How much does a guinea pig cost?

Guinea pigs are cheap to buy and more than most people expect to keep. Enter how many you have, one pair or a whole herd, for a rough budget that scales with the number of pigs.

How many guinea pigs?

We graze them on grass (or bring in fresh-picked grass)

These are rough estimates, and costs vary a lot. A premium retail setup for a pair can run $500 to $800 to start and over $1,000 a year with insurance and top-end bedding, while keepers who buy in bulk, use washable fleece and graze on grass spend far less. Guinea pigs are tiny and do not eat much, so a bag of pellets and a bale of hay stretch a long way. Fresh veg is the main ongoing cost. We apply a bulk discount automatically as the herd grows, and grazing on grass replaces much of the veg bill, tick the box to see it. Fresh-picked grass only, never lawnmower clippings (they ferment and can cause deadly bloat, see our foraging guide).

What drives the cost

Because guinea pigs are small, dry food goes further than people expect, hay and pellets are cheap per pig, especially bought in bulk. Fresh vegetables are usually the biggest ongoing line. Housing is the big one-off, and it scales: two pigs share one cage, but thirty need several.

The real wild card is the vet. Guinea pigs need an exotic vet who knows them, and an unexpected illness can cost more than a year of food, which is why we build in a small savings fund.

Cage size calculator See the supplies

Last updated August 2026 · Written from years of keeping long-haired guinea pigs in the Houston area. This is general care information, not veterinary advice. For anything medical, please see an exotic vet.