Free calculator
Pet food cost calculator
Feeding an inactive adult dog on dry food costs about $11 a month for a small 10 lb dog, $28 for a medium 35 lb dog and $50 for a large 75 lb dog; an indoor 8.8 lb cat costs about $8. Those figures use the calculator's example price of $2.00 a lb ($60 for a 30 lb bag). Enter your own bag's price, weight and daily portion below for your real cost per day and per month, the price per 1,000 kcal, and how a second food compares at the same calories.
How much it costs to feed a dog or cat per month
| Pet | Food a day | Food a month | Cost a day | Cost a month | Cost a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small dog, 10 lb (4.5 kg) | 82 g (7/8 cup) | 5.5 lb (2.5 kg) | $0.36 | $11.01 | $132 |
| Medium dog, 35 lb (15.9 kg) | 210 g (2 1/8 cups) | 14.1 lb (6.4 kg) | $0.93 | $28.17 | $338 |
| Large dog, 75 lb (34 kg) | 372 g (3 3/4 cups) | 24.9 lb (11.3 kg) | $1.64 | $49.89 | $599 |
| Cat, 8.8 lb (4 kg) | 60 g (5/8 cup) | 4.0 lb (1.8 kg) | $0.26 | $7.99 | $96 |
Inactive or neutered adult dogs (NRC 2006, 95 x kg^0.75) in the middle of each AKC size band on a 3,600 kcal/kg kibble (360 kcal per cup), and an indoor cat (130 x kg^0.4) on a 3,800 kcal/kg kibble (380 kcal per cup). The price is the calculator's example bag, not a market price: at twice the price per lb the cost doubles. A month is 30.44 days.
Compare with a second food (optional)
Result
- Cost per month
- $20.13
- Cost per day
- $0.66
- Days per bag
- 91 days
- Bags per year
- 4.0
- Cost per 1,000 kcal
- $1.22
A month is 30.44 days. The comparison feeds the same calories from both foods, so a denser food needs fewer grams; treats and toppers are not included.
Budgeting for a kennel, a shelter or a multi-pet home?
Pro totals the monthly cost per animal and per food, with the bag figures you entered, and prints it as one page.
Food per month by dog size and food type
The monthly cost is the food a pet eats in a month times the price you pay, so the table gives the food and leaves the price to you. Adults on the dog and cat calculators' defaults: an inactive or neutered dog (NRC 2006, 95 x kg^0.75) in the middle of each AKC size band, an indoor 4 kg cat (130 x kg^0.4), a 3,600 kcal/kg dog kibble and 350 kcal cans of 370 g, a 3,800 kcal/kg cat kibble and 90 kcal pouches of 85 g. A month is 30.44 days.
| Pet | Food | kcal a day | A day | A month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small dog, 10 lb (4.5 kg) | Dry only | 295 | 82 g | 5.5 lb (2.5 kg) |
| Small dog, 10 lb (4.5 kg) | Wet only | 295 | 0.8 cans | 26 cans (9.5 kg) |
| Small dog, 10 lb (4.5 kg) | Half wet, half dry | 295 | 41 g + 0.4 cans | 2.8 lb (1.2 kg) + 13 cans |
| Medium dog, 35 lb (15.9 kg) | Dry only | 756 | 210 g | 14.1 lb (6.4 kg) |
| Medium dog, 35 lb (15.9 kg) | Wet only | 756 | 2.2 cans | 66 cans (24.3 kg) |
| Medium dog, 35 lb (15.9 kg) | Half wet, half dry | 756 | 105 g + 1.1 cans | 7.0 lb (3.2 kg) + 33 cans |
| Large dog, 75 lb (34 kg) | Dry only | 1,338 | 372 g | 24.9 lb (11.3 kg) |
| Large dog, 75 lb (34 kg) | Wet only | 1,338 | 3.8 cans | 116 cans (43.1 kg) |
| Large dog, 75 lb (34 kg) | Half wet, half dry | 1,338 | 186 g + 1.9 cans | 12.5 lb (5.7 kg) + 58 cans |
| Cat, 8.8 lb (4 kg) | Dry only | 226 | 60 g | 4.0 lb (1.8 kg) |
| Cat, 8.8 lb (4 kg) | Wet only | 226 | 2.5 pouches | 77 pouches (6.5 kg) |
| Cat, 8.8 lb (4 kg) | Half wet, half dry | 226 | 30 g + 1.3 pouches | 2.0 lb (0.9 kg) + 38 pouches |
To get the money: monthly cost = food a month x price per lb (bag price / bag weight), or cans x price per can. Prices are not built in; type your own bag in the calculator above. Tables at several prices per kilogram are in the guides how much it costs to feed a dog per month and how much it costs to feed a cat per month.
