How much does it cost to feed a puppy per month?
A puppy that will grow to 20 kg (44 lb) eats about 320 g a day of a 4,000 kcal/kg puppy food when it reaches 10 kg, half its adult weight (1,280 kcal, NRC 2006 growth equation). At 5 per kilogram of food that is about 49 a month; at 12 per kilogram, 117. The same dog as a neutered adult costs 38 a month on a 3,600 kcal/kg adult food at the same 5 per kilogram, so the puppy months are the expensive ones. The tables work in any currency: use the price per kilogram of the food you buy.
Open the pet food cost calculator
Monthly cost at half adult weight, by breed size and price
Half adult weight is the middle of the growth curve and close to the peak of the food bill, so it is the month to budget for. Calories from the NRC 2006 puppy equation for a puppy at half the adult weight it is heading for, grams on a 4,000 kcal/kg puppy food (the usual density for growth foods), then the cost at four prices per kilogram of food. Divide the bag price by the bag weight to find your column.
| Adult weight | Puppy weight | Calories a day | Grams a day | 3 per kg | 5 per kg | 8 per kg | 12 per kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kg (11 lb) | 2.5 kg | 453 | 113 g | 10 | 17 | 28 | 41 |
| 10 kg (22 lb) | 5 kg | 761 | 190 g | 17 | 29 | 46 | 70 |
| 20 kg (44 lb) | 10 kg | 1,280 | 320 g | 29 | 49 | 78 | 117 |
| 30 kg (66 lb) | 15 kg | 1,735 | 434 g | 40 | 66 | 106 | 158 |
| 40 kg (88 lb) | 20 kg | 2,153 | 538 g | 49 | 82 | 131 | 197 |
How the cost changes as the puppy grows
The same puppy at a quarter, half and three quarters of its adult weight, then as a neutered adult on a 3,600 kcal/kg adult food, all at 5 per kilogram. The rise from the quarter row to the three-quarter row is the growth; the drop to the adult row is the switch to adult food and adult calories. The puppy feeding chart gives the same stages in cups.
| Adult weight | Stage | Calories a day | Grams a day | Cost a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 kg (22 lb) | 25% of adult, 2.5 kg | 583 | 146 g | 22 |
| 10 kg (22 lb) | 50% of adult, 5 kg | 761 | 190 g | 29 |
| 10 kg (22 lb) | 75% of adult, 7.5 kg | 793 | 198 g | 30 |
| 10 kg (22 lb) | Adult, 10 kg, on adult food | 534 | 148 g | 23 |
| 20 kg (44 lb) | 25% of adult, 5 kg | 980 | 245 g | 37 |
| 20 kg (44 lb) | 50% of adult, 10 kg | 1,280 | 320 g | 49 |
| 20 kg (44 lb) | 75% of adult, 15 kg | 1,334 | 334 g | 51 |
| 20 kg (44 lb) | Adult, 20 kg, on adult food | 898 | 250 g | 38 |
| 40 kg (88 lb) | 25% of adult, 10 kg | 1,648 | 412 g | 63 |
| 40 kg (88 lb) | 50% of adult, 20 kg | 2,153 | 538 g | 82 |
| 40 kg (88 lb) | 75% of adult, 30 kg | 2,244 | 561 g | 85 |
| 40 kg (88 lb) | Adult, 40 kg, on adult food | 1,511 | 420 g | 64 |
How long a bag lasts a puppy
Puppy food is often sold in small bags: a 3 kg bag lasts the 20 kg breed at half weight 9 days, a 12 kg bag 37 days. Buy the bag the puppy finishes within about six weeks of opening; a larger bag that goes stale is not cheaper. The count falls as the puppy grows, so recheck it each month.
| Adult weight | Grams a day | 3 kg bag (days) | 12 kg bag (days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kg (11 lb) | 113 g | 27 | 106 |
| 10 kg (22 lb) | 190 g | 16 | 63 |
| 20 kg (44 lb) | 320 g | 9 | 37 |
| 30 kg (66 lb) | 434 g | 7 | 28 |
| 40 kg (88 lb) | 538 g | 6 | 22 |
Puppy food against adult food per 1,000 kcal
A price per kilogram does not compare two foods of different density; cost per 1,000 kcal does, because the puppy needs a fixed number of calories whatever bag they come from. The pet food cost calculator gives this figure for any two bags from the price, weight and kcal per kg on the label, and the dog food calculator gives the grams for your own puppy from its current and expected adult weight.
