MyHow Much Does Dog Food Cost Per Day by Breed Size
Dog 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, and $2.00 to $5.50 per day for a large dog in the US in 2026, for dry food. Wet food costs more, about $2.00 to $6.00 per day for a medium dog. Fresh food delivery costs the most, often $5.00 to $12.00 per day. In the UK, dog food costs about £0.70 to £2.00 per day for a small dog, £1.00 to £3.00 per day for a medium dog, and £1.80 to £4.50 per day for a large dog.
Dog food cost per day is the number that matters for budgeting, because it turns a bag price into a daily cost you can compare. A $70 bag that lasts 40 days costs $1.75 a day. A $50 bag that lasts 20 days costs $2.50 a day. The cheaper bag is more expensive per day. This guide gives you cost per day by breed size, by food type, and by life stage, with a worked example, a UK section, and a comparison by cost per 1,000 calories. Every price is a range, because brand, quality and where you buy change the price a lot.
Dog food cost per day by breed size
| Dog size | Weight | Food per day | Dry food cost per day | Wet food cost per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 5 to 10 kg | 150 to 300 g | $0.80 to $2.50 | $1.50 to $4.00 |
| Medium | 15 to 25 kg | 300 to 500 g | $1.30 to $3.50 | $2.00 to $6.00 |
| Large | 30 to 45 kg | 500 to 800 g | $2.00 to $5.50 | $3.50 to $9.00 |
| Giant | 50 kg and over | 800 to 1,200 g | $3.00 to $7.00 | $5.00 to $12.00 |
These amounts are for an average adult dog with normal activity. A very active dog, a working dog or a pregnant dog needs more. An older dog or a less active dog needs less. Ask your vet how many calories your dog needs, then use our Dog Feeding Calculator to work out the grams per day. Weigh the food with kitchen scales for a week, because scoops are not accurate and most owners overfeed by 10 to 20 percent without realising it.
How much does dog food cost per day by food type
Dry food, also called kibble, is the cheapest per calorie. A mid priced dry food costs about $1.30 to $3.50 a day for a medium dog. A premium dry food costs about $2.00 to $5.00 a day. Wet food costs more per calorie, because it is mostly water, and a medium dog on wet food alone costs about $2.00 to $6.00 a day. A mix of wet and dry, which most owners use, costs about $1.50 to $4.50 a day for a medium dog. Fresh and raw food delivery costs the most, often $5.00 to $12.00 a day for a medium dog, and $8.00 to $20.00 a day for a large dog. Raw food bought in bulk and prepared at home can cost less than delivery, but it needs careful handling and a vet approved recipe, because a badly balanced raw diet can harm your dog.
Cost per 1,000 calories: the fair way to compare food
Compare food by cost per 1,000 calories, not by bag price and not by cost per kg. To work it out, take the price of the bag, divide it by the total calories in the bag, then multiply by 1,000. A bag that costs $60, weighs 12 kg, and has 3,600 calories per kg, has 43,200 calories in total. That is $1.39 per 1,000 calories. A cheaper bag that costs $45, weighs 10 kg, and has 3,200 calories per kg, has 32,000 calories in total. That is $1.41 per 1,000 calories. The cheaper bag is almost the same price per calorie, and it will run out sooner. Use cost per 1,000 calories when you compare brands, and use cost per day when you budget.
Worked example: a 20 kg dog
Take a healthy adult dog that weighs 20 kg, with normal activity. The resting energy need is about 70 times weight to the power 0.75, which is about 662 calories a day. With a normal activity factor of 1.6, the daily need is about 1,059 calories. If the food has 3,600 calories per kg, the dog needs about 294 grams a day. If a 12 kg bag costs $60, the cost per gram is $0.005, so the daily cost is about $1.47. The bag lasts about 41 days, and the monthly cost is about $44. If the same dog eats wet food that costs $2.00 per 400 gram can, with 400 calories per can, the dog needs about 2.6 cans a day, so the daily cost is about $5.20. That is why wet food alone costs so much more than dry food for the same calories.
How much does dog food cost per day by life stage
Puppies need more calories per kg than adult dogs, because they are growing. A puppy eats about 2 times the adult amount per kg in the first months, then less as it grows. Puppy food costs about $1.00 to $3.00 a day for a small puppy, $1.50 to $4.00 a day for a medium puppy, and $2.50 to $6.00 a day for a large puppy. Adult dogs need the amounts in the table above. Senior dogs often need fewer calories, because they are less active, but they may need a more expensive senior or prescription food. A senior dog on prescription food can cost $3.00 to $8.00 a day, even though it eats less. Ask your vet which life stage food your dog needs, and do not feed puppy food to an adult dog, or adult food to a puppy, without vet advice.
How much does dog food cost per day in the UK
In the UK in 2026, dry dog food costs about £0.70 to £2.00 per day for a small dog, £1.00 to £3.00 per day for a medium dog, and £1.80 to £4.50 per day for a large dog. Wet food costs about £1.50 to £3.50 per day for a small dog, £2.00 to £5.00 per day for a medium dog, and £3.00 to £7.00 per day for a large dog. Fresh food delivery in the UK costs about £4.00 to £10.00 per day for a medium dog. Supermarket own brand food is cheapest, often £0.70 to £1.50 a day for a medium dog. Premium and vet recommended brands cost more, often £2.00 to £4.00 a day. Buy in larger bags when the price per kg is lower, and check the price per day, not just the bag price.
How to reduce dog food cost without cutting quality
Buy larger bags when the price per kg is lower, and store the food in a sealed container so it stays fresh. Weigh the food, because overfeeding by 20 percent adds 20 percent to your food bill and harms your dog. Cut treats to 10 percent of daily calories or less, because treats are expensive per calorie and they add weight. Compare cost per 1,000 calories before you switch brands, and switch slowly over a week so your dog's stomach can adjust. Ask your vet if a mid priced food is enough for your dog, because many dogs do well on a good mid priced food and do not need the most expensive brand. Do not buy food in bulk if your dog will not eat it, and do not buy a food that upsets your dog's stomach just because it is cheap.
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 with 3,600 calories per kg. Use our Dog Feeding Calculator for your dog's weight and activity level.
Is wet food better than dry food for dogs?
Both can be good if they are complete and balanced. Wet food has more water, which helps hydration, and many dogs prefer the taste. Dry food is cheaper per calorie, better for teeth, and easier to store. A mix of both is a good choice for many dogs.
How long does a 12 kg bag of dog food 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. Weigh the food to know the real number for your dog.
How much does it cost to feed a large dog per month?
A large dog costs about $60 to $130 a month on dry food, $100 to $250 a month on wet food, and $150 to $350 a month on fresh food delivery. Read our dog cost per month guide for the full monthly total.
Can I feed my dog cheaper food to save money?
You can, but compare cost per day and cost per 1,000 calories first. A cheap food that your dog needs more of, or will not eat, can cost more per day than a mid priced food. Ask your vet if a cheaper food is complete and balanced for your dog's age and health.
Related guides and calculators
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.