What a gerbil really costs
Gerbils are among the cheapest pets to keep: about $22 each at PetSmart, a 20-gallon long tank for $70, and roughly $200 a year in food, bedding and chews for a pair. They should live in same-sex pairs, so every figure here is for two. The main costs are vet visits, since about half of gerbils over two develop inner-ear masses and older ones get scent-gland tumors, both treated surgically. Gerbils are illegal in California and Hawaii.
- Life expectancy
- 3–4 years
- Size
- 3–6 in long, not counting the tail
- Care level
- Low
- Price
- $20–$100
- Setup
- About $180
- Insurance
- Available
Estimate for: Two same-sex Mongolian gerbils in a 20-gallon long tank with deep bedding, kept indoors. Space needed: Solid-floored tank or habitat of at least 20 x 20 in floor space (PetSmart) with 3–6 in of bedding; Merck's bare minimum is about 5 gallons per gerbil.
Where the money goes each year
A typical year for a gerbil, with typical spending in an average-cost area, no insurance.
- Yearly vet exams (both gerbils)$180
- Illness and injury (average)$150
- Gerbil pellets for two$75
- Bedding and sand$75
- Chews, cardboard and toys$40
- Typical year$520
Most years land between $400 and $790. Items replaced on a cycle are spread across the years.
Setup and the first year
For gerbils, the equipment usually costs far more than the animal.
Getting set up
- Price (pet store or breeder (pair))$60
- 20-gallon long glass tank$70
- Secure mesh lid$35
- Solid-surface exercise wheel$15
- Paper bedding for a deep first fill$19
- Hideout, water bottle, sand bath and bowl$40
- First vet exams (both gerbils)$180
- Upfront$420
Running costs in year one
- Gerbil pellets for two$75
- Bedding and sand$75
- Chews, cardboard and toys$40
- Illness and injury (average)$150
- Year-one running costs$340
First-year total: $760. Adopting instead brings it to about $910.
Make it your estimate
Change the choices that move the price most. Totals update as you go.
$43 a month in a typical year.
- Yearly vet exams (both gerbils)$180
- Illness and injury (average)$150
- Gerbil pellets for two$75
- Bedding and sand$75
- Chews, cardboard and toys$40
- Typical year$520
What to buy
The gear and supplies in this estimate, matched to a gerbil. Each link searches Amazon for the right type and size.
- 20-gallon long glass tankSetup, typically about $70See on Amazon
- Secure mesh lidSetup, typically about $35See on Amazon
- Solid-surface exercise wheelSetup, typically about $15See on Amazon
- Paper bedding for a deep first fillSetup, typically about $19See on Amazon
- Hideout, water bottle, sand bath and bowlSetup, typically about $40See on Amazon
- Gerbil pellets for twoOngoing, typically about $75 a yearSee on Amazon
- Chews, cardboard and toysOngoing, typically about $40 a yearSee on Amazon
As an Amazon Associate, PetPriceTag earns from qualifying purchases. Buying through these links costs you nothing extra and never changes our cost figures.
Health costs to plan for
| Condition | What it is | Typical treatment | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inner-ear masses (aural cholesteatoma) | Merck says about half of gerbils over 2 years old develop these masses, which can cause head tilt and permanent inner-ear damage; treatment is surgical removal. Source | Surgical removal; range is The Furry Critter Network's figure for small-rodent tumor surgery (LOW CONFIDENCE: no gerbil-specific US price found) | $200–$600 |
| Scent (ventral marking) gland tumors | Merck: older gerbils may develop benign or malignant tumors of the scent gland on the belly; surgical removal may be an option. Source | Surgical removal; tumor removal in small rodents typically costs $200–$600 | $200–$600 |
| Tail slip and tail injuries | Merck: picking a gerbil up by the tail can strip the skin off; exposed tissue often dies and may need amputation. PetSmart says a vet should see any gerbil after tail slip. Source | Exam ($90.30) up to two visits for wound care; amputation costs more | $90–$180 |
The yearly estimate includes an average of $150 for illness and injury. Insurance is available for this pet; turn it on in the calculator to compare.
What drives the cost
- Priced for TWO gerbils: Merck recommends keeping them in pairs, ideally same-sex littermates, and PetSmart says adults that have never met often fight.
- A 20-gallon long glass tank ($69.99 at Petco) holds the deep bedding gerbils need for burrowing; wire cages with shallow trays spill it. Add a secure mesh lid because gerbils jump.
