Cheapest Dog Breeds To Buy And Own

The cheapest dog breeds to own on breedcosts.com/ are the Pit Bull, Beagle, Boston Terrier, Chihuahua and Dachshund, the only five breeds on the site with a low-end lifetime cost under $20,000. The Pit Bull is also the cheapest puppy among breeds on this site, starting at $500 from a breeder. Cheaper still is a mixed-breed dog from a shelter, where Rover puts adoption fees at $30 to $455.

Breed	Puppy price	Insurance per month	First-year cost	Lifetime cost
Pit Bull	$500–$2,500	$41–$70	$3,390–$6,640	$17,340–$39,400
Beagle	$800–$2,000	$35–$70	$3,170–$5,390	$18,200–$34,650
Boston Terrier	$1,000–$2,500	$36–$60	$3,280–$5,670	$19,100–$28,110
Chihuahua	$800–$2,500	$20–$45	$2,690–$5,190	$19,460–$29,040
Dachshund	$1,200–$3,000	$30–$60	$3,310–$6,070	$19,920–$34,120
French Bulldog	$1,500–$4,500	$55–$95	$4,210–$8,390	$21,400–$34,680
Staffordshire Bull Terrier	$1,200–$3,000	$30–$60	$3,680–$6,440	$22,220–$33,030
Mastiff	$1,000–$3,000	$80–$210	$5,560–$10,120	$22,360–$54,400
English Bulldog	$2,000–$4,500	$70–$110	$5,340–$9,020	$22,420–$35,300
Morkie	$1,000–$3,000	$26–$60	$3,760–$7,070	$22,880–$39,550
Shiba Inu	$1,500–$3,500	$35–$60	$3,820–$6,620	$23,260–$35,420
Miniature Schnauzer	$1,000–$3,000	$35–$65	$3,720–$6,680	$23,920–$40,000
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	$1,500–$3,500	$35–$105	$4,020–$7,560	$24,040–$44,800
Labrador Retriever	$800–$2,500	$39–$86	$4,120–$7,380	$24,980–$39,080
German Shepherd	$1,500–$3,500	$44–$80	$5,080–$8,510	$25,700–$41,620

The table lists the 15 breeds with the lowest low-end lifetime cost on the site, cheapest first.

The Cheapest Dog Breeds To Own

These picks combine a modest puppy price with low yearly costs for food, vet care, grooming and insurance. Lifetime figures for breeds on this site add the puppy price and setup costs to yearly costs over the breed’s lifespan. Numbers 2 through 6 are the five breeds that come in under $20,000 at the low end.

1. Mixed-breed shelter dog: $30 to $455 adoption fee. Rover’s survey puts the typical adoption fee in this range, and the fee often includes spay or neuter surgery, vaccines and a microchip. Rover places mixed breeds in the $50 to $99 a month spending bracket.
2. Pit Bull: $500 to $2,500 puppy price, $17,340 to $39,400 lifetime. The lowest puppy price and lowest low-end lifetime cost on the site. A short coat keeps grooming near $100 a year, and insurance runs $41 to $70 a month.
3. Beagle: $800 to $2,000 puppy price, $18,200 to $34,650 lifetime. Beagles cost $1,670 to $2,090 a year to keep, and they are one of the most common purebreds in shelters, with adoption fees of $100 to $650.
4. Boston Terrier: $1,000 to $2,500 puppy price, $19,100 to $28,110 lifetime. The lowest high-end lifetime cost on the site. A 15- to 25-pound frame keeps food near $400 a year.
5. Chihuahua: $800 to $2,500 puppy price, $19,460 to $29,040 lifetime. The cheapest breed on the site to keep year to year, at $1,290 to $1,590, with insurance from just $20 to $45 a month. Its 14- to 16-year life is what lifts the lifetime total.
6. Dachshund: $1,200 to $3,000 puppy price, $19,920 to $34,120 lifetime. Food and grooming are cheap, and premiums run $30 to $60 a month. Back disease is the main cost risk.
7. Staffordshire Bull Terrier: $1,200 to $3,000 puppy price, $22,220 to $33,030 lifetime. Grooming costs about $75 a year, the lowest on the site, and insurance runs $30 to $60 a month.
8. Siberian Husky: $700 to $2,000 puppy price, $25,960 to $37,060 lifetime. The second-cheapest puppy on the site. Most pet-quality Huskies sell for $800 to $1,500.
9. American Foxhound: $500 to $800 puppy price. Spot lists it among the cheapest breeds because it is a hardy dog with low medical costs.
10. Rat Terrier. Spot includes the Rat Terrier among its 20 cheapest breeds, though it doesn’t publish a price for it.

