How Much Does a Boa Constrictor Cost? 2025 Price Guide

Boa Constrictors are relatively large snakes that cost more to breed and house than smaller species, which drives up the price of each snake. Plus, you have to buy a large enclosure for your snake, as well as enough food and other supplies. All of this can add up to quite a bit of cash.

You can spoil your snake and buy premium supplies or stick to budget options. On average, for a normal boa constrictor, you’ll pay between $50 and $150 from a breeder. Regardless of whether you adopt or buy one, we have everything you need to know about budgeting for your snake below.

Bringing Home a New Boa Constrictor: One-Time Costs

There are many costs that you’ll need to pay upfront for your snake. Often, these purchases are the most expensive. However, they don’t need to be done all that often, so you only have to save up for them once. For instance, the snake and housing fit into this category.

Your biggest expense will probably be the terrarium and everything that goes into it. However, you also have to consider the price of the snake, which can be high in some cases.

Free

You may be able to find a boa constrictor for free in rare cases. Usually, they aren’t available at animal shelters, and rescues are few and far between. However, some owners rehome their snakes when they discover they cannot care for them properly.

Sometimes, you can also get free gear for your snake when you adopt it in this way. After all, the previous owner no longer needs all the snake gear, so giving it to you often just makes sense.

Adoption

• $25–$75

While local animal shelters don’t usually take them, rescues occasionally have snakes. You can adopt an adult snake from the rescue at a lower price than purchasing from a breeder.

However, these agencies often have very strict adoption standards. Many require that you have the correct tank, substrate, and other gear. Luckily, this is usually what you need for your snake anyway. Therefore, you usually won’t spend any more money than when adopting one from a breeder.

Breeder

• $50–$150

For a normal boa constrictor, you’ll pay between $50 and $150 per snake from a breeder. Often, breeders also sell snakes with special colors or other features. These snakes usually cost more—up to thousands of dollars for some variants.

Breeders are usually the most expensive option, as they often care for and take pride in their snakes. Of course, be sure to choose the breeder carefully. Many low-quality breeders only looking to make a quick buck exist and may leave you with an unhealthy snake.

Initial Setup and Supplies

• $543—$785

Boa constrictors need a lot of supplies to thrive. Therefore, you’re going to spend a lot of money upfront. You need the habitat set up before your snake shows up, as your boa constrictor won’t live long without the proper temperature, humidity, and environment.

Luckily, you don’t have to purchase many of these items again. Your snake should stay in the same enclosure for the most part. It’s best to buy a durable enclosure since it’s more likely to last longer than a discount tank.

List of Boa Constrictor Supplies and Costs

How Much Does a Boa Constrictor Cost Per Month?

• $35–$360 per month

Boa constrictors need regular care throughout their life. Most of your expenses will come from vet care, food, and cleaning. Compared to dogs and cats, boas are relatively inexpensive to keep. Their food is affordable, and if you provide a clean environment and a healthy diet, you’ll spend less on veterinary care. However, a veterinary emergency can occur that increases your monthly expenses.

Health Care

• $0–$200 per month

Sadly, finding health care for snakes is difficult. They fit into the exotic category, and most vets aren’t trained to treat them. You should locate an exotic vet in your area when you first adopt your snake, as it helps to have their number if something serious happens.

Most of the time, you’ll only need to take your snake to the vet when they are sick. Therefore, for many months, you’ll pay absolutely nothing in vet bills. When you take your boa constrictor to the vet, you probably won’t pay that much. Plus, when they do need treatment, their small size keeps things relatively inexpensive.

Food

• $10–$60 per month

Your snake will need to eat a few times a month, at the very least. Younger snakes need to eat more often. Snakes under a year typically need feeding every 5–7 days, while juvenile snakes need feeding every 5–10 days. Adult snakes only need to be fed every 10 days.

However, this doesn’t mean feeding an adult snake is cheaper. They eat larger prey, which cost more. Some may need whole rabbits, which can cost $15 apiece. On the other hand, babies often do fine on smaller mice, which only cost a few dollars.

