Ask what a pet costs and you will be told a purchase price. That figure is paid once. Food, veterinary care and grooming are paid every month for a decade or more, and together they dwarf it.
The first year specifically
It carries the vaccination course, deworming, neutering if you choose it, and usually one unplanned veterinary visit. It is the most expensive year of an animal's life other than its last.
Food
Scales with size, and the difference between a cheap and a good food is smaller than the difference between correct and incorrect portions. Overfeeding in year one is the single most common thing we correct.
Grooming
Decided by the coat you chose, not by your intentions. A long-coated breed in a humid state needs professional grooming on a schedule.
The costs nobody lists
A carrier, bedding that will need replacing, sealed food storage, and boarding or a sitter when you travel. None is large alone.
Why the cheapest animal is rarely cheapest
A listing well below the local range is usually missing health work that you will pay for within weeks - with interest, and with an animal that is unwell while you do.
