Leopard Gecko Price Explained: Here’s What You Can Expect to Pay!

The leopard gecko price varies significantly from morph to morph.

But, how much do leopard geckos cost overall? There’s more to consider than just the price of the animal.

This article will explore different contributing factors like the:

• Substrate costs
• Cost of feeding
• Cost of housing
• Leopard gecko cost
• Upfront equipment costs

Since this article focuses on expenses, we’ll give little more than a basic overview of feeding, lighting, and other elements of care.

However, we’ll leave a link to a detailed article discussing the ins and outs of each topic.

How Much Do Leopard Geckos Cost?

A leopard gecko can cost anything from $25 to $3,000.

Different leopard gecko morphs have different prices, and age has an effect. For example, the Albino leopard gecko can cost from $200 to $800. 

The answer to “How much is a leopard gecko?” depends fully on the gecko you buy.

Babies of common morphs always cost much less than babies of rare morphs. Adults of either are more expensive.

Things to Consider Before Buying a Leopard Gecko

Before buying a leopard gecko, you need to ensure that you can meet all its needs, and understand what you’re getting into.

The most essential things to consider include:

• Lifespan – Leopard geckos can reach ages of 10-12 years in captivity. If you buy one, you need to know that you can make such a long-term commitment.
• Cost of maintenance – Replacing leopard gecko substrate once a month can cost about $40.

You’ll probably need to buy two enclosures during the gecko’s lifespan, which is another $100 or so.

If you choose to use UVB, you’ll need to replace the bulbs every four months, which is another $20 or so.

In short, you can expect to pay around $400 every four months if you want the best of everything.

If you’re willing to use more affordable solutions, you can probably get away with $200.

So on average, maintenance will cost between $50 to $100 per month.

• Leopard geckos take time – Even if you buy a socialized leopard gecko, it’s a time investment.

You need to keep working with your gecko if you want it to stay ‘friendly’. You also need to do some minor maintenance daily.

Where to Buy a Leopard Gecko

You have several options when it comes to buying a leopard gecko.

The best places to buy a pet leopard gecko include:

• Directly From Breeders – Many breeders sell leopard geckos directly through their websites, or reptile forums.

Before buying from a breeder, always check reviews and ask on forums to hear about past experiences.

• Online Reptile Marketplaces – Online marketplaces, like MorphMarket, are one of the easiest places to buy a leopard gecko morph.

They host adverts from breeders around the country who focus on various morphs.

Typically, they offer legal assistance for buyers and review each seller before allowing them to advertise.

If you buy through one of these websites, the seller will courier the leopard gecko to you. They typically arrive in 48 hours.

• Reptile Conventions and Expos – Reptile conventions (Repticon) and expos are some of the best places to buy leopard geckos.

Not only do they host breeders from around the country, but you can see exactly what the animals look like.

The advantage of all three of these buying options is that you can get in touch with the breeder. This is an advantage because:

• • You can find out exactly how the breeder keeps his animals
  • You can learn more about the medical history of the parents
  • The breeder can give you hints and tips gleaned from personal experience

Since pet stores don’t usually have background information about the animals they stock, we don’t suggest buying there.

Avoid buying leopard geckos from supermarkets, for similar reasons.

Leopard Gecko Morphs and Prices

When you ask, “How much do geckos cost?” you need to consider:

• The gecko’s age
• The gecko’s morph

We’ll discuss how age affects pricing later on. For now, let’s have a look at morph prices, and why they vary.

This list shows some of the morphs, and what you can expect to pay for them:

• Pastel – $100
• Normal – $25
• Blizzard – $80
• Firewater – $200
• Rainwater – $80
• Mack Snow – $100
• Black Night – $3000
• Super Giant – $150
• Redstripe Rainwater – $200

While you may think that one leopard gecko should cost as much as another, there’s a valid reason for the variation in prices.

Some morphs, like the normal, are extremely common. Many breeders across the country keep and breed them.