For the full first-year and yearly breakdown behind these totals, see the cost of owning a dog.

Why Some Breeds Cost Less

Three things separate a cheap dog from an expensive one over the long run: size, coat and health.

Size

Small dogs eat less, need smaller doses of medication and cost less to treat. Rover’s 2025 survey puts the lifetime cost of a small dog at about $16,440, versus about $52,075 for a large dog. On this site, the Chihuahua’s food bill is about $300 a year, while the Mastiff eats about $1,300 worth. Insurers price size in too, which is why the Chihuahua’s premiums top out at $45 a month and the Mastiff’s reach $210.

Coat

Short, smooth coats need a brush and an occasional bath, so grooming stays at $75 to $150 a year for breeds like the Pit Bull, Beagle, Boston Terrier and Dachshund. Curly and long coats that mat need a professional groomer every few weeks. The Poodle and Bichon Frise each run about $900 a year in grooming, and the Goldendoodle about $800.

Health

Breeds with fewer hereditary problems claim less, so they cost less to insure and less to treat. The breeds on the cheap list still have health risks, but they tend to be smaller bills than the cancers, heart disease and joint surgeries that drive costs for giant breeds. Spot points to the American Foxhound as a hardy breed with low medical costs for exactly this reason.

Cheap To Buy Isn’t Always Cheap To Own

A moderate puppy price can hide high yearly costs. These breeds look affordable at purchase but cost far more over time.

• Mastiff: A $1,000 to $3,000 puppy price is lower than many small breeds, but insurance runs $80 to $210 a month and yearly costs reach $3,360 to $4,920. The high-end lifetime cost of $54,400 is the most on the site.
• Saint Bernard: Puppies cost $1,000 to $2,500, yet yearly costs run $3,160 to $4,060 and premiums reach $130 a month. Bloat treatment can cost $1,500 to $7,500.
• Basset Hound: At $800 to $2,500, Bassets are among the cheaper puppies on the site, but they face back disease (IVDD) at $3,000 to $8,000 and bloat at $1,500 to $7,500. Premiums run $40 to $80 a month.
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: A small dog with insurance of up to $105 a month, because nearly all Cavaliers eventually develop mitral valve disease. Treatment for that heart condition can run $566 to $5,000.
• Dachshund: Cheap to keep day to day, but a disc episode can cost $3,000 to $8,000. Enroll in insurance before any back problem shows up, because insurance can’t cover pre-existing conditions.
• Pug: Spot lists puppies at just $350 to $500, but the flat face brings breathing and other health risks that can raise vet bills.

The Pit Bull has its own hidden cost: some homeowners and renters insurers charge more for households with one, exclude the dog or refuse to write a policy, and many landlords ban the breed. That expense won’t show up in a pet budget, but it can be large.

Adopting Is The Cheapest Way To Get A Dog

An adoption fee costs a fraction of a puppy price. Rover’s survey puts shelter and rescue fees at $30 to $455, against $775 to $4,750 for a breeder puppy. Rover also notes that adoption fees fell 19% from the year before, and some shelters waive the fee for seniors and dogs that have waited a long time for a home.

Fees vary by the type of dog, according to Rover’s new-puppy cost guide:

Type of dog	Adoption fee	Breeder price
Common breeds (Labrador, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd)	$30–$300	$800–$2,000
Toy breeds (Chihuahua, Yorkie, Maltese, Shih Tzu)	$150–$400	$1,000–$3,000
Rare breeds (Cane Corso, Azawakh and others)	$200–$500	$1,500–$5,000
Designer breeds, as Rover groups them (Goldendoodle, Cockapoo, Frenchie)	$300–$800	$1,500–$4,000

The fee often covers more than the dog. Shelters usually include spay or neuter surgery, vaccines and a microchip, and Rover says breeder buyers can pay up to $1,380 more for vaccines and spay or neuter surgery that shelters often bundle in. Pit bull types are among the most common dogs in US shelters, and fees are low: Animal Care Centers of NYC charges $250 for puppies and $75 for adults.

For more on breeder prices, adoption fees and how to avoid puppy scams, see how much is a puppy.

Sources

• Spot: Top 20 Cheapest Dog Breeds
• Rover: How Much Does a Dog Cost? (2025)
• Rover: What Is the Cost of Raising a Puppy?

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