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Cheapest dogs to own

These dogs have the lowest estimated lifetime cost. The top pick is the Japanese Chin.

Cheapest dogs to own — top 6

Chart: the six top-ranked dogs by lifetime cost — taller bars rank higher on this metric.

What this ranking shows

Across 272 dogs, lifetime cost ranges from $17,600 to $55,200 — a 3.1× spread, with a median around $32,550. The Japanese Chin leads at $17,600, while the Pyrenean Mastiff sits at the far end. Rounding out the top three are the English Toy Spaniel ($19,300) and the Russian Toy ($19,600). Most of the gap comes down to three things: body size (which sets how much a dog eats and its medication doses), breed health risk (which sets insurance premiums and likely vet bills), and lifespan (which multiplies every recurring annual cost). Use the sorter below to re-rank by your own budget, home size and grooming tolerance.

#	Breed	Size	Lifetime cost	Lifetime cost
1	Japanese Chin	Small	$17,600	$17,600
2	English Toy Spaniel	Small	$19,300	$19,300
3	Russian Toy	Small	$19,600	$19,600
4	Danish-Swedish Farmdog	Small	$20,100	$20,100
5	Toy Fox Terrier	Small	$20,600	$20,600
6	Jagdterrier	Small	$20,700	$20,700
7	Boston Terrier	Small	$20,800	$20,800
8	Russell Terrier	Small	$21,000	$21,000
9	Miniature Bull Terrier	Small	$21,100	$21,100
10	Miniature Pinscher	Small	$21,100	$21,100
11	Chihuahua	Small	$21,200	$21,200
12	Schipperke	Small	$21,200	$21,200
13	Bolognese	Small	$21,400	$21,400
14	Lancashire Heeler	Small	$21,400	$21,400
15	Portuguese Podengo Pequeno	Small	$21,500	$21,500
16	Norwich Terrier	Small	$21,700	$21,700
17	Tibetan Spaniel	Small	$21,700	$21,700
18	Border Terrier	Small	$21,900	$21,900
19	Australian Terrier	Small	$22,100	$22,100
20	Japanese Spitz	Small	$22,100	$22,100
21	Italian Greyhound	Small	$22,200	$22,200
22	Cirneco dell’Etna	Small	$22,300	$22,300
23	Norfolk Terrier	Small	$22,300	$22,300
24	Affenpinscher	Small	$22,500	$22,500
25	Scottish Terrier	Small	$22,500	$22,500
26	Brussels Griffon	Small	$22,600	$22,600
27	Papillon	Small	$22,600	$22,600
28	Smooth Fox Terrier	Small	$22,600	$22,600
29	Wire Fox Terrier	Small	$22,600	$22,600
30	Cairn Terrier	Small	$22,700	$22,700
31	Mudi	Small	$22,700	$22,700
32	Lakeland Terrier	Small	$22,800	$22,800
33	Pekingese	Small	$23,000	$23,000
34	Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka	Small	$23,000	$23,000
35	Parson Russell Terrier	Small	$23,100	$23,100
36	Cesky Terrier	Small	$23,200	$23,200
37	Löwchen	Small	$23,300	$23,300
38	Pug	Small	$23,300	$23,300
39	Basenji	Small	$23,400	$23,400
40	Chinese Crested	Small	$23,400	$23,400
41	Beagle	Small	$23,600	$23,600
42	Silky Terrier	Small	$23,600	$23,600
43	Lhasa Apso	Small	$24,000	$24,000
44	Shetland Sheepdog	Small	$24,100	$24,100
45	American Eskimo Dog	Small	$24,200	$24,200
46	Poodle (Miniature)	Small	$24,200	$24,200
47	Maltese	Small	$24,800	$24,800
48	Sealyham Terrier	Small	$24,800	$24,800
49	Shiba Inu	Small	$24,900	$24,900
50	Teddy Roosevelt Terrier	Small	$24,900	$24,900
51	Bedlington Terrier	Small	$25,000	$25,000
52	Welsh Terrier	Small	$25,000	$25,000
53	Havanese	Small	$25,100	$25,100
54	Rat Terrier	Small	$25,100	$25,100
55	Manchester Terrier (Toy)	Small	$25,200	$25,200
56	Taiwan Dog	Medium	$25,200	$25,200
57	Biewer Terrier	Small	$25,500	$25,500
58	Maltipoo	Small	$25,600	$25,600
59	Pomeranian	Small	$25,700	$25,700
60	Bulldog (English)	Medium	$26,000	$26,000
