How much does an Aussie cost?

A Aussie costs $1,250–$4,650 in its first year across the 52 US cities we have costed, then $78–$330 a month. The purchase price sits on top of that and varies far more, because it depends on the breeder, the paperwork behind the litter and whether you buy or adopt.

Every number here is a planning estimate built from breed data and local cost-of-living and veterinary indices, not a quote from a vet or an insurer. How we build them and who writes them.

Aussie puppy price

No sourced purchase range for the Aussie has cleared our checks yet, so this page leaves that number blank. What we can tell you is what happens next: the first year of owning a Aussie runs $1,250–$4,650 depending on the city, and that number is the one that decides whether the dog is affordable. A purchase price is paid once. The rest is paid every month for 12–15 years.

Purchase prices move on things that have nothing to do with the dog you take home. A litter from parents screened for the conditions Aussies are known for — Hip Dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia, Epilepsy — costs the breeder money before a single puppy is sold, and that shows up in the price. Waiting lists, coat colours that are in fashion this year, and transport from another state push it further. A cheap listing with no health paperwork is usually the most expensive option in the end, because the screening you skipped becomes a vet bill you pay.

Weigh the purchase against the total. Over 12–15 years, the money you spend feeding, insuring and treating a Aussie dwarfs whatever you paid to bring one home, so a few hundred dollars of difference at the start matters much less than the monthly figure further down this page.

Aussie first-year cost by city

The first year with a Aussie costs $1,250–$4,650 depending on where you live. Year one is the expensive one: the vaccination course, neutering or spaying, microchipping, a crate, a bed, a lead and the first round of preventatives all land inside twelve months and never repeat.

Memphis is the cheapest city on this list for a Aussie and Honolulu the most expensive, a spread driven almost entirely by local veterinary rates and what a groomer charges — the dog is identical.

Aussie first-year and monthly cost by city
City	First year	Monthly
Aussie cost in Albuquerque	$1,450–$2,650	$95–$185
Aussie cost in Anchorage	$2,000–$3,500	$135–$250
Aussie cost in Atlanta	$1,550–$2,750	$105–$195
Aussie cost in Austin	$1,650–$2,900	$110–$205
Aussie cost in Baltimore	$1,700–$3,000	$115–$210
Aussie cost in Billings	$1,350–$2,450	$88–$168
Aussie cost in Birmingham	$1,300–$2,350	$82–$158
Aussie cost in Boise	$1,500–$2,650	$98–$185
Aussie cost in Boston	$2,200–$3,900	$150–$280
Aussie cost in Bridgeport	$1,650–$2,950	$108–$205
Aussie cost in Burlington	$1,500–$2,700	$100–$188
Aussie cost in Charleston	$1,550–$2,750	$105–$195
Aussie cost in Charlotte	$1,550–$2,700	$103–$192
Aussie cost in Cheyenne	$1,320–$2,400	$85–$162
Aussie cost in Chicago	$1,900–$3,350	$128–$238
Aussie cost in Columbus	$1,480–$2,600	$96–$180
Aussie cost in Denver	$1,650–$2,900	$108–$202
Aussie cost in Des Moines	$1,380–$2,480	$90–$170
Aussie cost in Detroit	$1,350–$2,450	$88–$165
Aussie cost in Fargo	$1,400–$2,500	$92–$172
Aussie cost in Honolulu	$2,600–$4,650	$175–$330
Aussie cost in Houston	$1,500–$2,700	$100–$190
Aussie cost in Indianapolis	$1,550–$2,750	$102–$195
Aussie cost in Jackson	$1,350–$2,450	$88–$168
Aussie cost in Jacksonville	$1,450–$2,600	$95–$180
Aussie cost in Kansas City	$1,500–$2,700	$98–$188
Aussie cost in Las Vegas	$1,550–$2,800	$102–$195
Aussie cost in Little Rock	$1,350–$2,450	$88–$168
Aussie cost in Los Angeles	$1,800–$3,200	$118–$225
Aussie cost in Louisville	$1,400–$2,550	$92–$175
Aussie cost in Manchester	$1,600–$2,850	$105–$198
Aussie cost in Memphis	$1,250–$2,300	$80–$155
Aussie cost in Milwaukee	$1,500–$2,700	$100–$190
Aussie cost in Minneapolis	$1,550–$2,800	$102–$194
Aussie cost in New Orleans	$1,650–$2,950	$108–$205
Aussie cost in New York	$2,050–$3,650	$135–$255
Aussie cost in New York City	$2,100–$3,700	$138–$260
Aussie cost in Newark	$1,850–$3,300	$122–$232
Aussie cost in Oklahoma City	$1,300–$2,350	$82–$158
Aussie cost in Omaha	$1,350–$2,450	$88–$168
Aussie cost in Philadelphia	$1,700–$3,050	$112–$212
Aussie cost in Phoenix	$1,600–$2,900	$105–$200
Aussie cost in Portland	$1,600–$2,850	$105–$198
Aussie cost in Providence	$1,550–$2,800	$102–$194
Aussie cost in Salt Lake City	$1,550–$2,750	$100–$190
Aussie cost in San Francisco	$2,250–$4,000	$148–$280
Aussie cost in Seattle	$1,950–$3,450	$128–$242
Aussie cost in Sioux Falls	$1,300–$2,350	$84–$160
Aussie cost in Virginia Beach	$1,600–$2,900	$105–$200
Aussie cost in Washington DC	$1,950–$3,450	$128–$242
Aussie cost in Wichita	$1,250–$2,250	$78–$150
Aussie cost in Wilmington	$1,650–$2,950	$108–$205