As a result, there’s enough supply to meet the demand. These animals are cheap for this reason.

In the case of the Black Night morph, only a handful of keepers breed them. Fewer breeders mean fewer animals, which means higher prices.

In short, the rarer a leopard gecko morph is, or harder it is to produce, the more it costs. Check out our detailed morph guide for an in-depth look at the different options.

Baby Leopard Gecko Price

Baby leopard geckos almost always cost less than adults.

While, in the odd instance, you may find an adult leopard gecko at a low price, babies are usually cheaper.

This is because, when you buy a baby:

• You have to put in the work to socialize and tame your lizard.
• You’re responsible for all the feeding and maintenance costs of raising the animal.
• You take on the potential risks of buying an animal that might show genetic disorders later on.

If you want to keep your costs low, it’s best to buy and raise a baby gecko. All the prices mentioned above are for hatchlings or juveniles.

Adult Leopard Gecko Price

A normal leopard gecko adult can easily cost $100, compared to the $25-50 for a baby.

If you’re thinking of buying an adult leopard gecko, you can expect to pay up to five times as much as for a baby.

There are several reasons for this:

1. You can breed an adult gecko to make a profit – Breeders know you might.
2. When keeping leopard geckos for extended periods, the breeder takes on the expense of:
   • Feeding
   • Housing
   • Maintaining a gecko
3. By buying an adult gecko, you’re avoiding the potential risks of buying hatchlings. The breeder has already gone through the losses of weak animals, etc.

Leopard Gecko Owners’ Cost Guide

Owning a leopard gecko involves many costs that aren’t included in the basic price.

The following section will cover all the costs involved in owning a leopard gecko.

Pro Tip: It’s always important to budget for unexpected expenses. Set aside at least $150 for any surprise vet visits.

Cost of Housing Leopard Geckos

A leopard gecko habitat needs to grow in size as the reptile grows.

A hatchling can easily live in a 10-gallon enclosure, while adult leopard geckos need a 20-gallon enclosure.

You can choose from different enclosure types, and not all of them cost the same. Let’s take a look at the options:

• PVC – PVC enclosures are one of the most common enclosures today. They’re affordable, but most of the standard sizes are quite large.
  • A 60-gallon enclosure costs around $400. If you want a 20-gallon tank, you may have to order a custom enclosure.
• Glass – Glass is one of the most common enclosure types. It’s also one of the most affordable options.
  • 10-gallon enclosure – $52
  • 20-gallon enclosure – $110
• Wood – Many places sell wooden enclosures, and a 10-gallon enclosure can cost as little as $25.
  • If you’re handy, you can also adapt our DIY enclosure plans to suit your needs.
• Acrylic – Acrylic enclosures are a pricier alternative to glass enclosures. You can expect to pay:
  • 10-gallon enclosure – $150
  • 20-gallon enclosure – $181

Leopard Gecko Food Price

You can expect to pay $15-$25 a month on leopard gecko feeding.

Feeding a leopard gecko isn’t as expensive as feeding bearded dragons or a large snake, like the Colombian red tail boa.

However, these great pets still have a medium-low feed cost.

Leopard geckos are carnivores and require live food. Potential feeder insects include:

• Crickets
  • Red
  • Gray
  • Black
• Mealworms
• Superworms
• Dubia roaches
• Black Soldier Fly Larvae

Pro Tip: Never feed your leopard gecko wild insects. They can carry diseases and parasites that are fatal to pet lizards.

If you buy all your feeder insects, $15 to $19 is an average cost per month.

You can cut down on costs, and possibly make a profit, if you breed your own live foods.

To avoid metabolic bone disease and other malnutrition problems, you need to use calcium powder on every meal. You can expect to pay around $6 per packet.

Learn more about the ins and outs of leopard gecko feeding with our comprehensive diet overview.

Leopard Gecko Substrate Cost

There are many potential substrates for leopard geckos. We’ll take a look at the prices of some of the most common.