Dog food cost per month by weight, 5 to 40 kg
A 20 kg (44 lb) neutered or quiet dog eats about 250 g a day of a 3,600 kcal/kg kibble, 7.6 kg (16.7 lb) a month, which at the calculator's example $2.00 a lb is $1.10 a day, $33.50 a month and $402 a year; a 10 kg dog costs $19.92 a month, a 40 kg dog $56.33. Grams from the NRC 2006 inactive-adult equation (95 x kg^0.75), the same grams as the guide to the cost of feeding a dog per month, where the columns are prices per kilogram instead. The price is an example, not a market price.
| Weight | Food a day | Food a month | Cost a day | Cost a month | Cost a year | Days per 30 lb bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kg (11 lb) | 88 g (7/8 cup) | 5.9 lb (2.7 kg) | $0.39 | $11.84 | $142 | 154 |
| 10 kg (22 lb) | 148 g (1 1/2 cups) | 10.0 lb (4.5 kg) | $0.65 | $19.92 | $239 | 92 |
| 15 kg (33 lb) | 201 g (2 cups) | 13.5 lb (6.1 kg) | $0.89 | $27.00 | $324 | 68 |
| 20 kg (44 lb) | 250 g (2 1/2 cups) | 16.7 lb (7.6 kg) | $1.10 | $33.50 | $402 | 55 |
| 25 kg (55 lb) | 295 g (3 cups) | 19.8 lb (9.0 kg) | $1.30 | $39.60 | $475 | 46 |
| 30 kg (66 lb) | 338 g (3 3/8 cups) | 22.7 lb (10.3 kg) | $1.49 | $45.40 | $545 | 40 |
| 40 kg (88 lb) | 420 g (4 1/4 cups) | 28.2 lb (12.8 kg) | $1.85 | $56.33 | $676 | 32 |
The same dogs at 3, 5, 8 and 12 per kilogram of food are in how much it costs to feed a dog per month; the dog food calculator gives the grams for your own dog, and puppies, which eat more than the adult they become, are in how much it costs to feed a puppy per month.
Cat food cost per month by weight, 3 to 6 kg
An indoor 4 kg (8.8 lb) cat eats about 60 g a day of a 3,800 kcal/kg kibble, 1.8 kg (4.0 lb) a month: $0.26 a day, $7.99 a month, $96 a year at the example $2.00 a lb; a 6 kg cat $9.40 a month. Grams from the NRC 2006 indoor line (130 x kg^0.4), the same grams as the cat cost guide. A cat's calories rise with kg^0.4, a dog's with kg^0.75, so the 6 kg cat costs only 32% more a month than the 3 kg cat, at twice the weight.
| Weight | Food a day | Food a month | Cost a day | Cost a month | Cost a year | Days per 30 lb bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 kg (6.6 lb) | 53 g (1/2 cup) | 3.6 lb (1.6 kg) | $0.23 | $7.13 | $86 | 256 |
| 4 kg (8.8 lb) | 60 g (5/8 cup) | 4.0 lb (1.8 kg) | $0.26 | $7.99 | $96 | 228 |
| 5 kg (11 lb) | 65 g (5/8 cup) | 4.4 lb (2.0 kg) | $0.29 | $8.74 | $105 | 209 |
| 6 kg (13.2 lb) | 70 g (3/4 cup) | 4.7 lb (2.1 kg) | $0.31 | $9.40 | $113 | 194 |
Dry, wet and half-and-half at four price points are in how much it costs to feed a cat per month; the cat food calculator gives the grams and pouches for your own cat.
How it works
Cost per day = bag price / bag weight x grams per day / 1,000. A month is counted as 30.44 days (365.25 / 12), so the monthly figure is what a bank statement shows on average, not a 30-day guess. Days per bag = bag weight in grams / grams per day; bags per year = 365 / days per bag.
The price per 1,000 kcal is the fair way to compare foods: a denser food costs more per kg but needs fewer grams. With the kcal per kg from both bags, the comparison feeds the same calories from each food. In the example, a $75 bag at 4,200 kcal/kg needs only 129 g a day to match 150 g of the 3,600 kcal/kg food, and costs $21.57 a month against $20.13.
