Dog Food Cost Calculator: Daily Monthly and Yearly Food Cost by Breed Size
Work out how much your dog's food costs per day, per month and per year. Enter the bag price, bag weight and how much your dog eats each day, and the calculator shows the cost per day and how long the bag lasts.
How the Dog Food Cost Calculator works
The calculator uses four numbers: bag price, bag weight, food per day in grams, and calories per kg. It divides bag price by bag weight to get cost per kg, then multiplies cost per kg by food per day divided by 1,000 to get cost per day. It multiplies cost per day by 30 to get cost per month, and by 365 to get cost per year. It divides bag weight in grams by food per day to show how many days one bag lasts. It also shows cost per 1,000 calories, which is the fair way to compare foods. The formula is: cost per day equals bag price divided by bag weight in kg, times food per day in grams divided by 1,000.
To use it well, weigh the food with kitchen scales for a week. Scoops are not accurate, and most owners overfeed by 10 to 20 percent without realising it. Check the calories per kg on the bag, usually on the back label. If your dog eats a mix of wet and dry food, work out each part separately, then add the two daily costs together.
Worked example: a 20 kg dog
Take a 12 kg bag that costs $60, with 3,600 calories per kg, and a dog that eats 300 grams a day. Cost per kg is $5.00. Cost per day is $1.50. Cost per month is $45. Cost per year is $548. Cost per 1,000 calories is $1.39. One bag lasts 40 days. Now take a cheaper bag that costs $45 for 10 kg, with 3,200 calories per kg. Cost per kg is $4.50, which looks cheaper. Cost per 1,000 calories is $1.41, almost the same. The dog needs more grams a day to get the same calories, so the bag lasts fewer days, and the cost per day is almost the same. That is why cost per 1,000 calories matters more than bag price.
Dog food cost per day by breed size
Dry food costs about $0.80 to $2.50 per day for a small dog, $1.30 to $3.50 per day for a medium dog, $2.00 to $5.50 per day for a large dog, and $3.00 to $7.00 per day for a giant dog in the US in 2026. Wet food costs about $1.50 to $4.00 per day for a small dog, $2.00 to $6.00 per day for a medium dog, and $3.50 to $9.00 per day for a large dog. Fresh food delivery costs about $5.00 to $12.00 per day for a medium dog. Read our dog food cost per day guide for the full breakdown by size, food type and life stage, and use our Dog Feeding Calculator to work out how many grams your dog needs each day.
US and UK prices
In the US, a mid priced dry food costs about $1.30 to $3.50 a day for a medium dog. In the UK, dry food costs about £1.00 to £3.00 a day for a medium dog. Supermarket own brand food is cheapest in both countries. Premium and vet recommended brands cost more. Buy larger bags when the price per kg is lower, and store the food in a sealed container so it stays fresh.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a 20 kg dog eat per day?
A healthy adult dog of 20 kg with normal activity needs about 1,000 to 1,100 calories a day, which is about 280 to 310 grams of a typical dry food. Use our Dog Feeding Calculator for your dog's weight and activity level.
How long does a 12 kg bag last?
For a medium dog eating about 300 grams a day, a 12 kg bag lasts about 40 days. For a large dog eating about 600 grams a day, the same bag lasts about 20 days.
Is wet food more expensive than dry food?
Yes, per calorie. Wet food is mostly water, so a dog needs about 4 times as much wet food by weight as dry food for the same calories. A medium dog on wet food alone costs about $2.00 to $6.00 a day, compared with $1.30 to $3.50 a day on dry food.
How can I reduce dog food cost?
Buy larger bags when the price per kg is lower, weigh the food, cut treats to 10 percent of daily calories or less, and compare cost per 1,000 calories before you switch brands. Ask your vet if a mid priced food is enough for your dog.
Sources and how we priced this
Prices in this guide are ranges, not single facts, because published sources disagree. We used the American Pet Products Association 2025 and 2026 industry figures, Rover 2026 cost of dog ownership reports, the PDSA PAW Report and PDSA cost guides for the UK, the American Animal Hospital Association and the National Research Council feeding guidance, and published insurer and vet price lists in the US and the UK. All prices were checked in Nov 2026 and are shown in US dollars unless a UK section says pounds. Where a source gave one number, we widened it into a range to reflect size, breed and location.