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Cost method

Temperature and Cooling Rate: How the Price per m³ Is Set

Every ColdMatch cost figure starts from one question: how cold does the room need to be? This page shows the installed USD/m³ rate for each temperature class, how the rate is derived from the central cost baseline, and how to compare classes before you size a project.

Rate by temperature class — 500 m³ reference room

Installed envelope and refrigeration, USD per m³, medium room band (200–1,000 m³). Bars are to scale.

Cool room · +8 to +12 °C (46 to 54 °F)

USD 250/m³

Low end of the chilled band — light insulation and small plant.

Chilled store · 0 to +5 °C (32 to 41 °F)

USD 350/m³

Midpoint of the chilled band; the baseline food room.

Pharma / GDP room · +2 to +8 °C (36 to 46 °F)

USD 490/m³

Chilled midpoint × 1.4 — the 30–50% validation and monitoring premium.

Multi-temperature · Mixed zones (Mixed zones)

USD 413/m³

Average of chilled and frozen midpoints; zoning adds controls.

Frozen store · −18 to −25 °C (0 to −13 °F)

USD 475/m³

Midpoint of the frozen band; floor insulation and larger plant.

Blast freezing · −30 to −40 °C (−22 to −40 °F)

USD 600/m³

High end of the frozen band; high air velocity and pull-down duty.

Ultra-low · −60 °C (−76 °F)

USD 1,050/m³

Frozen high end × 1.75 — planning premium, no published band.

How the rate is calculated

Start from the central installed-cost table: chilled and frozen USD/m³ ranges for four room-size bands.
Pick the size band from the room volume — under 50 m³, 50–200 m³, 200–1,000 m³, or 1,000 m³ and above.
Map the temperature to a class: cool uses the chilled low end, chilled the chilled midpoint, frozen the frozen midpoint, blast the frozen high end.
Apply premiums where the baseline defines them: pharma = chilled midpoint × 1.4 (the 30–50% GDP premium), ultra-low = frozen high end × 1.75.
Multiply by volume for the budget figure, and label the result as an indicative planning estimate — never a quotation.

Size band	Chilled USD/m³	Frozen USD/m³
Walk-in, under 50 m³ (fixed costs dominate)	360–1,100	540–1,600
Small room, 50–200 m³	350–600	500–850
Medium room/store, 200–1,000 m³	250–450	350–600
Large store, 1,000 m³ and above	180–320	250–450

Source: the central ColdMatch cost baseline, USD 2026 planning ranges. The same table drives the cold room capex estimator and the cold storage cost calculator, so every page quotes one set of numbers.

Limitations

• Rates cover installed envelope and refrigeration only — land, building shell, racking, automation, backup power, duty and freight are excluded.
• Country factors (ports, haulage, ambient design) move the rate; see the country price pages for local adjustments.
• The ultra-low premium is a planning assumption, not a published band — confirm −60 °C projects with a specialist.
• Energy cost is separate: roughly 30–55 kWh/m³/yr chilled and 55–95 kWh/m³/yr frozen.

Frequently asked questions

Why does a colder room cost more per m³?

Lower temperatures need thicker insulation, vapour sealing, floor insulation below freezing, larger compressors and defrost capacity. That is why the frozen band sits above the chilled band at every room size.

Which temperature class should I use for a mixed facility?

Use the multi-temperature class for a first estimate, then price each zone separately at its own temperature. Zone walls, doors and controls add cost that a single average rate cannot show.

Are these rates a quotation?

No. They are indicative planning figures from the central ColdMatch cost baseline, installed envelope and refrigeration scope, USD 2026. A supplier quotation confirms the real price for your site, specification and country.

How do I turn a rate into a project budget?

Multiply the USD/m³ rate by your room volume, then check the result against the size band — small rooms carry fixed costs over fewer m³, so their rate is higher. The cold room capex estimator does this automatically.

Next steps

Indicative planning figures, USD, installed scope. A supplier quotation confirms the final price.