How much does pet insurance cost?
Is cat or dog insurance more expensive?
How much does pet insurance cost in Australia?
On average, the cost of pet insurance in Australia is $540 a year or $45 a month, according to pet insurance policies purchased through Compare the Market across 2025,2 with premiums varying depending on your pet, policy and insurer.
Why take out pet insurance?
You should consider pet insurance as an option to help protect yourself from hefty vet bills and to give your pet the best possible care with less financial stress on you. Costs of advanced treatments and emergency veterinary visits can often run into the thousands of dollars, so insurance helps mitigate the risk while giving you peace of mind and more treatment options.
Benefits of pet insurance include:
- You can claim a portion of your eligible vet bills up to an agreed amount per policy period. Some insurers may even cover 100% of your vet bills.
- You can get cover for accidental injuries, specified illnesses and routine care procedures such as vaccinations, worming, desexing, behavioural training and more. Optional extras for dental care and specialised treatments are also available.
- New policies are available for pets as young as six weeks old, while basic policies can cover older animals.
- Pets can be covered for life if you take out cover before they turn 9 years old and maintain your policy coverage with no breaks.
- Most insurance providers let you choose your own vet or clinic for treatment.
- For many pet owners this means unexpected vet bills may be easier to manage especially when treatment costs can run into the thousands of dollars.
Expert tips on how to save on the cost of pet insurance
Our resident pet insurance expert, Adrian Taylor, has some helpful tips to save money on your pet insurance.
Adrian Taylor
Chief Executive – General Insurance
Compare policies before you buy
Weigh up different insurance policies to see how they compare on coverage, benefits and price. This may help you find a cheaper policy with the same level of cover as your existing policy or you may find a policy that provides better value for the price.
Insure your pet early
Start coverage for your furry friend when they’re young before any health issues arise that insurers may deem as pre-existing conditions and exclude from cover. This would ensure your pet is covered for more health conditions (potentially saving you money at claims time) and as your furry companion ages and inevitably requires more vet care. Get cover within the first year of your pet’s life for peace of mind.
Increase your excess
You can pay less each month in insurance premiums if you elect to pay a higher policy excess. However, be prepared to pay more in the event of a claim. The excess is subtracted from your insurer’s payout; as a result, a higher excess will mean you’ll be paid less by the insurer when you make a claim. It’s not a method suitable for repeat vet visits or pet owners who visit a vet clinic more than they’d like to.
How much does pet insurance cost for a dog?
Data from Compare the Market in 2025 showed the average cost to insure a dog was $524 a year, or $43 a month.3 Your dog’s breed, size, weight, genetic risks and pre-existing conditions will also influence your final premium. Where you live and the coverage level can also affect the total cost of your policy.
As of June 2026, to insure a two-year-old Cavoodle through Compare the Market cost $49.87 a month on average.4 On the other side, the premium for a six-year-old French bulldog was on average $274.61 a month.5
How does dog breed impact the cost of pet insurance?
Purebreds, short-nosed (Brachycephalic) breeds and large, deep-chested breeds are generally more expensive to insure than smaller breeds and mixed breeds. This is because these breeds are more likely to have health issues due to genetic predispositions.
Pet insurance can cover hereditary or breed predispositions, although it will likely cost more. This only applies if your policy is current, and you serve your waiting periods before your pet is diagnosed. Any illness or symptoms your pet has before you take out a policy will be treated as a pre-existing condition and might be excluded from cover. Read your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for all policy inclusions and common exclusions and the insurer’s Target Market Determination to check the policy is suitable for you.
How much does pet insurance cost for a cat?
Cat insurance for a two-year-old Moggie (also called a Common Domestic Shorthair or DSH, the most common cat breed in Australia) is $41.40 a month on average, according to Compare the Market in June 2026.6
It can be more expensive to insure a designer cat than the more common moggie or DSH. For example, Compare the Market’s average premium in July 2026 for a six-year-old Burmese was $76.19 a month.7
The total price to insure your cat will depend on its breed, as well as genetic risks, pre-existing conditions, the coverage level you select and your location. Cats are usually cheaper to insure than dogs because they are primarily indoor animals. Felines also tend to have less hereditary conditions and a lower risk of injury which can lead to expensive medical appointments, when compared to their canine counterparts.
