What this calculator does
Cost of owning a pet works out first-year and ongoing costs from your own monthly and one-off figures. Enter your own figures above and the answer updates as you type: nothing is fixed in the code, so the result reflects exactly the numbers you supply.
The formula this calculator evaluates is printed under the tool and explained below, so you can check the working by hand or reuse it in a spreadsheet.
The formula
FormulaAnnual cost = (food + healthcare + other) × 12; first year adds one-off setup costs
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Food, per month ($) | A number, measured in your currency. Starts at 60. |
| Vet care & insurance, per month ($) | A number, measured in your currency. Starts at 50. |
| Grooming, toys & other, per month ($) | A number, measured in your currency. Starts at 25. |
| One-off setup costs (adoption, supplies) ($) | A number, measured in your currency. Starts at 400. |
| Years to project | A number. Starts at 10. |
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
How the answer changes with food, per month
Every other input is held at the calculator’s starting values while food, per month varies. Select any row to load that scenario into the calculator.