Press & data
PetBudget publishes free, citable pet cost data. Use any figure below with a link to the source page.
About PetBudget
PetBudgetCalculator.com is a free tool that estimates the first-year, annual and lifetime cost of owning a dog or cat. Alongside the cost calculator, we publish the Pet Cost Index, a monthly look at how vet, pet food and pet product prices are changing, and per-breed cost pages in our breed directory. Read how we work on the methodology and about pages.
Latest figures (August 2026)
Vet prices rose 5.7% over the past 12 months, 2.3 percentage points faster than overall inflation.
- Veterinarian services: 5.7% over 12 months
- Pet food and treats: 1.6% over 12 months
- Pets and pet products: 1.9% over 12 months
Source: U.S. BLS CPI-U, calculated by PetBudgetCalculator. Full method on the cost index page.
PetBudgetCalculator. (2026). Pet Cost Index: U.S. vet, pet food and pet product price change [Data set, through August 2026]. Calculated from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U. https://petbudgetcalculator.com/cost-index
Downloads
- State of Pet Costs 2026 (report), with the free PDF
- Pet Cost Index (CSV), updated monthly
- Pet Cost Index (JSON), open CORS
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use PetBudget data in an article or report?
- Yes. Quote the figures, charts or downloads with a link to the source page and the citation shown above. Email us if you need a different format or a custom cut.
- Where does the Pet Cost Index data come from?
- It comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), U.S. city average, not seasonally adjusted. We use four series: veterinarian services, pet food and treats, pets and pet products, and all items. The series IDs are listed in the method section of the cost index page.
- What do the percentages mean?
- The past-12-months figure compares a month's index level with the same month a year earlier. The vs-last-month figure compares it with the month before. PetBudgetCalculator calculates both from the published BLS index levels.
- How often is the data updated?
- Monthly, after the BLS publishes new CPI figures. The page and downloads refresh automatically, and the latest month is shown on each.
- What formats can I download?
- CSV and JSON. Both include the index level, year-over-year percent change and month-over-month percent change for each series, newest month first. They are free and need no signup.
- Is PetBudget endorsed by the BLS?
- No. The source data is public BLS data. The calculations and any interpretation are ours.
- How do I reach you for a quote or interview?
- Email the address in the contact section below. Tell us your outlet, deadline and the topic, and we will reply as soon as we can.
Contact
Need a quote or a custom cut of the data? Email petbudgetcalculator@gmail.com.