- Use a solid-surface wheel: Merck warns that slatted wheels can catch feet and tails.
- Never lift a gerbil by the tail: Merck says the skin can slip off, and exposed tail tissue often has to be amputated.
- Food is cheap: Merck says about 5 g of pellets a day per gerbil avoids obesity, so a pair eats roughly eight 1-lb bags of Oxbow Essentials ($5.99 each at PetSmart) a year.
- Gerbils are banned in California and Hawaii, so they cannot legally be bought or kept there.
Is it legal where you live?
Gerbils are illegal to keep as pets in California, where state wildlife rules treat them as a threat to native wildlife, and in Hawaii, which lists them as prohibited from entry or possession by private individuals. They are legal elsewhere as far as sources show.
Restricted or banned in: California, Hawaii.
Cities and counties can have their own rules. Check locally before you buy.
- Pet store or breeder (pair)
- $20–$100
- Shelter or rescue (pair)
- $10–$50
- Lifetime
- $2,300
How this estimate is built
Every line, with the typical, thrifty and generous figures and where each comes from.
| Item | Typical | Basis and sources | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | |||
| 20-gallon long glass tank | $70 | Aqueon 20-gallon long (30.5 x 13 x 13 in) is $69.99 at Petco. The Vet Desk gives $30–$90 for a tank or cage. Merck's rule of thumb is about 5 gallons per gerbil with a solid floor, and PetSmart recommends at least 20 x 20 in of floor; a 20-gallon long gives room for 3–6 in of bedding. Petco: Aqueon Standard Glass Aquarium Tank, 20 Gallon Long; The Vet Desk: Gerbil Cost (Jan 2026); MSD Veterinary Manual: Providing a Home for a Gerbil; PetSmart: Gerbil care guide | |
| Secure mesh lid | $35 | ThePricer's planning allowance for a secure mesh lid is $35 (not a specific product price). ThePricer: How Much Does a Gerbil Cost? (Sep 2026) | |
| Solid-surface exercise wheel | $15 | The Vet Desk: $10–$20 for a gerbil wheel; ThePricer allows $25 for a large solid wheel. Merck and PetSmart both say to use a solid running surface, not wire or slats. The Vet Desk: Gerbil Cost (Jan 2026); ThePricer: How Much Does a Gerbil Cost? (Sep 2026); MSD Veterinary Manual: Providing a Home for a Gerbil | |
| Paper bedding for a deep first fill | $19 | Carefresh 60-L is $18.99 at Chewy (30-L $10.99; two 60-L bags $37.98). Merck says to fill the cage about one-third deep with paper-based bedding; PetSmart says 3–6 in. Chewy: Carefresh Small Animal Bedding, Natural (14-L to 60-L); MSD Veterinary Manual: Providing a Home for a Gerbil | |
| Hideout, water bottle, sand bath and bowl | $40 | Kaytee Woodland Get-A-Way Medium (listed for gerbils) $10.99 at Chewy; The Vet Desk gives $5–$10 for a water dispenser and $15 for bathing sand. ThePricer allows $50 for water, hides, sand bath and basic chews (high). Chewy: Kaytee Woodland Get-A-Way Small Pet Hideout (sizes by species); The Vet Desk: Gerbil Cost (Jan 2026); ThePricer: How Much Does a Gerbil Cost? (Sep 2026) | |
| First year | |||
| First vet exams (both gerbils) | $180 | ThePricer cites a US hospital at $83 per small-mammal wellness exam plus a $7.30 fee ($90.30), or $180.60 for two. Low = The Vet Desk's about $40 per visit x 2. ThePricer: How Much Does a Gerbil Cost? (Sep 2026); The Vet Desk: Gerbil Cost (Jan 2026) | |
| Every year | |||
| Gerbil pellets for two | $75 | Merck: about 5 g of pellets a day per gerbil avoids obesity, so about 8 lb a year for two; Oxbow Essentials Hamster & Gerbil is $5.99 per 1-lb bag at PetSmart (low = 8 x $5.99). The Vet Desk puts food at $50–$100 a year; ThePricer models $78–$91 for a pair. MSD Veterinary Manual: Providing a Home for a Gerbil; PetSmart: Oxbow Essentials Hamster & Gerbil Food, 1 lb; The Vet Desk: Gerbil Cost (Jan 2026); ThePricer: How Much Does a Gerbil Cost? (Sep 2026) | |
