How Much Does It Cost to Build a GMP Pharmaceutical Cold Room Per Square Meter?

GMP pharmaceutical cold rooms are essential facilities in the medical, biotechnology, and vaccine industries. Unlike ordinary cold storage, a GMP-compliant cold room must meet strict international Good Manufacturing Practice requirements, ensuring product quality, safety, and full traceability. These facilities are used to store vaccines, biologics, high-value medicines, test reagents, and other temperature-sensitive medical products.

Typical Construction Cost of a GMP Pharmaceutical Cold Room

The construction cost of a GMP cold room depends on temperature range, design standards, refrigeration system, materials, and local installation conditions.

In China, GMP cold rooms generally cost RMB 900–1900 per m².
Converted to international pricing:

➡ Approx. USD 130–270 per m² (for full GMP cold room construction)

This includes:

• GMP-grade insulated panels
• Haocool temperature-control system
• Medical-grade sensors & calibration
• Monitoring & data-logging system
• Cleanroom finishes and stainless-steel hardware
• Validation documentation (IQ/OQ/PQ optional)

Larger facilities and lower temperatures (such as –20°C) will be at the higher end of the range.

Want to see real project results?

You can check our pharmaceutical cold storage engineering cases to understand actual GMP project designs, equipment configurations, and cost structures.

How Much Storage Capacity Do You Get per Square Meter?

GMP pharmaceutical cold rooms usually operate at 2°C to 8°C, with a typical interior height of 2.6–3.0 meters.

Volume per square meter:

1 m² × 2.7 m height ≈ 2.7 m³

Accounting for racks, aisles, and airflow:
Usable capacity ≈ 1.8–2.1 m³ per m²

Example storage capacity by product type

• Vaccine boxes: 250–300 kg per m²
• Medical reagents: 220–260 kg per m²
• Biological samples: 150–200 kg per m²

Thus, a 500 m² GMP pharmaceutical cold room can store about 100–140 tons of medical products, depending on packaging density.

Example: Total Cost for a 500 m² GMP Pharmaceutical Cold Room

Below is a realistic estimate based on Haocool project data:

500 m² GMP cold room cost

• USD 150/m² × 500 m² = USD 75,000 (basic standard)
• USD 260/m² × 500 m² = USD 130,000 (full GMP with stainless steel + monitoring + qualification)

Storage capacity

• Height: 2.7 m
• Total volume: 500 m² × 2.7 = 1,350 m³
• Usable volume (75% efficiency): 1,012–1,050 m³
• Capacity: 100–140 tons depending on product type

Investment Return Example

Location: Singapore
Cold Room Type: GMP Pharmaceutical Storage
Temperature: 2°C to 8°C
Facility Size: 500 m² (1,350 m³ total volume)
Equipment: Haocool refrigeration system, medical-grade sensors, stainless steel finish
Total Investment: USD 128,000
Storage Capacity: 100–140 tons of vaccines / biologics / medical reagents
Daily Energy Consumption: 45–60 kWh per 100 m²
Payback Period: 2.0–2.5 years (based on rental revenue + cold chain service fees)