Looking for one city rather than one breed? The cost hub lists every city we have costed, with all breeds on a single page.

Monthly cost of a Aussie

A Aussie costs $78–$330 a month once the first year is behind you. That covers food, flea and worm preventatives, an insurance premium and routine grooming, spread evenly — it does not cover an emergency, which is what the separate emergency fund on each city page is for.

Once the Aussie is home, the bill settles into a rhythm. Food is the line that scales with the dog: a 40–65 lb Aussie eats in proportion to bodyweight, so the medium size class sets the floor. Preventatives are dosed by weight too, which is why the same tick treatment costs more for a heavier dog. Grooming is moderate for this breed, and where that means a professional appointment rather than a brush at home, it is the line most likely to surprise a first-time owner.

Insurance is the fourth line, and unlike the others it gets more expensive as the dog ages. Premiums quoted for a puppy are the cheapest they will ever be, so budgeting from the first quote you receive will understate the cost of the later years of a Aussie's life.

What drives Aussie costs

Three things set what a Aussie costs: size, health risk and grooming. Size decides food and drug doses, the breed's documented health risks decide the insurance premium and the odds of a large bill, and the coat decides whether grooming is a brush at home or a booked appointment every few weeks.

Size. The Aussie is a medium breed at 40–65 lb. Food, flea and worm treatments, anaesthesia and boarding are all priced by weight, so this single fact moves most of the running cost.
Health risk. Aussies are documented for Hip Dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia, Epilepsy. Insurers price the breed on exactly this list, and it is also where a four-figure bill is most likely to come from.
Grooming. Grooming need is moderate for a Aussie. A coat that needs professional clipping adds a recurring appointment to the monthly figure; one that needs brushing adds a brush.

Full temperament, exercise and health detail lives on the Aussie breed page.

Is pet insurance worth it for a Aussie?

Pet insurance is worth it for a Aussie when a sudden four-figure bill would go on a credit card. That is the whole test. If you could absorb an emergency out of savings, a dedicated fund usually beats premiums; if you could not, insurance converts an unpredictable bill into a predictable monthly one.

Read the exclusions before you read the price. Hip Dysplasia is on the Aussie's documented list, and anything a vet has already noted counts as pre-existing and will not be covered — which is why buying early, before the first symptom, is what makes a breed-risk policy work at all.

Take the insurance fit quiz to see whether a policy or a savings buffer suits your situation better.

Budget tools

Two calculators turn the ranges on this page into your number. The cost calculator takes a breed and a city and returns a first-year and monthly estimate for that combination; the comparison tool puts a Aussie next to other breeds you are considering, side by side.

Dog cost calculator — first-year and monthly estimate for one breed in one city.
Breed cost comparison — the Aussie against the other breeds on your shortlist.

Aussie cost: frequently asked questions

How much does an Aussie cost?

A Aussie costs $1,250–$4,650 in the first year and $78–$330 a month after that, across the 52 US cities on this page. Those totals cover food, routine veterinary care, preventatives, grooming and insurance. The purchase price is separate and depends on where the dog comes from.

How much is a Aussie puppy?

We do not publish a Aussie puppy price, because we have not verified one against a source we trust. What is reliable is the direction: a breeder who screens the parents charges more than one who does not, and a rescue charges least. The running costs above are identical either way.

How much does an Aussie cost per month?

A Aussie costs $78–$330 a month after the first year, depending on the city. That figure covers food, flea and worm preventatives, an insurance premium and routine grooming. It excludes emergencies, which each city page budgets for separately as a recommended emergency fund.

Is a Aussie expensive to own?

The Aussie is about average to run compared with the other breeds we cost. At 40–65 lb, size sets the food and medication bill, moderate grooming need sets the appointment cost, and the breed's documented health risks set the insurance premium. Where you live moves the total as much as the breed does.

What is the cheapest way to get a Aussie?

Adoption is the cheapest way to get a Aussie: shelter and breed-specific rescue fees are well below breeder prices and usually include vaccination, microchipping and neutering already done, which removes several first-year line items. Breed rescues also take surrendered adults, so a specific breed is realistic through them.

The cheapest listing, by contrast, is rarely the cheapest dog. Skipping health screening moves cost from the purchase price into the vet bills, and for a breed with documented risks that is a bad trade.