Vet costs: San Jose, CA vs San Francisco–Oakland, CA
Published vet prices in San Jose and San Francisco–Oakland side by side, with the US median for reference.
Last updated: October 2026 · 5 sources · see sources
Side by side
| San Jose | San Francisco–Oakland | US median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vet exam / office visit (fee only) | $100 (4 practices) [1] | $105 (3 practices) [1] | $75 (591 practices) [2] |
| Core vaccine, per shot | $53 (5 practices) [1] | $48 (4 practices) [1] | $38 (608 practices) [2] |
| Dental cleaning (base price) | $588 (6 practices) [1] | $591 (4 practices) [1] | $466 (213 practices) [2] |
| Spay or neuter | $510 (5 practices) [1] | $459 (CA statewide, 34 practices; too few San Francisco–Oakland listings) [1] | $340 (190 practices) [2] |
| Microchip | $55 (CA statewide, 13 practices; too few San Jose listings) [1] | $55 (CA statewide, 13 practices; too few San Francisco–Oakland listings) [1] | $52 (120 practices) [2] |
| Emergency exam fee (before treatment) | ~$138 estimate: $125 × 110.4/100 [2][3] | ~$145 estimate: $125 × 115.6/100 [2][4] | $125 (26 practices) [2] |
| Typical total emergency bill | ~$892 estimate: $808 × 110.4/100 [5][3] | ~$934 estimate: $808 × 115.6/100 [5][4] | $808 median of 400+ owner invoices [5] |
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 San Jose and San Francisco–Oakland.
Common questions
Are vets more expensive in San Jose or San Francisco–Oakland?
Overall prices are higher in San Francisco–Oakland than in San Jose: the BEA's regional price parity is 115.6 there versus 110.4, where 100 is the US average. The biggest gap in published vet prices is for spay or neuter: $510 in San Jose versus $459 in San Francisco–Oakland. 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 San Jose or San Francisco–Oakland?
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 (5) — tap to show
- PawsRx – Vet costs in California: 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, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (2024)
- U.S. BEA via FRED – Regional Price Parities: All Items, San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward MSA (2024)
- VetReceipt – Vet care cost by category (2026)