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Contabo VPS Monthly Cost for a 24/7 YouTube Stream With Video Storage

Contabo’s US pricing shows Cloud VPS from $5.28/month on a 24-month term, but video storage and continuous-stream traffic can be the bigger constraints. Compare plan capacity, archive needs, and YouTube bitrate guidance before estimating your total.
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Short answer: On Contabo’s US pricing page, Cloud VPS plans are displayed at $5.28–$13.44 per month when purchased on a 24-month term. Storage VPS plans start at $6.63 per month, also on the displayed US pricing, but the storage tier you choose can still hold less than a week of continuous 1080p30 video. These are plan prices, not a guaranteed all-in cost: region, term, availability, encoding workload, and archive retention all matter.

Contabo’s displayed US prices and included resources

The prices below are the effective monthly rates shown on Contabo’s US pricing page for a 24-month subscription, as checked on October 3, 2026. They are not month-to-month rates. Prices and availability vary by location and can change; Storage VPS 20 was listed as unavailable when checked.

Plan Displayed US rate Resources stated on the pricing page Video-storage context
Cloud VPS 4 $5.28/month, 24-month term 4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 100 GB SSD, 200 Mbit/s port 100 GB is less than one day of a 14 Mbps continuous archive, before overhead.
Cloud VPS 6 $7.20/month, 24-month term 6 vCPU, 12 GB RAM, 200 GB SSD, 300 Mbit/s port 200 GB is roughly 1.3 days of a 14 Mbps archive, before overhead.
Cloud VPS 8 $13.44/month, 24-month term 8 vCPU, 24 GB RAM, 300 GB SSD, 600 Mbit/s port 300 GB is roughly two days of a 14 Mbps archive, before overhead.
Storage VPS 10 $6.63/month, 24-month term 300 GB SSD Roughly two days at 14 Mbps, before overhead.
Storage VPS 20 $9.20/month, 24-month term 400 GB SSD; listed as unavailable Roughly 2.6 days at 14 Mbps, before overhead; availability was not shown.
Storage VPS 30 $17.54/month, 24-month term 1 TB SSD Less than seven days at 14 Mbps, before overhead.
Storage VPS 40 $31.20/month, 24-month term 1.2 TB SSD About eight days at 14 Mbps, before overhead.
Storage VPS 50 $46.10/month, 24-month term 1.4 TB SSD About nine days at 14 Mbps, before overhead.

Storage retention figures in the final column are rough arithmetic estimates, not Contabo specifications: they use a continuous 14 Mbps feed and decimal storage units, and exclude filesystem, container, audio-track, and copy overhead. See Contabo’s US VPS pricing page for current plans and regional pricing and Contabo’s Storage VPS page for its storage-plan details.

Estimate the monthly cost from the stream you actually need

Relay versus encode

A VPS that relays an already encoded video feed has a different workload from one that decodes and software-encodes video. The right CPU and memory depend on the software, codec, resolution, and concurrent work. The plan pages list vCPU, RAM, disk, and port rate; they do not establish that a particular plan can encode a given format or guarantee uninterrupted delivery. Treat Cloud VPS 4 as a possible low-cost relay baseline only if the chosen software fits and recordings are stored elsewhere or kept very briefly—not as a proven encoding recommendation.

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Budget for video retention separately

YouTube’s live guide recommends H.264 at 14 Mbps for 1080p30 and 17 Mbps for 1080p60. At a constant 14 Mbps, the stream transfers about 151 GB per day, or 4.53 TB over 30 days, and a local recording uses roughly 151 GB per day before overhead. At 17 Mbps, transfer is about 184 GB per day, or 5.51 TB over 30 days. These are calculations from bitrate using decimal units, not figures published by YouTube.

For example, a 1 TB Storage VPS 30 holds under seven days at the assumed 14 Mbps rate before overhead. A common arrangement is a Cloud VPS for the streaming process and a separate Storage VPS for recordings, but the transfer route and any additional costs must be checked before treating the two plan prices as a complete total. Longer retention may require more storage or another archive location.

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Understand the traffic and port caveats

Contabo advertises unlimited traffic, but outgoing traffic is subject to fair use; its terms reserve the right to throttle exceptionally high or disruptive usage. A listed port rate is a port specification, not a promise that a stream will be delivered continuously at that rate. YouTube advises leaving 20% bandwidth headroom above the total stream bitrate. Test the actual feed and monitor it rather than sizing from the port number alone. See Contabo’s plan details and YouTube’s streaming tips.

Configure the YouTube feed and protect the archive

  1. Choose the stream workload. Decide whether the VPS relays a pre-encoded feed or must encode it, and select resolution, frame rate, codec, and software accordingly. The title alone does not establish which compute tier is adequate.
  2. Use YouTube’s encoding guidance as a starting point. For H.264 live video, YouTube recommends 14 Mbps at 1080p30 and 17 Mbps at 1080p60. It recommends constant bitrate encoding and a two-second keyframe interval, not exceeding four seconds. Check the current YouTube live encoder settings for other formats and resolutions.
  3. Allow bandwidth margin. YouTube recommends 20% headroom above the total bitrate. Include audio and any other encoded tracks in the total; confirm the VPS can sustain the complete outgoing feed during a real test.
  4. Set the live stream up in YouTube Studio. Create or select the live stream, copy its stream key into the streaming software running on the VPS, and keep the key private. A leaked key can let someone else broadcast to your channel; reset it in YouTube Studio if exposed.
  5. Test before relying on a continuous broadcast. Start the feed, inspect YouTube’s stream health, and confirm the local recording file is growing. Check CPU, memory, disk space, and network behavior under the actual workload.
  6. Plan a separate archive. YouTube says streams under 12 hours can be automatically archived, but streams over 12 hours may not be captured at all. YouTube recommends recording a local archive as backup. For a 24/7 stream, do not rely on YouTube’s archive as the only copy.

For audience-facing content, also check that you have the rights to stream every video and audio track. YouTube’s copyright and monetization policies can affect streams and channel eligibility; continuous playback alone does not make material eligible or rights-cleared. Review YouTube’s live streaming restrictions and YouTube’s monetization policies for the applicable rules.

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Common cost and reliability mistakes

  • Reading the displayed rate as monthly cancellation pricing: the quoted Contabo rates are effective monthly prices for a 24-month subscription. Compare like-for-like terms and location before choosing.
  • Using the VPS system disk as a long-term archive: at 14 Mbps, even 300 GB lasts only about two days before overhead. Estimate retention from bitrate and leave room for extra tracks and duplicate files.
  • Assuming a high port rate guarantees a stable stream: the port figure does not prove sustained delivery or suitable CPU performance. Test the end-to-end feed, leave YouTube’s recommended headroom, and monitor stream health.
  • Assuming “unlimited traffic” means no traffic qualification: Contabo’s fair-use qualification applies to outgoing traffic, including the large volume generated by a continuous stream.
  • Relying on YouTube for a 24-hour archive: streams longer than 12 hours may not be captured. Maintain a local recording and verify that it is growing.
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If you want a continuous pre-recorded YouTube stream without maintaining a VPS, StreamNeo is an alternative: upload a recording or make a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops the uploaded videos in the cloud, so your computer and home connection do not need to stay on. Each slot streams the uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, with automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card; it is one free day per account.

Monthly StreamNeo pricing: $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo for plan details, or start the free day.

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