All of these substrates work, but if you’re using sand avoid feeding the leopard gecko in an area with substrate.

• Sand – $17 for 10 pounds
• Shelf liner – $10
• Reptile carpet – $14
• Newspaper – Almost free
• Stone, slate, and tile – $63

For a detailed substrate overview, check out the seven best substrates for leopard geckos.

Cost of Equipment

In total, the additional equipment you’ll need for your leopard gecko will cost you around $130.

A leopard gecko doesn’t need much, but there are a few things you’ll need to invest in:

• Thermostat – $19 – A thermostat helps keep the temperature in range without your intervention.
• Heating Pad –$19 – A heating pad is an ideal way to heat your leopard gecko enclosure. Since they don’t produce light, they won’t affect the gecko’s day and night cycle.
• Three Hides – $9 each – To keep a leopard gecko comfortable, it needs three hides. Try to provide:
  • A hide on the cool hide
  • A hide on the warm end
  • A hide filled with a moist substrate (the humid hide helps with shedding)

• UV Light Bulb – $18 each – To provide UVA and UVB lighting, you need these special bulbs.
• UV Light Ballast – $30 each – The light ballast houses the light bulbs, and powers them.
• Water and Food Bowls – $7 each – Your reptile needs a food bowl to help prevent impaction. It also needs a water bowl.
• Thermometer/Hygrometer Combo – $29 for two – You need to monitor the temperature and humidity on both sides of the cage. Having a thermometer on each side is ideal.

Apart from the enclosure and substrate, the above covers the essential elements of:

• Heating
• Lighting
• Comfort

For the full scoop on heating and lighting for your leopard gecko, check out our detailed care sheet.

Leopard Gecko Vet Fees

While leopard geckos don’t get sick often, they still need to visit a vet now and then.

You can expect to pay between $50 and $150 for a standard vet visit.

If the vet decides that your leopard gecko needs tests or medication, the fee can climb to as much as $650.

On average, budget around $150-$200 for the gecko’s annual checkup and parasite test.

Overall Leopard Gecko Cost of Living

We’ve looked at the basic elements you need to keep a leopard gecko. Now, let’s find out, “How much does a leopard gecko cost to keep?”

We’ll add together all the individual categories for both upfront and ongoing fees. The total will be the cost of keeping a leopard gecko for a year:

• Upfront costs – $253
  • Hides – $9 x 3 = $18
  • Substrate – $14
  • Thermostat – $19
  • Heating pad – $19
  • Light ballast – $30
  • Water and Food Bowls – $7 x 2 = $14
  • 20-gallon glass enclosure – $110
  • Two Thermometer/Hygrometer Combos – $29
• Ongoing costs – $564 per year
  • Vet fees – $150 per year
  • UVB bulb replacement (every four months) – $18 x 2 bulbs = $36 x 3 = $108 per year
  • Feeding and supplements (monthly) – $25 x 12 = $300 per year
• Total – $811 for the first year

We’ve tried to take an average-priced product for each category. In many cases, you can choose a budget option.

For example, a basic wooden enclosure only costs around $50.

You can almost eliminate feeding costs by breeding your own feeder insects and selling the excess.

By changing only those things, you can shave off almost $400 for the first year.

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How Much Do Geckos Cost? A Comparison

How much are geckos? Different geckos have different price ranges.

Here are the basic ranges on a few popular choices:

• Tokay Geckos – $20 – $50
• Flying Geckos – $25 – $70
• Leopard Geckos – $25 – $3,000
• Crocodile Geckos – $25 – $50
• Giant Day Geckos – $45 – $250
• Leaf-tailed Geckos – $300 – $500
• Crested/Gargoyle Geckos – $50 – $5,000
• African Fat-tailed Geckos – $150 – $600

We hope you’ve enjoyed this article about the price of keeping leopard geckos. Check out our crocodile gecko and flying gecko care sheets for similar content.

How much are you willing to pay for a leopard gecko? Let us know in the comments.