The Most and Least Expensive Cities to Own a Pet

Although it might cost less to raise a fur baby than an actual baby, that doesn’t mean pet ownership comes cheap. In fact, the cost of having a dog or the cost of owning a cat can get quite pricey, depending on where you live.

In its latest study, GOBankingRates identified the most and least expensive cities in the U.S. to own a cat or dog based on the cost of pet day care, pet insurance and overall cost of living.

Click through to see the best and worst cities for pet owners, starting with the worst.

Data is accurate as of April 15, 2018, and is subject to change.

When considering how much it costs to own a dog or cat, one major expense is pet day care. The supervised care can add up fast, which is why GOBankingRates included the average daily rates for each city in this study.

Bad news for West Coasters: According to the study results, six of the most expensive cities to own a pet are in California. Click through to see what they are.

The average cost of pet day care: $33Avg. insurance cost per month: $39Cost of living index: 110.9

The Windy City is a welcoming place to have four-legged companions, with many pet-friendly restaurants, cafes and even a few hotels. The trade-off, however, is the expense. Doggy day care averages $33 daily, plus monthly costs of $42 for dog insurance and $36 for cat insurance.

The average cost of pet day care: $26.67Avg. insurance cost per month: $42Cost of living index: 166

The cost of pet insurance in San Diego is comparable to other California cities on the list. Doggy day care is among the lowest in the country at $26.67. Unfortunately, the city’s high cost of living hurts its ranking.

The average cost of pet day care: $32Avg. insurance cost per month: $42Cost of living index: 155.4

Long Beach is another city with a high cost of living. And for pet owners, pet day care costs $13 more in Long Beach than in the least expensive pet day care city on the list. Long Beach is known for dog-friendly beaches, however.

The average cost of pet day care: $38.33Avg. insurance cost per month: $39Cost of living index: 158.5

According to Trulia, Washington, D.C., ranks among the most pet-friendly rental markets. Pet insurance cost is not cheap, though, at $43 monthly on average for dogs and $35 for cats.

The average cost of pet day care: $36Avg. insurance cost per month: $41Cost of living index: 169.9

The cost of pet day care in Boston is one of the highest, tying with the second-costliest city to own a pet. The cost of living, although high, places Boston as the sixth-costliest city to own a pet, according to the GOBankingRates study.

The average cost of pet day care: $35Avg. insurance cost per month: $42Cost of living index: 166.2

Los Angeles is known to have dog parks, luxury pet retail and dog-friendly beaches, but even so, it’s one of the most difficult cities to find pet-friendly rentals, according to LA Weekly. Also, the costs of pet insurance and doggy day care are higher than in most of the country.

The average cost of pet day care: $33.33Avg. insurance cost per month: $43Cost of living index: 180

New York City has the most expensive pet insurance rates, averaging $43 per month. Tack on pet day care and a higher cost of living, and pet costs can seem even more daunting. On a positive note, the Big Apple ranks highly among the most pet-friendly rental markets, according to Trulia.

The average cost of pet day care: $35.67Avg. insurance cost per month: $42Cost of living index: 179.3

Oakland has the fifth-highest pet day care cost in the country, with the most expensive doggy day care cost in Oakland at $45 per day. The city is not short on pet-friendly restaurants, however, with a total of 83, according to Bring Fido.

The average cost of pet day care: $36Avg. insurance cost per month: $42Cost of living index: 272.6

One of the most expensive cities in the U.S., San Francisco has the highest cost of living of any city on the list. On the plus side, the city is the most pet-friendly for renters, according to Trulia.

The average cost of pet day care: $40Avg. insurance cost per month: $42Cost of living index: 222.2

The cost of owning a dog in San Jose is the priciest. San Jose had the highest doggy day care rates, averaging $40 per day. Pet insurance for cats and dogs, as well as the cost of living, is among the most expensive. But the city is welcoming to pet owners, with more than 130 pet-friendly restaurants, according to Bring Fido.

The cost of pet day care is much lower among these 10 U.S. cities, ranging from $19 to $26.33 on average. Click through to see the best cities for pet owners.

The average cost of pet day care: $23.33Avg. insurance cost per month: $34Cost of living index: 104.5

Las Vegas is considered one of the most pet-friendly cities in America. And with an average pet day care daily cost of $23.33, it’s also a bargain comparatively.

The average cost of pet day care: $24.67Avg. insurance cost per month: $33.50Cost of living index: 87.2

The Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau promotes Oklahoma City as a very pet-friendly place, with everything from parks to restaurants that welcome pets and their owners. Pet day care is relatively cheap, and a much lower cost of living makes the city affordable.

The average cost of pet day care: $24Avg. insurance cost per month: $33.50Cost of living index: 84.8

Tulsa also loves its animals. There are dog events such as the Dachshund Dash during Oktoberfest and Chihuahua Races during Cinco de Mayo. Tulsa pet owners also enjoy a lower cost of living in addition to lower pet costs.

The average cost of pet day care: $24.67Avg. insurance cost per month: $32.50Cost of living index: 95.2

Tucson is also quite accommodating to four-legged companions. The city has a number of pet-friendly hotels and places to visit. Day care and insurance prices are also not as exorbitant.

The average cost of pet day care: $26.33Avg. insurance cost per month: $31.50Cost of living index: 87.9

Louisville has the highest average pet day care cost when compared with the other nine least expensive cities in this list. But insurance is lower, and so is the cost of living, which puts it in sixth place.

The average cost of pet day care: $22.33Avg. insurance cost per month: $33.50Cost of living index: 74

Memphis has an extremely low cost of living compared with the rest of the cities in the study, not to mention pet day care costs of only $22.33 on average per day.

The average cost of pet day care: $22.33Avg. insurance cost per month: $31Cost of living index: 97.3

According to Visit Albuquerque, the city has 14 designated dog parks and a number of pet-friendly hotels and eateries. How much does it cost to own a cat in the city? Insurance for cats costs about $28 monthly, among the lowest of all cities analyzed.

The average cost of pet day care: $22.67Avg. insurance cost per month: $30.50Cost of living index: 88

Omaha ties for third-lowest pet day care cost of the cities on this list at $22.67 on average daily. Pet insurance is one of the lowest, especially cat insurance at just $27.

The average cost of pet day care: $22.67Avg. insurance cost per month: $29.50Cost of living index: 84.6

Wichita is the only city that made the list with an average pet insurance cost that falls below $30. Pet owners also enjoy one of the lowest pet day care costs, and your money goes further in everyday expenses.

The average cost of pet day care: $19Avg. insurance cost per month: $31.50Cost of living index: 90.4

Claiming the No. 1 spot on this ranking of the most affordable pet-friendly cities is Indianapolis. The study showed Indianapolis has the cheapest average daily rate at $19 for doggy day care. Bring Fido lists many dog-friendly activities and parks in the city.

The study found that four out of the top five most expensive cities to own a pet are on the West Coast — in California, specifically. However, no matter which city you live in, you can keep all of your pet costs low.

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Methodology: GOBankingRates determined the most expensive and least expensive cities to own a pet based on the 50 largest cities in the U.S., using the following factors: (1) average cost of pet day care, sourced from Rover; (2) average monthly cost of pet insurance, based on state-level figures for dogs and cats, sourced from PetInsuranceQuotes.com; and (3) overall cost of living in each city, sourced from Sperling’s Best Places. Each factor was given a score, with cost of living weighted half as much as the other factors. All data is accurate as of 2018.