In Australia, a hand-tame budgie typically costs between $50 to $100 to purchase, depending on whether you buy from a pet shop, breeder or rescue. Including a cage, stand, perches, feeders and toys, a cage setup starting cost is $130. Ongoing yearly expenses for food, supplements, and toys are approximately $2 to $5 a week for a pair of budgies. Basic health care requires mite spray every six weeks and worming every six months, allow another $40 a year for this.
This guide breaks down each cost category so you can plan a realistic budget before bringing home your first budgie.
How much does a budgie cost in Australia?
Budgie purchase prices in Australia vary by source and variety:
- Pet shop budgie: $50 to $100. Typically flock-raised with minimal human contact.
- Hand-tame budgie from a breeder (hard to find): $50 to $75. Handled frequently since hatching, comfortable with people from day one.
- English budgie or rare colour: $75 - $85. English budgies are larger and calmer; rare mutations like violet, albino or crested cost more.
- Adult breeding budgie: $30 to $50. Suitable for breeding setups.
- Adoption from a bird rescue: $15 to $40. Lowest up-front cost but unknown history and no guarantees.
The price difference between a pet-shop budgie and a hand-tame breeder budgie reflects the labour involved. Hand-taming requires regular handling from 6 weeks of age, which builds trust between the bird and humans before it leaves the breeder.
How much does a budgie cage and setup cost?
A complete starter setup for two budgies (the recommended minimum) costs $130 to $300 in Australia, depending on cage quality and accessories included.
- Small starter flight cage (60cm wide) with perches and feeders: $50 to $60. Adequate for two budgies provided they get daily out-of-cage time, but bigger is better. A stand on wheels is about $50 if required.
- Medium flight cage (76cm wide) with perches and feeders: $60 to $70. Adequate space for two to four budgies with regular flying. A stand on wheels is about $60 if required.
- Large Palace-style cage (80cm wide x 137cm high) with perches, feeders and stand: $200 to $300. Best for small flocks or budgies kept indoors continuously.
- Toy pack with ladder, swing, chew mat and feature toy: $30 to $50.
- Seed pack (4 x 500g packs): $20 to $35.
Cage width is more important than height on small cages and should be a minimum of 60cm wide. Over this width, then the height can be greater as in an aviary style cage. Budgies fly horizontally, so a wide cage gives them more usable space than a tall, narrow one. The minimum recommended cage size for two budgies is approximately 60cm wide by 40cm deep by 40cm tall, 76cm x 45cm x 45cm is better.
What are the ongoing costs of owning budgies?
Annual costs for keeping two budgies in Australia typically total $400 to $700, broken down as follows:
- Quality seed mix: $15 to $20 per month. Low-fat formulations help prevent obesity and fatty liver disease, the leading causes of premature death in pet budgies.
- Millet spray treats: $10 to $15 per month.
- Fresh vegetables: Around $15 per month if budgeted separately from household groceries although they are happy to share yours.
- Supplements and cuttlebone: $10 to $15 per month.
- Parasite treatments (mites, lice, worms): $30 to $50 per year.
- Replacement toys and perches: $50 to $100 per year. Budgies chew constantly, so wood toys and perches need replacing unless you provide them with chew mats or similar. Some budgie seed internet suppliers like Just Budgies provide free toys with every, say, eight packs purchased.
- Avian vet check-up: $80 to $200 per visit. Not all veterinary clinics see birds, so locating an avian vet in advance is recommended. Health check-ups and ongoing wing trims at Just Budgies are free.
How long do budgies live, and how does this affect cost?
Pet budgies in Australia typically live 8 to 12 years with appropriate care. Lifespan varies significantly with diet and living conditions. Budgies fed a high-fat commercial seed mix and kept in small cages often live only 4 to 7 years, while budgies on a low-fat diet with regular flying time and regular health checks frequently reach 12 years or more.
Over a 10-year lifespan, the yearly cost of keeping two budgies in Australia ranges from approximately $450 to $750, making them one of the more affordable pets per year of companionship.
Is it cheaper to keep one budgie or two?
Keeping two budgies costs only marginally more than keeping one. The same cage, perches, water bottle and feeders serve both birds, and seed consumption increases by less than double because the bowl is shared. The main additional cost is approximately $55 to $65 for the second bird.
However, behavioural considerations make a single budgie far more expensive in practice. Budgies are flock animals and a single bird kept alone often develops feather plucking, stereotypic behaviours and stress-related illness. Treating these conditions through veterinary care, behavioural training or rehoming usually costs more than the price of a second budgie. RSPCA Guidelines now call for birds to be kept in groups of at least 2.
Where can you buy budgies in Australia?
Budgies are sold in Australia by pet shops, registered breeders, bird rescues and through classified sites like Gumtree. Each source has trade-offs:
- Pet shops: Convenient and widely available, but birds are usually flock-raised with limited handling and usually, little in the way of guarantees.
- Breeders: Sometimes offer hand-tame birds but these breeders are few and far between, they also often offer specific colours and traceable lineage. Hand-tame budgies bond faster with new owners.
- Bird rescues: Lower up-front cost, though birds may need rehabilitation and history may not be available.
- Classifieds (Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace): Quality varies. Check the seller, view the bird and the conditions it has been kept in, in person if possible, and confirm the bird's health and guarantees before paying.
Reputable sellers should include health checks, basic information about the bird's age and colour mutation, and answer questions about its diet and history. A guarantee should be provided for at least the first 30 days. Wing trims should be free if required.
Costs people often forget
Several budgie ownership costs are commonly underestimated:
- Holiday care: Bird sitters or boarding can cost $8 to $15 per day.
- Emergency vet visits: Avian emergency consultations can run $200 to $500.
- Cage upgrades: Many owners upgrade to a larger cage within the first year or two.
- Wing trims: $20 to $40 per trim every few months at a vet, although some breeders offer this free to their customers.
Check with companies like Just Budgies who offer free wing trims, free health checks, guarantees, free training and low cost holiday boarding.
In Australia, a realistic first-year budget for two hand-tame budgies, including a quality cage and accessories, is $500 to $700. Ongoing yearly costs are typically $400 to $700. Spending more on the bird (hand-tame from a breeder) and on the cage and seed up front tends to result in healthier, longer-lived birds and lower vet costs over their lifetime.
If you have specific questions about choosing a budgie, setting up a cage or feeding, Garry at Just Budgies on the Gold Coast has been breeding hand-tame budgies for over 50 years and is happy to answer questions on 0412 993 334 or email Garry@JustBudgies.com.au.