61	Yorkshire Terrier	Small	$26,000	$26,000
62	American Hairless Terrier	Small	$26,100	$26,100
63	Braque du Bourbonnais	Medium	$26,200	$26,200
64	Treeing Tennessee Brindle	Medium	$26,200	$26,200
65	Dachshund	Small	$26,500	$26,500
66	Manchester Terrier (Standard)	Small	$26,500	$26,500
67	Pumi	Medium	$26,500	$26,500
68	French Bulldog	Small	$26,800	$26,800
69	Shikoku	Medium	$26,800	$26,800
70	Basset Fauve de Bretagne	Medium	$26,900	$26,900
71	Dogue de Bordeaux	Giant	$27,100	$27,100
72	Yakutian Laika	Medium	$27,100	$27,100
73	Mountain Cur	Medium	$27,500	$27,500
74	Pembroke Welsh Corgi	Medium	$27,600	$27,600
75	Dandie Dinmont Terrier	Small	$27,900	$27,900
76	Poodle (Toy)	Small	$27,900	$27,900
77	West Highland White Terrier	Small	$28,100	$28,100
78	Icelandic Sheepdog	Medium	$28,400	$28,400
79	Kishu Ken	Medium	$28,500	$28,500
80	Peruvian Inca Orchid	Medium	$28,500	$28,500
81	Slovensky Kopov	Medium	$28,600	$28,600
82	German Shepherd Dog	Large	$28,800	$28,800
83	Karelian Bear Dog	Medium	$28,800	$28,800
84	Swedish Vallhund	Medium	$28,800	$28,800
85	Nederlandse Kooikerhondje	Medium	$28,900	$28,900
86	Norwegian Lundehund	Medium	$28,900	$28,900
87	American Water Spaniel	Medium	$29,000	$29,000
88	Staffordshire Bull Terrier	Medium	$29,000	$29,000
89	German Pinscher	Medium	$29,100	$29,100
90	Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	Small	$29,200	$29,200
91	Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen	Medium	$29,200	$29,200
92	Tibetan Terrier	Small	$29,200	$29,200
93	Kai Ken	Medium	$29,300	$29,300
94	Irish Terrier	Medium	$29,500	$29,500
95	Miniature Schnauzer	Small	$29,500	$29,500
96	Boykin Spaniel	Medium	$29,700	$29,700
97	Field Spaniel	Medium	$29,700	$29,700
98	Sloughi	Medium	$29,700	$29,700
99	Whippet	Medium	$29,700	$29,700
100	Cocker Spaniel	Medium	$29,800	$29,800
101	Irish Wolfhound	Giant	$29,800	$29,800
102	Flat-Coated Retriever	Large	$29,900	$29,900
103	Ibizan Hound	Medium	$30,000	$30,000
104	Swedish Lapphund	Medium	$30,000	$30,000
105	Cardigan Welsh Corgi	Medium	$30,100	$30,100
106	Finnish Spitz	Medium	$30,200	$30,200
107	German Shepherd	Large	$30,200	$30,200
108	Shih Tzu	Small	$30,200	$30,200
109	Glen of Imaal Terrier	Medium	$30,300	$30,300
110	Norwegian Buhund	Medium	$30,300	$30,300
111	Croatian Sheepdog	Medium	$30,400	$30,400
112	English Cocker Spaniel	Medium	$30,400	$30,400
113	Portuguese Sheepdog	Medium	$30,600	$30,600
114	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever	Medium	$30,800	$30,800
115	Chinese Shar-Pei	Large	$31,100	$31,100
116	German Shorthaired Pointer	Large	$31,100	$31,100
117	Brittany	Medium	$31,200	$31,200
118	English Springer Spaniel	Medium	$31,200	$31,200
119	Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier	Medium	$31,200	$31,200
120	Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog	Medium	$31,300	$31,300
121	Bichon Frise	Small	$31,300	$31,300
122	Deutscher Wachtelhund	Medium	$31,600	$31,600
123	German Spitz	Medium	$31,600	$31,600
124	Irish Red and White Setter	Medium	$31,600	$31,600
125	Schapendoes	Medium	$31,600	$31,600
126	Working Kelpie	Medium	$31,600	$31,600
127	Miniature American Shepherd	Medium	$31,800	$31,800
128	Coton de Tulear	Small	$32,000	$32,000
129	Finnish Lapphund	Medium	$32,000	$32,000
130	Kromfohrlander	Medium	$32,000	$32,000
131	Azawakh	Medium	$32,200	$32,200
132	Bohemian Shepherd	Medium	$32,300	$32,300
133	Canaan Dog	Medium	$32,300	$32,300
134	Welsh Springer Spaniel	Medium	$32,300	$32,300