Pet Insurance

• $10–$20 per month

Very few companies offer coverage for snakes. Most of the time, pet insurance only covers cats and dogs. Even when other pets are covered, it usually only extends to birds and not reptiles. Nationwide Pet Insurance remains one of the few that offers insurance for exotic pets. However, it also happens to be one of the most expensive pet insurance companies.

As you’d probably guess, many snake lovers don’t have pet insurance. Veterinary services for boas are relatively affordable, and many owners don’t have trouble covering the costs.

Environmental Maintenance

• $15–$35 per month

You’ll also have to pay for new substrate and cleaning supplies for your boa constrictor’s enclosure. Like any animal, your boa constrictor needs a clean environment to thrive. You’ll need to purchase a new substrate each month. Luckily, this only costs between $10 to $30 a bag. One bag is plenty for one month, and you may even be able to get through multiple months with a single bag.

You may also want to purchase snake-safe cleaners for the enclosure, heating bulbs, and UVB bulbs. The heating bulbs are pretty obvious when they die out. However, the UVB bulbs tend to weaken over time, though this weakening is impossible for us to see. It helps to establish a UVB bulb-changing schedule.

Entertainment

• $0–$45 per month

Boa constrictors require enrichment to keep them happy. Sticks, caves, and similar structures provide your snake with something to do and exercise. In our one-time-cost section, we included the purchase of climbing sticks and caves. These should get you through quite a few months with your snake.

However, at some point, you may want to purchase new sticks to keep your snake entertained and curious about the environment.

Total Monthly Cost of Owning a Boa Constrictor

• $35–$360 per month

Your monthly costs can fluctuate quite a bit. Some months, you may only need to purchase food and substrate for your snake. Other times, you may have to purchase more enrichment items and pay expensive vet bills. For this reason, you may want to save money to help when your monthly costs increase. $100 a month is typically plenty for most snakes unless you purchase supplies or have an expensive pet insurance plan.

Additional Costs to Factor In

There is always the chance that items you purchase for long-term use will break eventually. Your snake’s enclosure probably will last several years, but you may decide at some point that the terrarium is too dirty or no longer suitable for your snake. Your snake’s water bowl may become old and dingy, and climbing sticks may eventually fall apart.

Therefore, you will probably have to purchase new items eventually, though this probably won’t happen for a long time.

You may also need to consider travel costs for vet visits. If your closest exotic vet is far away, your expenses will increase. Of course, you also have to include taking off work on top of the gas and other travel fees you may have to pay.

Owning a Boa Constrictor on a Budget

It is possible to own a boa constrictor on a budget. They aren’t very expensive, but their startup costs can be high. However, they’re much cheaper than owning a cat or a dog, for instance. If you purchase a rare boa constrictor, you will pay even more upfront. Therefore, we recommend avoiding the rare species for those on a budget.

You shouldn’t buy the cheapest food and substrate since they’re both vital to the health of your snake. However, there are some ways you can find food and substrate for cheaper.

Saving Money on Boa Constrictor Care

Purchasing in bulk is the easiest way to save on anything your boa constrictor might need. For instance, you can purchase frozen mice in advance for cheaper than purchasing mice individually. Furthermore, the substrate can be purchased in bulk.

The biggest obstacle to purchasing in bulk is storage space. You must keep the mice frozen until you’re ready to feed them to your snake. Many people don’t want dead, frozen mice hanging out next to their ice cream, and most don’t have an extra fridge. Even if everyone in your house is okay with you utilizing the freezer, the frozen mice can take up a lot of room.

Conclusion

Boa constrictors cost far more upfront than they do monthly. You’ll have to purchase a few expensive items, such as an enclosure, heating lamp, and other items. All of this can cost around $650.

However, after you make those purchases, you may be looking at only $20 a month for maintenance. Snakes don’t require very much after their enclosure is set up correctly.

• Related Read: How Much Does a Corn Snake Cost?

Featured Image Credit: Egoreichenkov Evgenii, Shutterstock