How much does a bearded dragon cost? The lizard is the cheap part: $60 to $100 at a chain pet store, $50 to $500 from a breeder. What you really pay for is the habitat. A juvenile from PetSmart in a 4x2x2 enclosure with a T5 UVB tube comes to about $1,938 in the first year, and the animal is only 4 percent of that. After year one the bill settles near $725 a year, because adults eat far fewer insects.
A bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) is a desert lizard from Australia that grows to about 24 inches and lives 10 to 15 years in captivity, so the long-run figure matters more than the price tag.
Run Your Own Numbers: Source, Age and Enclosure
Pick where the bearded dragon comes from, how big it is now and the enclosure you plan to buy. The estimator prices the setup, feeds a baby at the juvenile rate at first, switches to adult feeding from the second year, and adds a new UVB lamp and basking bulb annually after that.
Bearded Dragon Cost Calculator
Pick where the dragon comes from, its age and the enclosure you plan to buy. The estimator adds the purchase price, a T5 UVB and heat setup, food at the juvenile or adult feeding rate, vet care and yearly lamp replacement, then totals the first year and every year you enter.
Your Beardie Budget
Estimates only. Purchase ranges come from January 2026 Hepper price guides and a September 2026 PetSmart listing, enclosure and lighting prices from September 2026 retailer listings, and monthly and vet figures from a 2025 feeder supplier guide. Adult insect use follows the ReptiFiles feeding schedule. Prices vary by region and seller. Reviewed September 2026.
The share line tells you how much of the first twelve months is the animal and how much is everything that owning a bearded dragon requires around it.
How Much Does a Bearded Dragon Cost at PetSmart, a Breeder or a Rescue?
Where you buy changes the purchase line by up to $500, and it is the smallest part of the cost to own a bearded dragon. It does not change what a bearded dragon eats or needs under its lamp.
| Source | Price range | Calculator uses (typical) | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| PetSmart or Petco | $60 to $100 | $79.99 | Normal color, usually a juvenile, in-store only |
| Breeder or reptile expo | $50 to $500 | $275 | Known hatch date, color morphs up to specialty lines |
| Rescue or adoption | $50 to $100 | $75 | Often an adult, sometimes with a health history |
| Free rehome | $0 | $0 | An owner’s pet, sometimes with the old tank |
PetSmart listed its bearded dragon at $79.99 (on sale for $63.99) when we checked in September 2026. Hepper’s January 2026 price update puts Petco at about $60 to $100 and notes that each store sets its own price and that Petco does not stock rare colors.
A morph is a color or scale variety produced by selective breeding, such as hypo, translucent, leatherback or zero. Morphs are where a breeder’s price climbs toward $500. Here’s the part most price lists skip: a $500 morph costs exactly the same to house and feed as a $64 normal, so the premium is paid once. In our second example below, even a top-end morph is only 17 percent of the first-year bill.
Setup Costs: What a 120-Gallon Build Includes
Budget $660 for the initial setup of a 4x2x2 (120 gallon) vivarium before you buy the bearded dragon. The enclosure is about half of it, and the UVB kit is the next biggest item. The substrate line uses Hepper’s $15 to $60 range, which covers anything from reptile carpet to bagged loose substrate.
| Item | Price used | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 4x2x2 PVC enclosure | $339 | Midpoint of $299 (DubiaRoaches.com) and $379 (Zen Habitats) |
| T5 HO UVB kit, 34 inch | $114.99 | Arcadia ProT5 12% Desert kit |
| Basking heat lamp and fixture | $60 | Hepper heat source range, $20 to $100 |
| Lighting timer and laser thermometer | $40 | The Critter Depot, $20 each |
| Substrate | $37.50 | Hepper, $15 to $60 |
| Hide, branches, water dish, plants, hammock | $69 | The Critter Depot item prices |
UVB is the one item not to economize on. A T5 HO (high output) linear tube spreads ultraviolet light across the basking zone; ReptiFiles recommends the Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 T5 HO and a basking surface of 108 to 113 F. Arcadia rates its lamp for 12 months, so the calculator adds a $39.99 replacement tube annually from the second year, plus $17.50 for a basking bulb. Most published totals leave both out.
A 6x2x2 (180 gallon) enclosure runs $657.99 to $722.99 for a Zen Habitat 3.0, which pushes setup to about $1,012. ReptiFiles now treats 6x2x2 as its minimum for one adult and calls the older 4x2x2 standard too small. Many keepers still use 4x2x2, so the calculator offers both.
Why Feeding a Juvenile Costs Twice What an Adult Eats
A juvenile bearded dragon runs about $91.50 a month in live food, greens, supplements, cleaning and power. An adult runs about $47.32. The whole difference is insects.
ReptiFiles’ feeding schedule gives juveniles under 12 inches 5 to 6 head-sized insects every day, with vegetables daily. Adults over 12 inches get 3 to 4 insects twice a week, and the diet shifts to greens like kale and mustard greens. That’s 38.5 insects a week against 7. The Critter Depot budgets $54 a month for crickets, so we apply that to juveniles and scale it by the insect count for adults: $54 times 7 divided by 38.5 is $9.82.
- Feeder insects: $54 a month for a juvenile, $9.82 for an adult. Dubia roaches are the common alternative; price them against crickets before you commit.
- Greens: $10 a month at either age.