| Price of the food | Puppy food | Adult food |
|---|---|---|
| 3 per kg | 0.75 | 0.83 |
| 5 per kg | 1.25 | 1.39 |
| 8 per kg | 2.00 | 2.22 |
| 12 per kg | 3.00 | 3.33 |
Reading the numbers
Expected adult weight is the parents' weight or the breed standard; the feeding chart by breed lists the standard weights for 20 breeds. Calories are averages and individual puppies vary by up to 30%, so the bill does too: weigh the puppy weekly, keep the ribs easy to feel, and adjust the grams before the bag runs out early. Once the dog is grown, the adult cost tables take over.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to feed a puppy for the first year?
- The monthly amount rises through the year and peaks between half and three quarters of adult weight: for a 20 kg breed at 5 per kilogram, 37 a month at 5 kg, 49 at 10 kg and 51 at 15 kg. Twelve times the three-quarter row, about 609, is a safe upper figure for the year's food; the real total is lower because the first months are cheaper.
- Why does a puppy cost more than an adult dog of the same weight?
- Because growth is paid for in calories: a 10 kg puppy heading for 20 kg needs 1,280 kcal a day, while a 10 kg neutered adult needs 534, so the puppy eats 2.4 times as much. The puppy is fed for the size it is growing into, so the bill tracks the adult weight, not today's weight.
- Is puppy food more expensive than adult food?
- Compare the two per 1,000 kcal, not per kilogram, because the foods differ in density. At the same 5 per kilogram, a 4,000 kcal/kg puppy food costs 1.25 per 1,000 kcal and a 3,600 kcal/kg adult food 1.39. A puppy food at 8 per kilogram costs 2.00 per 1,000 kcal, so it needs to be worth that much more to you than the 5 one.
- How much does it cost to feed a large-breed puppy?
- A puppy heading for 40 kg (88 lb) costs about 82 a month at 20 kg and 85 at 30 kg on a 5 per kilogram puppy food; on a 12 per kilogram large-breed food the 30 kg month is 205. Large breeds also stay on puppy food longest (the puppy feeding chart gives the switch age by size), so budget for more of those months than a small breed needs.
- When does the food bill go down?
- When growth stops and the dog moves to adult food and an adult portion: for the 20 kg dog, from 51 a month at 15 kg on puppy food to 38 as a neutered adult on a 3,600 kcal/kg food at the same 5 per kilogram. A 5 kg breed drops from 17 a month at 2.5 kg to 13 as an adult.
More guides
- How much does it cost to feed a dog per month?
Monthly dry food cost for small, medium and large dogs and by weight from 5 to 40 kg, at 3 to 12 per kg of food, days per bag and cost per 1,000 kcal.
- How much does it cost to feed a cat per month?
Monthly cost of dry, wet or mixed feeding for cats from 3 to 6 kg at four price points, days per 2 kg bag, pouches a month and cost per 1,000 kcal.
- How many cups of dog food per day?
Cups of kibble a day by dog weight from the calories on your bag: tables for 300 to 450 kcal per cup, inactive and active adults, and meals.
- How much should I feed my dog? Grams and cups by weight
Daily calories and grams of dry food for dogs from 2 to 50 kg, inactive and active, on foods from 3,400 to 4,000 kcal/kg, with the WSAVA chart range.
Sources
- NRC 2006, Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats — adult, puppy and kitten energy equations
- WSAVA, Calorie Needs for Healthy Adult Dogs (July 2020) — chart range for dogs
- WSAVA, Calorie Needs for Healthy Adult Cats (July 2020) — chart range for cats
- AAHA 2021 Nutrition and Weight Management Guidelines — weight loss at the resting requirement of the target weight
Published 2026-09-22, last updated 2026-09-22. Figures are starting points from the published equations: individual animals vary by up to 30%, so adjust by body condition and ask your vet for puppies under 8 weeks, pregnancy, lactation or any illness.