135	Australian Cattle Dog	Medium	$32,400	$32,400
136	Kerry Blue Terrier	Medium	$32,500	$32,500
137	Jindo	Medium	$32,600	$32,600
138	Norrbottenspets	Medium	$32,800	$32,800
139	Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen	Medium	$33,000	$33,000
140	Keeshond	Medium	$33,100	$33,100
141	Chow Chow	Large	$33,200	$33,200
142	Portuguese Pointer	Medium	$33,200	$33,200
143	Portuguese Water Dog	Medium	$33,200	$33,200
144	Bullmastiff	Giant	$33,500	$33,500
145	Border Collie	Medium	$33,700	$33,700
146	Drever	Medium	$33,700	$33,700
147	Xoloitzcuintli	Medium	$33,700	$33,700
148	Lagotto Romagnolo	Medium	$34,100	$34,100
149	Portuguese Podengo	Large	$34,100	$34,100
150	Rhodesian Ridgeback	Large	$34,200	$34,200
151	Puli	Medium	$34,300	$34,300
152	Sussex Spaniel	Medium	$34,300	$34,300
153	Polish Lowland Sheepdog	Medium	$34,600	$34,600
154	Skye Terrier	Medium	$34,600	$34,600
155	Bernese Mountain Dog	Giant	$34,900	$34,900
156	Neapolitan Mastiff	Giant	$34,900	$34,900
157	Belgian Laekenois	Large	$35,300	$35,300
158	Australian Shepherd	Medium	$35,400	$35,400
159	Boxer	Large	$35,400	$35,400
160	Standard Schnauzer	Medium	$35,400	$35,400
161	American English Coonhound	Large	$35,600	$35,600
162	Labrador Retriever	Large	$35,700	$35,700
163	French Spaniel	Large	$36,000	$36,000
164	Clumber Spaniel	Large	$36,500	$36,500
165	Rottweiler	Large	$36,500	$36,500
166	Entlebucher Mountain Dog	Large	$36,700	$36,700
167	Curly-Coated Retriever	Large	$36,900	$36,900
168	Greyhound	Large	$36,900	$36,900
169	Segugio Italiano	Large	$36,900	$36,900
170	Bluetick Coonhound	Large	$37,100	$37,100
171	Scottish Deerhound	Giant	$37,100	$37,100
172	Siberian Husky	Large	$37,100	$37,100
173	American Bulldog	Large	$37,200	$37,200
174	Doberman Pinscher	Large	$37,200	$37,200
175	English Foxhound	Large	$37,200	$37,200
176	Spanish Water Dog	Medium	$37,200	$37,200
177	Great Dane	Giant	$37,500	$37,500
178	Transylvanian Hound	Large	$37,500	$37,500
179	Broholmer	Giant	$37,700	$37,700
180	Mastiff	Giant	$37,700	$37,700
181	Golden Retriever	Large	$37,800	$37,800
182	Dalmatian	Large	$37,900	$37,900
183	Czechoslovakian Vlcak	Large	$38,300	$38,300
184	Weimaraner	Large	$38,300	$38,300
185	American Foxhound	Large	$38,400	$38,400
186	Black and Tan Coonhound	Large	$38,400	$38,400
187	Thai Ridgeback	Large	$38,500	$38,500
188	Old English Sheepdog	Large	$38,900	$38,900
189	Porcelaine	Large	$39,000	$39,000
190	Chesapeake Bay Retriever	Large	$39,100	$39,100
191	Berger Picard	Large	$39,200	$39,200
192	Irish Water Spaniel	Large	$39,200	$39,200
193	Plott Hound	Large	$39,200	$39,200
194	Small Munsterlander Pointer	Large	$39,200	$39,200
195	Treeing Walker Coonhound	Large	$39,200	$39,200
196	Bracco Italiano	Large	$39,300	$39,300
197	Greater Swiss Mountain Dog	Giant	$39,300	$39,300
198	Perro de Presa Canario	Giant	$39,300	$39,300
199	Borzoi	Large	$39,500	$39,500
200	Dutch Shepherd	Large	$39,500	$39,500
201	Lapponian Herder	Large	$39,500	$39,500
202	Barbet	Large	$39,700	$39,700
203	Bull Terrier	Large	$39,700	$39,700
204	Pharaoh Hound	Large	$39,700	$39,700
205	Drentsche Patrijshond	Large	$39,800	$39,800
206	Wirehaired Vizsla	Large	$39,900	$39,900
207	English Setter	Large	$40,000	$40,000
208	Gordon Setter	Large	$40,000	$40,000
209	Hovawart	Large	$40,000	$40,000
210	Vizsla	Large	$40,000	$40,000
211	Basset Hound	Large	$40,100	$40,100
212	Newfoundland	Giant	$40,400	$40,400
213	Saint Bernard	Giant	$40,500	$40,500
214	Saluki	Large	$41,000	$41,000
