Raw dog food vs kibble in NZ: the cost per day

12 October 20263 min read

Short answer

For a 20 kg dog, raw food bought in bulk costs about $3.20 to $4.20 a day. That’s more than mid-range kibble, in the same range as premium kibble, and roughly half what raw food costs in small pet-store packs.

“Is raw food cheaper than kibble?” is one of the questions we get asked most. The answer depends on which kibble you’re comparing with and how you buy raw, so we worked it out for the same dog.

Why you can’t compare price per kilo

Raw meat is mostly water, around two thirds by weight. Kibble is only about 10% water. So a dog eats far more raw food by weight than kibble for the same meal. A 20 kg dog might eat about 200 g of kibble a day, or about 500 g of raw.

That’s why a raw food that’s cheaper per kilo than kibble can still cost more per day. The fair comparison is cost per day for the same dog.

Cost per day for a 20 kg dog

Based on a moderately active 20 kg adult dog. Prices checked in October 2026.

Food	Daily amount	Price per kg	Cost per day
Supermarket-brand kibble	varies by brand	varies	about $1 to $2
Mid-range kibble, 20 kg bag	about 200 g	$10 to $12.50	about $2.00 to $2.50
Premium kibble	about 180 to 280 g	$12.50 to $15	about $2.25 to $4.20
Feed Raw, bought in bulk	about 500 g	$6.50 to $8.60, bones $5.90	about $3.20 to $4.20
Frozen raw in 1 kg pet-store packs	about 500 g	$15 to $23	about $7.50 to $11.50
Air-dried or freeze-dried	varies	varies	about $8 to $12

Kibble amounts are from the makers’ feeding guides for a 20 kg dog. Kibble and pet-store prices are from major NZ pet retailers, and the supermarket and air-dried ranges from a published NZ comparison. Feed Raw’s range runs from Chicken Mince to Wild Mix, worked out the way our calculator does it (90% mince or blend, 10% beef or veal bones), at October 2026 prices. A delivery fee per order is extra.

Is raw dog food more expensive than kibble?

For that 20 kg dog, raw from us comes to roughly $100 to $125 a month. Mid-range kibble is roughly $60 to $75 a month. Premium kibble lands anywhere from about $70 to $125, depending on the brand and how much your dog needs.

So if you’re feeding a budget kibble now, raw will cost you more. If you feed a premium kibble, bulk raw lands in the same range, cheaper than some brands and dearer than others. If you already buy raw in small packs, bulk raw is much cheaper.

Cost by dog size

Raw feeding costs scale with your dog’s weight. Using the same 2.5% of body weight a day:

Dog’s weight	Raw food a day	Feed Raw cost a day	Per week
10 kg	250 g	$1.60 to $2.10	$11 to $15
20 kg	500 g	$3.20 to $4.20	$23 to $29
30 kg	750 g	$4.80 to $6.25	$34 to $44
40 kg	1 kg	$6.40 to $8.35	$45 to $58

A very active dog eats closer to 3% and a quieter one closer to 2%, so adjust up or down. Our raw dog food calculator works out your dog’s amount and how many cartons to order.

Ways to keep raw feeding affordable

Buy in bulk. Small packs are where raw gets expensive. A 10 kg carton costs a fraction of the same weight in 1 kg packs.
Use chicken as a base. Chicken Mince is our lowest-priced mince and has bone minced through it.
Feed the right amount. Weigh portions for the first few weeks, since feeding 10% too much costs you 10% more.
Order several weeks at once. The delivery fee is per order, so a bigger order spreads it further.
Use beef or veal bones. Our beef and veal raw dog bones cost less per kilo than any of our minces.

Why our raw food costs what it does

We sell direct in bulk cartons, made to order and delivered by us to homes across Auckland and Waikato. There are no shops and no middlemen, which is how we keep our prices down.

Mixing raw and kibble

Some owners feed part raw and part kibble to bring the daily cost down. Work out the raw share with the calculator so the total amount stays right. Our guide to how much raw food to feed explains the daily amounts.

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