How Much Does a Tarantula Really Cost?
Tarantulas are one of the most affordable exotic pets to keep, both upfront and over time, but a female can live 15 to 20 years or more, which makes the low sticker price a bit misleading if you only look at year one.
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How Much Does a Tarantula Really Cost?
Tarantulas are one of the most affordable exotic pets to keep, both upfront and over time. The tradeoff is that this is genuinely a decades-long commitment for a female, which makes the low sticker price a bit misleading if you only look at year one. For everything else about day-to-day care, see our full Tarantula care guide.
Upfront Setup: Roughly $70 to $300, Plus the Spider
| Item | Cost Range |
|---|---|
| The tarantula (beginner species) | $25 - $100 |
| Enclosure | $20 - $80 |
| Substrate | $10 - $30 |
| Hide, decor, and a water dish (cork bark hide works well) | $20 - $60 |
| Feeding tongs | Small extra cost, worth it |
A Chilean rose hair or curly hair typically runs $20 to $50, and spiderlings cost less than adults. Most first-time setups land in the $70 to $300 range before the spider itself, sizing and shape details for that enclosure are covered in our Tarantula tank setup guide.
Ongoing Costs: Roughly $60 to $180 a Year
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Feeding (crickets or dubia roaches) | $5 - $15/month |
| Estimated annual total | $60 - $180/year |
That range depends mostly on the size and appetite of your particular tarantula.
Vet Care and Insurance
There's no pet insurance for tarantulas, and veterinary care is genuinely rare, many areas simply don't have a vet equipped to treat one. This isn't a species where you're budgeting for regular vet visits the way you might with a mammal or bird. A small emergency fund is still worth having, but it's a much smaller consideration here than with most pets, and our Tarantula health issues guide covers what those rare emergencies actually look like.
Female tarantulas keep molting throughout their entire adult lives, unlike most invertebrates that stop once they reach maturity. Males stop molting for good once they mature, which is a big part of why they live so much shorter than females, four to seven years total against 15 to 20 or more.
The Real Number to Sit With: Longevity
Female Chilean rose hairs commonly live 15 to 20 years or more, males considerably less, typically 4 to 7 years. If you're getting a female, you're looking at a genuinely long-term commitment on a very small ongoing budget. This is arguably the cheapest long-lived exotic pet you can keep, low setup cost, low monthly cost, and no vet bills in the typical case, but the time commitment is real and worth thinking through before you buy.
Weigh that against what daily life with one actually looks like. Our Tarantula handling guide covers why this is much more a look-don't-touch pet than a cuddly one. If it's specifically down to a tarantula or another popular invertebrate pick, our Tarantula vs. Emperor Scorpion guide compares the two head to head. If you're weighing a tarantula against other beginner-friendly pets, our Four Pets With One Rule Each Worth Knowing First roundup puts the tarantula side by side with the guinea pig, cockatiel, and betta fish. Browse the rest of our Invertebrates care guide category and the Tarantula encyclopedia profile for more.
Sources & Further Reading
Last reviewed 17 Jul 2026 · 3 sources
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a tarantula cost upfront?
The spider itself runs $25 to $100 for common beginner species, a Chilean rose hair or curly hair typically lands at $20 to $50. Add the enclosure, substrate, hide, decor, and a water dish, and most first-time setups land in the $70 to $300 range before the spider itself.
What are the ongoing costs of keeping a tarantula?
Feeding runs about $5 to $15 a month on crickets or dubia roaches, which adds up to roughly $60 to $180 a year depending on the size and appetite of your tarantula. There's no recurring supply or bedding cost anywhere close to what most pets need.
Do tarantulas need vet care or pet insurance?
Not in any regular sense. There's no pet insurance for tarantulas, and veterinary care is genuinely rare, many areas simply don't have a vet equipped to treat one. A small emergency fund is worth having, but it's a much smaller consideration here than with most pets.
How long do I need to budget for a tarantula?
Female Chilean rose hairs commonly live 15 to 20 years or more, while males typically live just 4 to 7 years. If you're getting a female, you're looking at a genuinely long-term commitment on a very small ongoing budget.
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Written by Michael Ryan
Mike keeps two rescued bearded dragons, Dex and Cera, and writes the care guides on BeastlyFacts from his own research and mistakes. He is not a veterinarian.
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