Vet costs: Chicago, IL vs Houston, TX
Published vet prices in Chicago and Houston side by side, with the US median for reference.
Last updated: October 2026 · 6 sources · see sources
Side by side
| Chicago | Houston | US median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vet exam / office visit (fee only) | $83 (14 practices) [1] | $75 (15 practices) [2] | $75 (591 practices) [3] |
| Core vaccine, per shot | $36 (15 practices) [1] | $34 (8 practices) [2] | $38 (608 practices) [3] |
| Dental cleaning (base price) | $457 (9 practices) [1] | $433 (11 practices) [2] | $466 (213 practices) [3] |
| Spay or neuter | $515 (3 practices) [1] | $359 (6 practices) [2] | $340 (190 practices) [3] |
| Microchip | Not enough published Chicago or IL prices | $48 (3 practices) [2] | $52 (120 practices) [3] |
| Emergency exam fee (before treatment) | ~$129 estimate: $125 × 103.6/100 [3][4] | ~$123 estimate: $125 × 98.6/100 [3][5] | $125 (26 practices) [3] |
| Typical total emergency bill | ~$837 estimate: $808 × 103.6/100 [6][4] | ~$797 estimate: $808 × 98.6/100 [6][5] | $808 median of 400+ owner invoices [6] |
Values marked ~ are estimates: the US median adjusted for local prices. Practice counts show how many clinics published a price.
How to read this
A median is the middle price, so half of the clinics charge less and half charge more. With only a handful of clinics, one expensive practice can move the number, so treat small samples as a rough guide.
For the full breakdown, see vet costs in Chicago and Houston.
Common questions
Are vets more expensive in Chicago or Houston?
Overall prices are higher in Chicago than in Houston: the BEA's regional price parity is 103.6 there versus 98.6, where 100 is the US average. The biggest gap in published vet prices is for spay or neuter: $515 in Chicago versus $359 in Houston. Prices still vary a lot from one clinic to the next.
Where do these prices come from?
Local medians come from prices vet practices publish, collected by PawsRx. When a city doesn't have enough published prices, we estimate from the US median adjusted by the BEA's regional price parity, and we label it as an estimate.
How can I save on vet bills in Chicago or Houston?
Call two or three clinics and ask for the same itemized quote, look at low-cost vaccine and spay clinics, and keep up with preventive care so small problems don't become emergencies.
Related
Sources (6) — tap to show
- PawsRx – Vet costs in Illinois: published practice prices (Oct 2026)
- PawsRx – Vet costs in Texas: published practice prices (Oct 2026)
- PawsRx – Vet prices published by 1,009 US practices (Oct 2026)
- U.S. BEA via FRED – Regional Price Parities: All Items, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin MSA (2024)
- U.S. BEA via FRED – Regional Price Parities: All Items, Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land MSA (2024)
- VetReceipt – Vet care cost by category (2026)