How Much Does a Crested Gecko Really Cost?

Crested geckos sit near the affordable end of the reptile hobby, and unlike heat-hungry desert species, a lot of their ongoing cost comes down to food and humidity upkeep rather than electricity.

Upfront Setup: $890 to $1,800 of Equipment

Highly recommended, not counted in the total: a UV index meter, about $240 to $265. It is the only way to check that the UVB tube sits at the right height and to know when the tube needs replacing; UV cards do not measure UVB.

A hatchling can start smaller in a basic faunarium for around $20 before moving up. The bulb and thermostat are only for a room that runs below about 72°F, and if you use a bulb, the thermostat is not optional: 85°F is a hard ceiling for this species, and a warm day can push an unregulated bulb past it. The thermometer stays either way, since it is the only way to know the enclosure is still in range. Altogether the equipment comes to $890 to $1,800, and $420 to $800 once the first vet exam and fecal test are counted, before the gecko itself. The cheaper gear in each row is how a setup lands at the low end; the fogger and a pricier enclosure are how it reaches the top. A T5 tube's wattage is not its length: a 24-watt tube is about 22 inches long, a 39-watt tube about 34 inches and a 54-watt tube about 46 inches, so go by the length in inches when you match it to two-thirds of the enclosure.

The Gecko Itself

Most normal and patterned crested geckos from a breeder or store sell for under $100, and standard morphs top out around $200. Rare and specialty morphs from established lines run upward of $1,000. Adoption through a rescue typically costs $50 to $175, and a "free" gecko from a rehoming post often comes with medical bills attached. Males show a hemipenal bulge only at 18 to 25 grams, so a juvenile sold below that weight is unsexed, whatever the listing guesses.

Costs That Catch Owners Later

• A second gecko is a second setup. Two males can never share, and even two females need at least double the space of an 18x18x36 inch enclosure, about 23,000 cubic inches, plus duplicate dishes and hides.
• Every adult female needs a lay box. Females lay infertile eggs with no male present, typically two eggs about once a month through the season, so a lay box of moist coconut fiber and fir bark is part of her kit whether she is bred or not. Each clutch draws on her calcium, which keeps the supplement line on the monthly budget.
• Emergencies cost more than exams. A routine exotic vet visit runs about $40 to $70, but advanced imaging for an injury or egg binding can pass $1,000.

Ongoing Costs: $40 to $55 a Month

The Long-Game Cost

Crested geckos live 15 to 20 years in captivity, and the earliest known captive individuals have lived well into their 30s. That's the number worth sitting with before bringing one home, this isn't a short-term pet, and the setup you buy now should be one you're comfortable maintaining for decades.

Leopard Gecko vs. Crested Gecko sets these costs beside the other popular beginner gecko, heater and all.

Among beginner reptiles, the five that make sense for a first keeper put the crested gecko alongside the bearded dragon, leopard gecko, ball python, and corn snake.

Sources & Further Reading