How Much Does It Cost to Feed a Dog Per Month? (Dry, Fresh & Raw)
Updated July 2026
Feeding a medium (26–50 lb) dog runs about $25 to $75 a month on kibble and $110 to $220 on a fresh subscription. Food is the biggest recurring cost of dog ownership, and it scales with the same calorie math as portions do; here are the 2026 numbers for every size and feeding style.
The math
Monthly cost = daily calories ÷ food's calorie density × price per unit × 30. Daily calories come from the calculator; density and price come off the bag. Worked example: a 50 lb neutered adult (≈1,165 kcal/day) on a 380 kcal/cup kibble at $65 per 24 lb bag (≈95 cups): 3.1 cups/day ≈ 93 cups/month ≈ one bag, ~$64/month.
Price your own dog
Enter your dog and the bag you buy. The calorie math is the same RER/MER the main calculator runs; the cost part is just your bag's price over the pounds your dog eats.
Kibble cost is your bag's price over the pounds your dog eats (about 110 g a cup). The fresh range is a planning band (roughly $3 to $6 per 1,000 kcal a day), not a quote from any service.
Typical monthly costs (2026)
| Dog size | Budget kibble | Premium kibble | Fresh subscription | DIY raw |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toy (5–10 lb) | $10–15 | $20–35 | $40–75 | $25–45 |
| Small (11–25 lb) | $15–25 | $30–50 | $60–120 | $40–75 |
| Medium (26–50 lb) | $25–40 | $45–75 | $110–220 | $70–130 |
| Large (51–90 lb) | $35–60 | $65–110 | $180–350 | $110–210 |
| Giant (90+ lb) | $55–85 | $95–160 | $300–500+ | $170–300 |
Ranges assume typical 2026 US prices: kibble $2–6/lb, fresh services ~$3–8/day for small dogs scaling with calories, DIY raw $2.50–4.50/lb sourced smartly.
Where budgets leak
- Overfeeding. Feeding 25% over the calculated portion costs 25% more and buys vet bills. The math pays for itself.
- Treats. Commercial treats can run $15–30/lb, several times the cost of food calories. Using part of the kibble ration for training is free.
- Small bags. Price per pound often drops 30–40% from the 5 lb to the largest bag. Buy the biggest bag your dog finishes within ~6 weeks of opening (fats oxidize after that).
- Waste on picky dogs. Half-eaten refrigerated toppers and abandoned "rotation" bags add up faster than any per-bag saving.
Buying the big bag only saves money if the last third is still good. Keep the food in its own bag, inside a sealed bin, out of the heat. Shop airtight food storage containers (sponsored)
Is fresh food worth 3–5× kibble?
Nutritionally, a well-formulated kibble and a fresh subscription can both be complete and balanced; the honest case for fresh is palatability, easy portion precision (meals arrive pre-measured to your dog's calories), and owners who simply want to feed it. If that's you, the subscription's built-in portion control genuinely does prevent the overfeeding leak above.
Get daily calories first with the main calculator, then price the bag or subscription. Raw grams: raw dog food calculator. Breed portion ranges: feeding charts by breed.