| Bedding and sand | $75 | The Vet Desk: bedding about $50 a year plus $15 sand; ThePricer allows $120 a year for replacement substrate (high). Typical = about four 60-L Carefresh bags ($18.99 each at Chewy). The Vet Desk: Gerbil Cost (Jan 2026); ThePricer: How Much Does a Gerbil Cost? (Sep 2026); Chewy: Carefresh Small Animal Bedding, Natural (14-L to 60-L) | |
| Chews, cardboard and toys | $40 | The Vet Desk puts entertainment, including chew toys, at $20–$100 a year. PetSmart's care guide lists wood chews to keep gerbils' constantly growing front teeth worn down. The Vet Desk: Gerbil Cost (Jan 2026); PetSmart: Gerbil care guide | |
| Yearly vet exams (both gerbils) | $180 | One wellness exam per gerbil a year at $90.30 (US hospital pricing cited by ThePricer). Low = The Vet Desk's $40–$80 a year in check-ups for one, doubled at its low end. ThePricer: How Much Does a Gerbil Cost? (Sep 2026); The Vet Desk: Gerbil Cost (Jan 2026) | |
| Illness and injury, per year | |||
| Unexpected vet bills for two (illness and injury) | $150 | LOW CONFIDENCE: no claims data for gerbils. The Vet Desk puts emergencies at $0–$250 a year and ongoing medication at $0–$100 per gerbil. Merck says about half of gerbils over 2 develop inner-ear masses and older ones get scent-gland tumors, both treated surgically; small-rodent tumor removal typically costs $200–$600 (The Furry Critter Network). Typical assumes one sick visit a year for the pair and a share of one surgery over their lives. The Vet Desk: Gerbil Cost (Jan 2026); MSD Veterinary Manual: Disorders and Diseases of Gerbils; The Furry Critter Network: Budgeting vet care for small mammals (2026) | |
| Insurance, per month | |||
| Nationwide exotic plan for the pair (accident & illness) | $10 | Nationwide lists gerbils among covered species ('generally start at less than $21/month' per pet). The Vet Desk puts gerbil insurance at $60 a year for one and $100–$150 a year for two or more, about $8–$13 a month for a pair. Nationwide: Pet insurance for ferrets and small mammals (chinchilla, gerbil and more); The Vet Desk: Gerbil Cost (Jan 2026) | |
More small pets by yearly cost
- Hamster$520 a year
- Chinchilla$610 a year
- Pet rat$1,060 a year
- Ferret$1,410 a year
- Rabbit$1,840 a year
- Guinea pig$2,170 a year
- Compare all small pets
Common questions
How much does a gerbil cost?
Pet store or breeder (pair): $20–$100; shelter or rescue (pair): $10–$50. The bigger costs come after: about $180 to set up, about $760 for the whole first year, then about $520 a year.
How much does a gerbil cost per year?
About $520 a year ($43 a month) for a typical owner in an average-cost area, ranging from about $400 for a thrifty owner in a lower-cost area to $790 for a generous owner in a big city with insurance.
How much does a gerbil cost over its lifetime?
About $2,300 over a 4-year life, in 2026 dollars.
Sources
- MSD Veterinary Manual: Providing a Home for a Gerbil
- MSD Veterinary Manual: Disorders and Diseases of Gerbils
- MSD Veterinary Manual: Introduction to Gerbils
- PetSmart: Gerbil care guide
- The Vet Desk: Gerbil Cost (Jan 2026)
- ThePricer: How Much Does a Gerbil Cost? (Sep 2026)
- Nationwide: Pet insurance for ferrets and small mammals (chinchilla, gerbil and more)
- PetSmart: Gerbil (live pet)
- The Furry Critter Network: Budgeting vet care for small mammals (2026)
- Petco: Aqueon Standard Glass Aquarium Tank, 20 Gallon Long
- Chewy: Carefresh Small Animal Bedding, Natural (14-L to 60-L)
- Chewy: Kaytee Woodland Get-A-Way Small Pet Hideout (sizes by species)
- PetSmart: Oxbow Essentials Hamster & Gerbil Food, 1 lb
- Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture Plant Industry: Animal guidelines (gerbils prohibited)
- Shouse Law Group: 5 popular animals that are illegal as pets in California
- KTLA: It is illegal to have these seven animals as pets in California (Aug 2022)
Estimates in 2026 US dollars. Vet prices for this pet use the same region adjustment as the rest of the site (methodology). Updated October 14, 2026.