How Much Does a Mourning Gecko Cost?
| Animal cost | $15–40 each |
| Initial setup cost | $100–250 |
| Monthly ongoing cost | $10–20 |
The animal
Mourning geckos are inexpensive and widely captive-bred, typically $15–40 per gecko, often cheaper when buying a small starter colony of several at once.
The setup is comparatively affordable
A tall, compact 12"x12"x18" enclosure, cork bark and branches, substrate, a hygrometer, and misting supplies commonly total $100–250 for a solid first setup — notably cheaper than many popular reptile setups since no heat lamp or UVB fixture is strictly required, and the enclosure itself is smaller than most gecko setups.
Ongoing costs
Budget roughly $10–20 a month for MRP powder and occasional feeder insects if offered — meaningfully lower ongoing cost than species requiring daily fresh produce or frequent live feeding.
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A single adult mourning gecko needs a minimum 12"x12"x18" front-opening, well-ventilated enclosure — taller matters more than wider since this species is highly arboreal — furnished with cork bark, branches, and dense foliage for climbing.
A complete mourning gecko setup needs a tall 18"+ front-opening enclosure, cork bark and branches for climbing, coco fibre/moss substrate, a misting routine to hold 60–80% humidity, and complete MRP powder — no heat lamp is required in most homes.
Hatchlings can start in a small (roughly 5"x5"x8") enclosure to make food easier to find, juveniles move up around a few months old, and adults need a minimum 12"x12"x18" vertical enclosure.
Mourning geckos generally do best at normal room temperature, roughly 75–82°F, and can suffer heat stress above about 82°F. Most homes need no basking bulb or heat mat at all — just monitoring during hot weather.
Low-level UVB (roughly 5–6% output) is increasingly recommended as good practice, though it isn't strictly mandatory for mourning geckos the way it is for a strongly basking desert species — their diet's built-in D3 from MRP covers much of the gap.
Mourning geckos need roughly 60–80% humidity, achieved through misting once or twice daily, with good ventilation to prevent the dampness from turning stagnant.