What affects the cost of pet insurance?
Pet insurance premiums are mainly impacted by factors such as age, breed and pre-existing health conditions. It also can be determined by excess amounts and benefit limits. When selecting pet insurance options, it’s important to know these factors as they may affect your premiums:
- Your pet’s age
- Breed (for dogs)
- Gender
- Where you live
- Whether your pet is de-sexed or not
- The annual limit you choose
- The benefit percentage you choose
- Your policy excess
- How many pets you include on your policy
- Any pre-existing medical conditions your pet has
- Any optional extras you include in your cover.
Cat vs dog insurance costs
Insuring a dog will likely cost more than insuring a cat. That’s because dogs are larger animals, tend to have more breeding-related issues and generally get more outdoor activity than felines, increasing their likelihood of injuries and mishaps. However, the price difference between pet insurance for a dog and a cat is not too different.
Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about insuring a cat.
How can I choose cover for my pet?
When choosing a suitable pet insurance policy, it’s important to consider the type of cover offered, the benefit percentage, annual limits and any excess that may need to be paid when claiming. Policies vary between insurers, so it’s essential to compare features and limits.
Cover options
The types of pet insurance in Australia are accident-only cover, as well as accident and illness cover, and comprehensive pet insurance. It’s more common for pet insurance policies to combine accident and illness cover, depending on your level of cover. Comprehensive pet insurance generally offers a broader range of protection for specified accidental injuries and conditions, and/or optional extras (at an added premium). Optional routine care can provide rebates on periodic consultations, dental care bills, vaccinations, microchipping and even behavioural therapy. Some insurers also offer standard dental cover and specialised treatment policies as an optional extra.
Benefit percentage
Pet insurance only covers a portion of your eligible vet expenses. This is called your benefit percentage and can range from 70% to 90%, although it could be more or less depending on your policy and insurer. You’ll generally need to pay vet costs upfront and then claim back your percentage with your insurer. You may need to pay a policy excess at claims time.
Benefit limits and sub-limits
Most pet insurance products also have annual benefit limits – the maximum dollar amount you can claim on your policy each year. There may also be sub-limits (that is, a claim ceiling) on certain conditions such as cruciate ligament damage and tick paralysis.
Policy excess
Remember you may need to pay an excess when claiming on your pet insurance policy. Your excess may be payable per claim, per condition or annually, depending on your insurer. Some insurance providers apply the policy excess before the benefit percentage, while others apply it afterward. There are policies with no excess, although often for a higher premium.
Meet our pet insurance expert, Adrian Taylor
As a General Insurance expert with over 13 years’ experience in financial services, Adrian Taylor knows that dogs and cats get themselves into all sorts of mischief. One part of Adrian’s work is to help empower consumers to understand how pet insurance can help save them from exorbitant vet bills when their pet gets injured or falls ill.
Want to know more about pet insurance?
1 Based on all pet insurance policies purchased through Compare the Market from 1 January until 31 December 2025.
2 Based on all pet insurance policies purchased through Compare the Market from 1 January until 31 December 2025.
3 Based on all dog insurance policies purchased through Compare the Market from 1 January until 31 December 2025.
4 Based on comparing policies from Compare the Market’s range as of 12 June 2026 and based on a 2-year-old, male, desexed Cavoodle living in Carnegie, Victoria with a $12,000 and 80% minimum benefit and a $200 excess.
5 Based on comparing policies from Compare the Market’s range as of 12 June 2026 and based on a 6-year-old, male, desexed French Bulldog living in Carnegie, Victoria with a $12,000 and 80% minimum benefit and a $200 excess.
6 Based on comparing policies from Compare the Market’s range as of 15 June 2026, using a 2-year-old female, desexed Domestic Short Hair living in Brisbane City, with a $12,000 annual limit, 80% minimum benefit percentage and $200 excess.
7 Based on Compare the Market comparison policies, as of 15 June 2026. Using a 6-year-old female, desexed Burmese cat living in Brisbane City with a $12,000 annual limit and 80% minimum benefit percentage, and $200 excess.