How Much Do Feeder Rats Cost? Live, Frozen, and Chain Store Prices Compared

The short answer

How much do feeder rats cost? In the Tucson area, Mike's live feeder rats run $3.00 (Small) to $8.20 (Jumbo) each, plus Arizona sales tax. A Medium is $4.35, or $3.05 each at 50 or more. A frozen Medium rat on PetSmart's website was $9.99 on October 16, 2026. Frozen rats shipped online can cost less, but only in bulk.

So the real answer depends on three things. The size you need. How many you buy at once. And whether you buy live or frozen. (Mike's rats are sold as feeders, not pets.)

Below you'll find feeder rat prices for every size, dated chain store and online prices, and the costs people forget. Every price outside Mike's own was checked on October 16, 2026.

Mike's live feeder rat price list

How much are live feeder rats? Here are Mike's prices for each size. Each price is for one rat. The grams show how big each size is.

Prices are per animal, plus Arizona sales tax (6.1% today). Sold as feeders, not pets.

Mike also sells live feeder mice. Hoppers are $1.35, Semi-Adults are $1.55, and Adults are $1.80, each, with the same bulk breaks. See the live feeder mice page for sizes.

Not sure which size fits your snake? Many keepers pick a rat that's about 10% of the snake's weight. The feeder size guide shows every size in grams.

Chain store frozen rat prices (checked October 16, 2026)

Big chain pet stores sell frozen rats. We checked PetSmart's website on October 16, 2026. Here's what one frozen rat cost there, with the minimum weight PetSmart lists for each size.

A few notes. These are website prices. Store shelf prices and sales can differ. Size names don't line up exactly between sellers, so compare grams, not names.

Petco's website, checked the same day, listed Imagitarium frozen Medium rats (85 to 174.99 g) at $303.49 for a count of 50. That's about $6.07 a rat (Petco). The page offered smaller counts but didn't show their prices. For what chains do and don't sell, see Does Petco or PetSmart Sell Live Feeder Mice and Rats?

Online frozen rats: bag price vs real price

Frozen rats shipped from big online sellers can cost less per rat. The catch is the order size.

Here's one example. A large online frozen seller lists 10 Medium rats (85 to 175 g) for $39.90. That's $3.99 a rat. It ships free on frozen orders of $99 or more, packed in an insulated box with dry ice. Those details come from the seller's product page, checked October 16, 2026.

Now do the math for one ball python:

• Two bags (20 rats) cost $79.80. That's under $99, so you pay shipping on top.
• Three bags (30 rats) cost $119.70. That ships free, so the real price stays at $3.99 a rat.
• An adult ball python fed every 14 days eats about 26 rats a year. (Care guides put adults at 10 to 21 days. See our feeding schedule.)

So to get that $3.99 price, a one-snake keeper buys about a year of food at once. That works great if you've got the freezer room and plan ahead. If you don't, the price per rat climbs once shipping is added.

What does one Medium feeder rat cost?

Here's the cost of frozen rats vs live, side by side, for one Medium rat. Prices outside Mike's were checked October 16, 2026.

Mike's prices are plus Arizona sales tax. Sold as feeders, not pets.

Bulk breaks: 10, 25, 50 and up

Mike's prices drop as your order grows:

• 10 or more: 10% off each
• 25 or more: 20% off each
• 50 or more: 30% off each

Here's what that looks like for Small rats, the size many juvenile ball pythons eat:

• 1 to 9: $3.00 each
• 10 to 24: $2.70 each
• 25 to 49: $2.40 each
• 50 and up: $2.10 each

All plus Arizona sales tax. Sold as feeders, not pets.

Keep several snakes? Our guide to bulk feeder rats works through a 10-snake example. Own a shop? See the For Pet Stores page.

The hidden costs, live and frozen

The sticker price isn't the whole story. Both options have costs that don't show on a price tag.

Frozen costs people forget:

• Shipping. Below the free-shipping line, you pay for a box, dry ice and fast transit.
• Freezer space. Buying a year of rats at once means a year of freezer room.
• Thawing. Each meal needs time to thaw and warm before you offer it.

Live costs people forget:

• Your time at feeding. Someone has to stay and watch. A live rat should never be left with a snake unattended.
• Keeping them until feeding day. If you don't feed right away, the rats need a bin, food and water. See How Long Do Feeder Rats Live?
• Heat. The National Weather Service saw a parked car hit 94.3°F in a little over 2 minutes. In a Tucson summer, plan the trip home.

Frozen is a fine choice. Lots of snakes do great on it. If yours does, keep at it. But some snakes won't touch frozen, and some keepers don't want a freezer full of rats. That's who live is for. Our honest live vs frozen comparison covers the rest.

How to get the most for your money

• Match the size to the snake. A rat that's too big is wasted, and it's a risk.
• Buy for more than one meal. If you can keep live rats a few days, the 10-or-more price helps.
• Order for all your snakes at once. More rats in one order reach the next price break sooner. Ask Mike how mixed sizes count.
• Ask about a repeat order. Want the same sizes again? Mike can set that up when you call or text.
• Get batch alerts. Nothing ready in your size? Get batch alerts and Mike will email you when a new batch is ready.

For a full-year budget, see How Much Does It Cost to Feed a Ball Python for a Year? For your local options, read Where to Buy Feeder Rats in Tucson.

Ready to price out your order? Call or text Mike at (520) 451-4380 with the sizes and counts you need. He replies the same day. See every size on the live feeder rats page. Sold as feeders, not pets.