- Supplements: $5 a month for a multivitamin and calcium powder.
- Substrate and cleaning: $10 a month.
- Electricity costs: $12.50 a month, the midpoint of the $10 to $15 The Critter Depot reports.
Dragons are fully grown at 1 to 2 years old, so pricing a baby at the juvenile rate for its first twelve months is a simplification. The real bill tapers gradually, not overnight.
Buying a 40-Gallon Tank First Costs More, Not Less
Starting a baby in a 40 to 60 gallon tank and upgrading later adds $375 to a ten-year budget. The Critter Depot prices a 40 to 60 gallon tank at $350 to $400, which is more than the $339 we use for a 4x2x2 PVC enclosure, and the 4x2x2 still has to be bought once the bearded dragon passes 12 inches. The starter tank is money spent twice.
If you already own a 40 gallon tank, it can hold a juvenile for a few months at no new cost. Buying one new rarely makes sense, and the calculator blocks the starter path for an adult, which needs full-size housing on day one.
The Arithmetic Behind the First Twelve Months and Beyond
- Purchase. Low, typical or high price for the source you pick, or $0 for a free rehome.
- Setup. Enclosure plus $321.49 of equipment: UVB kit, basking lamp, timer, thermometer, substrate and decor.
- Twelve months of running costs at the juvenile rate ($91.50) or the adult rate ($47.32).
- Vet care. $100 for an annual exotic vet exam, starting with the first. A fecal test adds $30; insurance adds your premium times 12; an emergency fund adds what you enter.
- Each later year is 12 adult months ($567.82) plus the vet, extras, a $39.99 UVB tube and a $17.50 basking bulb.
- Total adds those together, plus the $339 upgrade on the starter path, times the number of dragons.
Worked Examples: $1,403 to $2,860 Up Front
Our automated calculator tests reproduce every figure below to the cent.
A PetSmart juvenile in a 4x2x2
Typical chain store price $79.99, setup $660.49, $91.50 a month for 12 months, $100 vet. First year: $1,938.48. Each year after: $725.31. Ten years: $8,466.25.
A specialty morph from a breeder in a 6x2x2 with insurance
High-end breeder price $500, setup $1,011.98, a $30 fecal test and $10 a month of insurance. First year: $2,859.98. Each later year: $875.31. Ten years: $10,737.75.
The same PetSmart juvenile, starter tank first
Setup $696.49 with a 40 to 60 gallon tank. First year: $1,974.48. The 4x2x2 follows for $339. Ten years: $8,841.25, which is $375 more than buying the 4x2x2 on day one.
An adult from a rescue, five years
Adoption fee $75, setup $660.49, adult food from day one at $47.32 a month. First year: $1,403.31. Five years: $4,304.54. An adult skips the expensive insect stage, so adopting saves more than the fee suggests.
Blind Spots: Emergencies, Longer Tubes and Local Prices
- Illness. The Critter Depot lists an X-ray at $85, bloodwork at $155 and an ultrasound at $300. Impaction or metabolic bone disease can stack several of those. Use the emergency fund field, and see our emergency vet cost guide.
- A 6 foot enclosure needs a longer UVB fixture than the 34 inch kit priced here, which adds cost we did not model.
- Humidity gear. Beardies come from dry country, but some owners add a hygrometer ($25 at The Critter Depot) to track humidity. It is not in our setup total.
- Exotic vet fees vary by city. Our $100 exam comes from a feeder supplier’s guide, not a veterinary survey, so pet owners should swap in a local quote.
Comparing reptiles? Our leopard gecko cost page prices a smaller lizard with lower light and heat needs, and it is a fair test of whether a bearded dragon is the right first reptile for your budget.
What Beardie Owners Ask About Money
Does PetSmart sell bearded dragons?
Yes, in store. PetSmart listed a bearded dragon at $79.99 in September 2026, on sale for $63.99. Petco charges about $60 to $100 depending on the store.
How much does a bearded dragon cost per month?
About $91.50 for a juvenile and $47.32 for an adult in food, supplements, cleaning and electricity. The annual vet exam adds about $8 a month.
Should I get 1 or 2 bearded dragons?
One, unless you can house two separately. Adults are kept alone, so a second bearded dragon means a second enclosure and UVB kit. Two juveniles from a chain store cost about $3,877 up front and $16,933 over ten years.
How long does a bearded dragon live?
Usually 10 to 15 years, and some pass 20. PetSmart’s care page says about 10. Budget for at least a decade of care at about $725 annually.
Does a rare morph cost more to keep?
No. A hypo or translucent from a breeder costs more to buy, up to about $500, but eats the same food and needs the same enclosure and UVB as a normal.
So how much does a bearded dragon cost for you? Run the calculator with the enclosure you would actually buy, then call one exotic vet near you and swap in their exam price. If the ten-year total still fits, buy the full-size enclosure and UVB first and the animal last. Get a pet insurance quote before the lizard comes home.
This page is general information, not veterinary advice. Purchase prices come from Hepper’s January 2026 price guides and a September 2026 PetSmart listing, enclosure and lighting prices from September 2026 retailer listings (DubiaRoaches.com, Zen Habitats, Arcadia, Zoo Med), running and vet costs from The Critter Depot, and feeding schedules and enclosure guidance from ReptiFiles. Prices change by region and seller. Last reviewed: September 2026.