215	Wetterhoun	Large	$41,000	$41,000
216	Slovensky Cuvac	Large	$41,100	$41,100
217	Airedale Terrier	Large	$41,200	$41,200
218	Bavarian Mountain Scent Hound	Large	$41,300	$41,300
219	Catahoula Leopard Dog	Large	$41,300	$41,300
220	Norwegian Elkhound	Large	$41,300	$41,300
221	Samoyed	Large	$41,300	$41,300
222	Hanoverian Scenthound	Large	$41,400	$41,400
223	Harrier	Large	$41,500	$41,500
224	Wirehaired Pointing Griffon	Large	$41,500	$41,500
225	German Longhaired Pointer	Large	$41,700	$41,700
226	Leonberger	Giant	$41,700	$41,700
227	Slovakian Wirehaired Pointer	Large	$41,700	$41,700
228	Hokkaido	Large	$41,900	$41,900
229	Stabyhoun	Large	$42,000	$42,000
230	Alaskan Malamute	Large	$42,200	$42,200
231	American Leopard Hound	Large	$42,300	$42,300
232	Redbone Coonhound	Large	$42,300	$42,300
233	Appenzeller Sennenhund	Large	$42,500	$42,500
234	Belgian Sheepdog	Large	$42,700	$42,700
235	Belgian Tervuren	Large	$42,700	$42,700
236	American Staffordshire Terrier	Large	$42,800	$42,800
237	Great Pyrenees	Giant	$42,900	$42,900
238	Kuvasz	Giant	$42,900	$42,900
239	Collie	Large	$43,100	$43,100
240	Bloodhound	Giant	$43,200	$43,200
241	Pudelpointer	Large	$43,200	$43,200
242	Bearded Collie	Large	$43,900	$43,900
243	Beauceron	Giant	$43,900	$43,900
244	Chinook	Large	$44,100	$44,100
245	Briard	Large	$44,300	$44,300
246	Eurasier	Large	$45,000	$45,000
247	Irish Setter	Large	$45,000	$45,000
248	Bergamasco Sheepdog	Large	$45,100	$45,100
249	Otterhound	Giant	$45,300	$45,300
250	Pointer	Large	$45,600	$45,600
251	Bouvier des Flandres	Giant	$46,100	$46,100
252	Tibetan Mastiff	Giant	$46,100	$46,100
253	Afghan Hound	Large	$46,200	$46,200
254	Dogo Argentino	Giant	$46,200	$46,200
255	Tornjak	Large	$46,300	$46,300
256	Boerboel	Giant	$46,400	$46,400
257	Belgian Malinois	Large	$47,100	$47,100
258	German Wirehaired Pointer	Large	$47,100	$47,100
259	Poodle (Standard)	Large	$47,400	$47,400
260	Hamiltonstovare	Large	$47,500	$47,500
261	Black Russian Terrier	Giant	$47,700	$47,700
262	Estrela Mountain Dog	Giant	$47,900	$47,900
263	Komondor	Giant	$48,300	$48,300
264	Tosa	Giant	$48,300	$48,300
265	Giant Schnauzer	Large	$48,400	$48,400
266	Caucasian Shepherd Dog	Giant	$48,600	$48,600
267	Anatolian Shepherd Dog	Giant	$49,100	$49,100
268	Akita	Giant	$49,200	$49,200
269	Rafeiro do Alentejo	Giant	$51,600	$51,600
270	Spanish Mastiff	Giant	$52,000	$52,000
271	Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog	Giant	$52,900	$52,900
272	Pyrenean Mastiff	Giant	$55,200	$55,200

Ranked from our sortable database. Food = vet RER/MER calorie formula; insurance = NAPHIA US average × breed health-risk tier; lifespan from breed standards. US planning estimates.

Compiled by the PawCosts data team from breed standards, NAPHIA averages and AAFCO/vet nutrition formulas.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest dog to own?

Smaller, healthier breeds cost least over a lifetime — they eat less and have lower insurance and vet bills.

How is this ranking calculated?

From our sortable cost database: food via the vet RER/MER calorie formula, insurance from NAPHIA US averages by breed health-risk tier, and lifespan from published breed standards.

What is the typical lifetime cost for dogs?

The median across 272 breeds is about $32,550.

Are these exact prices?

No — they are modelled US planning estimates; your real cost varies by region, provider and the individual animal.

Open the full sorter →