The daily portion comes from the dog or cat food calculator, or from the feeding chart on the bag. Treats, toppers and dental chews are extra: WSAVA's 2025 guide to treats keeps them under 10% of daily calories, and the main food should shrink by what they add. Prices are yours to type: the calculator holds no price list and makes no claims about brands.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to feed a dog per month?
- The food a dog eats in a month times your price. On a 3,600 kcal/kg kibble, an inactive adult of 10 lb eats 5.5 lb, 35 lb eats 14.1 lb, 75 lb eats 24.9 lb a month. With the calculator's example bag ($60 for 30 lb, $2.00 a lb, not a market price) that is $11, $28, $50 a month. On wet food only the same dogs need 26, 66, 116 cans of 350 kcal a month. Type your own bag to get your number.
- How much does it cost to feed a cat per month?
- An indoor 4 kg (8.8 lb) cat needs about 226 kcal a day: 60 g of a 3,800 kcal/kg kibble, 4.0 lb (1.8 kg) a month, or 2.5 pouches of 90 kcal a day, 77 a month. Monthly cost = 4.0 x your price per lb of kibble, or 77 x your price per pouch; at the example $2.00 a lb the kibble is $8 a month.
- How much does it cost to feed a dog per day or per year?
- At the example $2.00 a lb of a 3,600 kcal/kg kibble: $0.36 a day and $132 a year for a small 10 lb dog, $0.93 and $338 for a medium 35 lb dog, $1.64 and $599 for a large 75 lb dog. An indoor cat: $0.26 a day, $96 a year. Treats and wet food come on top.
- How long does a 30 lb bag of dog food last?
- 30 lb is 13,608 g. At 150 g a day it lasts 91 days; at 300 g a day, 45 days. Divide the bag's grams by your daily portion.
- Is the more expensive food actually more expensive?
- Compare per 1,000 kcal, not per bag. The example $60 bag at 3,600 kcal/kg costs $1.22 per 1,000 kcal; a $75 bag at 4,200 kcal/kg costs $1.31, and because it needs fewer grams the monthly bill is $21.57 against $20.13.
- Does wet food cost more than dry food?
- Per calorie, almost always: wet food is mostly water, so it carries far fewer calories per gram. On the calculators' defaults an 85 g pouch of 90 kcal is 1,059 kcal per kg, against 3,800 for the kibble. Enter a case of cans as a 'bag' (price of the case, total grams, kcal per kg from the label) and the calculator gives the same cost per 1,000 kcal for a fair comparison.
- How much does it cost to feed a dog per week?
- The cost a day times 7. At the example $2.00 a lb of a 3,600 kcal/kg kibble: $2.53 a week for the small 10 lb dog, $6.48 for the medium 35 lb dog, $11.47 for the large 75 lb dog; an indoor cat $1.84. Multiply your own cost per day, the first result the calculator shows, by 7.
- How do I work out the monthly cost of a food priced per day (fresh or subscription food)?
- Multiply the daily price by 30.44 (365.25 / 12), the month the calculator uses, and by 12 for the year, in whatever currency the quote is in: 2 a day = 60.88 a month, 730.56 a year; 3 a day = 91.32 a month, 1,095.84 a year; 5 a day = 152.20 a month, 1,826.40 a year; 8 a day = 243.52 a month, 2,922.24 a year. For comparison the medium 35 lb dog on the example kibble costs $0.93 a day, $28.17 a month. To put a per-day food through the calculator, enter one day's pack as the "bag": its price, its weight in grams and the same grams as the food per day.
- How much does it cost to feed a puppy per month?
- More than the adult it will become. A puppy that will weigh 20 kg, at half its adult weight, needs about 1,280 kcal a day (NRC 2006 growth equation): 320 g of a 4,000 kcal/kg puppy food and 9.7 kg a month, against 7.6 kg for the 20 kg adult; at the example $2.00 a lb that is $42.96 a month against $33.50. The puppy cost guide has the other adult sizes and growth stages.
- How many bags of dog food will I buy a year?
- 365 divided by the days a bag lasts (bag grams / grams a day). A 30 lb (13.6 kg) bag of the 3,600 kcal/kg kibble lasts the small 10 lb dog 166 days (2.2 bags a year), the medium 35 lb dog 65 days (5.6 bags a year), the large 75 lb dog 37 days (10.0 bags a year). The indoor cat on its 3,800 kcal/kg kibble would take 228 days to finish it, so buy a size the cat empties while the bag is fresh.
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 much does it cost to feed a puppy per month?
Monthly puppy food cost by adult size and growth stage at 3 to 12 per kg of a 4,000 kcal/kg puppy food, next to the adult cost, and days per bag.