amounts. Two catches: you can only reach it during bank hours, and neither the FDIC nor, generally, the bank insures what is inside. Add your own cover in the fee settings above if you want it.
Dealer vault: insured, with a minimum
Large dealers store metal in professional depositories. APMEX, for example, charges 0.55% of the value a year, with a $15 monthly minimum, for insured, segregated storage, so your own bars and coins are kept apart from everyone else’s. Because of the minimum, $10,000 costs $180 a year, 1.8%; above about $32,700 the percentage takes over. Getting the metal back means shipping or a visit, usually for a fee.
Gold ETF: cheapest to hold, but not in your hand
A gold ETF holds bars in a vault and sells you shares. Fees in June 2026 ran from 0.10% a year for GLDM to 0.25% for IAU and 0.40% for GLD, and you pay no coin premium to buy. The trade-off is what you own: shares in a trust, held at a broker, not metal you can hold or hand to someone. In the US, gains on gold ETFs are taxed like physical gold, at up to 28% as collectibles; our capital gains tax calculator works it out.
Gold IRA: the most fees, for a tax wrapper
A gold IRA lets you hold metal inside a retirement account, but the IRS requires a custodian and an approved depository, which means fees. One custodian’s 2025 schedule lists a $50 setup fee, $325 a year, storage at 0.20% a year with a $150 minimum, $95 per purchase and $250 to close. On $10,000 that adds up to about $5,145 over ten years, about half of the gold. The dealer’s markup on the metal comes on top, and many gold IRA sellers charge large ones. Compare quotes, and compare the result with the ETF column, before signing anything. And make sure the metal actually reaches the depository: our guide to what happens if a gold dealer goes bankrupt explains why.
Questions people actually ask
How much does it cost to store gold?
At this page's default fees, keeping $10,000 of gold for 10 years costs about $250 in a gold ETF, $950 in a bank box, $1,000 at home with insurance, $1,800 in an insured dealer vault and $5,145 in a gold IRA. The order changes with the amount.
How much does vault storage for gold cost?
APMEX charges 0.55% of the value a year, with a $15 monthly minimum, for insured, segregated storage. On $10,000 the minimum applies, so it is $180 a year; above about $32,700 the percentage takes over.
What are typical gold IRA fees?
One custodian's 2025 schedule (Vantage IRAs) lists a $50 setup fee, $325 a year, storage at 0.20% of value a year with a $150 minimum, $95 per purchase and $250 to close. Dealer markups on the metal are on top.
Is it cheaper to own a gold ETF than physical gold?
Usually, to hold it. Gold ETFs charge 0.10% to 0.40% a year (GLDM 0.10%, IAU 0.25%, GLD 0.40% in June 2026) and you pay no dealer premium. You own shares, not metal you can hold, and in the US the gains are taxed as collectibles, like physical gold.
How much is a safe deposit box?
MyBankTracker's 2026 survey of major US banks found medium boxes averaging about $95 a year, small boxes about $40 and large ones about $200. Prices vary by branch.
Are safe deposit boxes insured?
No. The FDIC insures deposits, not the contents of a safe deposit box, and banks generally don't insure them either. Insure the contents through your own policy if you want cover.
How much does it cost to insure gold at home?
Typically 1% to 2% of its value a year, according to Money.com in 2026. A standard US homeowners policy covers only $200 of bullion and coins unless you add coverage.
Should I store gold at home or in a vault?
It depends on the amount and on you. Small amounts are cheap to keep at home, and vault minimums make them expensive to store elsewhere. Larger amounts cost less, as a share, in a vault, and a vault removes the risk of a home burglary. Our storage guide covers the security side.
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