Pet cost calculator
This free pet cost calculator estimates what a dog or cat will cost you over its whole life. Enter your pet's species, expected lifespan and your monthly spending on food, other care and (optionally) insurance, plus any one-off first-year setup cost. It returns a first-year, annual recurring and lifetime estimate using the transparent formula first year + annual × (lifespan − 1). It runs entirely in your browser and stores nothing. Results are estimates — your costs will vary.
Source: ASPCA (annual & first-year pet care costs); NAPHIA State of the Industry Report. Data as of June 2026.
How the calculator works
Your annual recurring cost is (monthly food + monthly other care + monthly insurance) × 12. Your first-year cost is that same annual figure plus the one-off setup cost you enter (adoption/purchase, spay/neuter, initial supplies). The lifetime cost counts the first year once and the remaining (lifespan − 1) years at the recurring annual figure. This matches the method on our methodology page and the breed pages. To anchor your numbers to published US averages, see the dog and cat cost pages and the vet-cost ranges.
Frequently asked questions
How does the pet cost calculator work?
Enter your pet's species, expected lifespan, monthly food, monthly other care (vet, grooming, supplies) and optional monthly insurance. The calculator returns a first-year estimate (your monthly spend × 12 plus one-off setup costs), an annual recurring estimate, and a lifetime estimate (first year + annual × remaining years). Everything runs in your browser; nothing is stored.
Is the calculator accurate?
It is only as good as the numbers you enter, and it deliberately ignores inflation and unpredictable major medical events. Treat the lifetime figure as a transparent baseline estimate, not a guarantee. Use our breed pages for published US averages to fill in realistic numbers.
What should I use for monthly costs?
US averages work out to roughly $115/month for a dog and $95/month for a cat all-in. Food is often $30–$80/month, routine vet and preventives average out to $30–$60/month, and accident-and-illness insurance adds about $56/month for dogs or $32 for cats.
Last updated: 2026-06-18