Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Other animals

How much is a hamster? Here’s a rundown of what it costs to own one

Rebekkah Adams
By

As any pet parent knows, the costs of keeping an animal add up quickly. Between food, vet bills, and housing costs, not to mention toys and pet sitting, you’ll be out a bit of coin over the course of the animal’s lifetime. It’s important to have accurate accounting before you commit to a hamster so you know exactly how much to set aside — both monthly and for incidentals. If you wind up with a super healthy individual, you can always slip those extra dollars into savings or roll them over for your next pet. So, how much is a hamster? Here’s how it breaks down. 

Girl holds her hamster in her hands
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How much is it to buy a hamster?

Let’s begin with startup costs. Of course, the cheapest way to get a hamster (or nearly any pet) is to adopt. Sometimes, you can find young, well-handled rodents who just didn’t work out with their families. By taking in a rescue, you’re saving both the animal and some money. Keep in mind, too, that you want to deal with only a reputable pet store or breeder if you go that route, or you may wind up with a sickly or unfriendly small pet. With all that in mind, budget for about $10 to $20 per hamster for a standard breed (an extremely unusual one might set you back a bit more).

Recommended Videos

The cost of owning a hamster

But remember, that doesn’t mean owning a hamster costs just $20. You need to think about both the initial one-time expenses like a cage, the recurring expenses like food, and the occasional expenses like vet care. This is how much you’ll spend on those things.

Pre-hamster costs

Don’t even start looking at cuties until you have a few things settled in your home. He needs somewhere to live, after all. Get a cage, bedding, and bowls for food and water. His house will set you back up to $50 (though, of course, you can invest in a super-fancy model for more), and the two bowls should come in at $15 or a little more for auto-refill. Then comes the fun part: You get to decorate. Your hamster will want to chew, dig, hide, run, and explore. Every cage design is different, and that’s what makes it enjoyable to create. Decide what theme you want to go for, set your budget, and then shop (amounts vary, but expect to shell out at least $50). All cages will need some tubing, wooden toys for chewing, a hamster wheel, and any other housing or climbing accessories. Can’t decide on a look? That’s actually perfect because your mammal will want a change-up now and then. 

Everyday necessities

We’ve covered the startup fees, now it’s time to think about the items you’ll purchase regularly. Hopefully, water is free, but your hamster will need food and bedding on the regular. He’ll eat food every day and require new bedding approximately once per week. Of course, you won’t buy these things all the time. Instead, you can stock up monthly or every other month by purchasing in bulk. If you can find a big bag of food, you’ll pay about $10 and it will last you two months (unless you have many mouths to feed) and similarly with the bedding. Lastly, you will wind up replacing toys periodically and especially anything he likes to chew on. Add that to your monthly bill.

Hamster hides inside of his bedding

Vet and other rare bills

Even this little guy should get a checkup once per year. Research your animal doctor in advance — even if you already have one for your dog or cat, they might not take hamsters. Depending on where you go and where you live, the visit should cost $30 to $60, assuming it’s routine. If he requires special meds or dental work, you could be looking at a bill of $100 or even more. In terms of other sporadic fees, determine where he will stay when you leave town. Hamsters can’t be left on their own while you vacation, but a drop-in sitter will do him just fine, provided it’s only a few days.

All told, you’ll spend about $800 over the course of your pet’s lifetime, assuming he makes it to 3 years old. While this won’t be all at once, you need to prepare for these costs before bringing him home — never make an impromptu pet purchase without thinking through the long term, both emotionally and practically. However, even though that’s a big figure, it’s still a lot less than owning a dog or cat, making the hamster a good intro pet or for those not looking to overspend.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Rebekkah Adams
Rebekkah Adams
Contributor
Rebekkah’s been a writer and editor for more than 10 years, both in print and digital. In addition to writing about pets…
7 telltale signs of a dying hamster (and what you should do)
Here's how to figure out if your pet hamster is dying (or possibly just hibernating)
Vet checks out small hamster

It's one of the saddest parts of owning a pet: We know that someday we'll have to say goodbye. Our pets never live long enough for us, and preparing for the end can be painful (though important). Your pet hamster will be with you for between two and three years of happy life — full of spinning wheels and treats. Once they're getting close to the end, though, you'll want to help ease their passing, keeping them warm and comfortable.

By paying close attention to the signs of a dying hamster, you can be ready to step in as a pet parent and help them finish the end of their life well. Watch out for any of these symptoms, which should be accompanied by a visit to the vet, since they can have a few different causes.

Read more
Is my rabbit pregnant? 5 telltale signs you should know
Look for these signs to confirm your rabbit will soon have babies
Baby rabbit being held by owner

What's better than one pet rabbit? An entire litter of bunnies (as long as you're prepared for them, of course). If you've been wondering, "Is my rabbit pregnant?" now is the time to find out for sure. After all, you don't want to be caught unaware and suddenly have a whole new colony of animals in your hutch.

Sometimes, lady bunnies can take on the behaviors of expectant mamas, but it's actually a false pregnancy. The best way to find out if your rabbit is pregnant is to take her to the vet and have them confirm it. However, when you're figuring it out yourself, you should look for the signs that a rabbit is pregnant. If you spot these behaviors, be sure to call your animal doctor.

Read more
What you need to know about sugar gliders before you get an exotic pet
Follow these steps to set your sugar glider up for success
Sugar glider clings to their owner's thumb

Choosing a small pet involves almost as much deliberation as selecting a breed of dog. While there are a lot of factors to take into account, a sugar glider might turn out to be the perfect fit with their curious personality, attachment to your family, and fondness for pockets.

Like any exotic pet, gliders require expert care plus some dedicated research to choose the right breeder or pet store. But with the right prep, your new mammal will fit in perfectly and bond with the whole family. Keep reading to find out if sugar gliders are good pets.
What are sugar gliders?
Unlike most little pets, sugar gliders aren't rodents but marsupials. This gives you a few distinct advantages, as they behave differently from hamsters, guinea pigs, or gerbils. For starters, these are highly social creatures and they will bond with every member of the family and even other pets in the house. Because gliders don't smell like the animals your cats and dogs like to chase — rats, gophers, and bunnies, to name a few — many bigger pets can get along with your new friend. You'll need to introduce them carefully, but they can form lifelong attachments to each other.

Read more