A small closed terrarium to assemble yourself costs around 22 € as a complete kit, and a little more than 40 € if you buy each item separately. A large format or a decorative container pushes the budget to between 48 € and nearly 100 €, depending on the container and the number of plants. Tools and the mister are a one-off cost, then serve for every terrarium you make afterwards. The figures below are our shop's prices as of 14 September 2026: they may change, so check each product page.

What determines the price of a terrarium?

Five items make up the budget, and they don't all weigh the same:

• The container: this is often the most variable item. A simple jar costs little, a glass cloche on a stand or a large decorative glass vessel, much more.
• Substrate and layers: potting mix, drainage material and charcoal. A modest item, since you need very little.
• Plants and mosses: a few euros per small potted plant, more for a moss slab or a feature plant.
• Tools: optional for a wide jar, almost essential for a narrow neck. Rarely bought again.
• Upkeep: water, and occasionally a plant to replace. The smallest item of all.

Budget 1: the complete kit, for a first attempt

A kit brings together the container, the substrate and the plants. You have nothing to choose, nothing to measure out, and the cost is known in advance. It's the most economical way to try out terrariums.

• Noah closed terrarium kit, 21.90 €. The maker includes an 18.5 cm-diameter jar with a cork stopper, a fittonia of your choice, two fresh moss balls, 0.75 litres of terrarium potting mix, 0.75 litres of clay pebbles, 35 g of activated charcoal and a five-step assembly guide.
• Sam XL bonsai terrarium kit with LED stopper, 47.90 €. A large 30 cm-diameter, 32 cm-tall bottle, a bonsai-style Ficus ginseng, a fern, a 'Ruby Lime' Fittonia, three moss cushions, 1.75 litres of potting mix, 0.75 litres of clay pebbles, 35 g of activated charcoal and a lighted stopper. Batteries for the stopper aren't included.
• 1 L mossarium kit, 55.00 €. A one-litre jar to fill with mosses, lichen and a spikemoss: a terrarium entirely devoted to moss.

The Noah and Sam XL kits contain neither tools nor a mister. For the Noah jar, a spoon and your fingers are enough. For the Sam XL bottle, a pair of long tweezers will make assembly more comfortable.

Budget 2: the terrarium built piece by piece

Building your own terrarium costs a little more than a kit for the same small format, but you get to choose every plant. Here's an example of a closed tropical terrarium, with prices from our catalogue:

• closed terrarium in recycled glass and cork, Noah model: 16.90 €;
• Esschert Design terrarium potting mix, 5 litres: 5.90 €;
• trio of fittonias in 6 cm pots: 11.00 €;
• Leucobryum cushion moss, 10 × 10 cm slab: 7.90 €.

Total: 41.70 €, without clay pebbles or activated charcoal, which don't currently feature in our catalogue and can be bought at a garden centre or pet shop. A 5-litre bag of potting mix, moreover, is enough for several small jars: this expense isn't repeated for your next terrarium.

Add, if you don't already have them:

• the 250 mL green glass mister: 7.90 €;
• the set of 4 stainless-steel terrarium tools: 19.90 €.

With these two accessories, the budget reaches 69.50 € for a first terrarium. The second will only cost you the container, the plants and a little substrate.

And if you already have a jar?

This is the most economical formula for a bespoke terrarium. With a clear glass jar rescued and well washed, all you need to buy is the potting mix, the plants and the moss: 24.80 € with the selection above. Our guide which container for a terrarium sets out the precautions to take with a reclaimed container.

Budget 3: the large format or decorative container

For a terrarium that becomes a piece of décor, the container makes up most of the budget.

A cloche filled with tropical plants, for example:

• glass cloche on a wooden tray, 25.5 cm base: 64.90 €;
• terrarium potting mix, 5 litres: 5.90 €;
• trio of fittonias: 11.00 €;
• Asplenium nidus 'Crispy Wave' bird's nest fern, 6 cm pot: 4.00 €;
• Hypnum cupressiforme flat moss, 10 × 20 cm slab: 11.90 €.

Total: 97.70 €, without the waterproof tray to slide under the plants to protect the wooden base: a container you may already have.

A large terrarium kit: the Sam XL kit at 47.90 € remains the cheapest option for a large closed format, since the bottle, plants and substrate are all included.

An open succulent terrarium: the Diamant open terrarium in glass and brass costs 39.90 € and the assortment of 6 succulents 17.90 €, for a total of 57.80 €, to which a mineral cactus substrate must be added separately. Our succulent terrarium tutorial covers its composition in detail.

Kit or DIY: which works out cheaper?

For a single small terrarium, the kit wins: the Noah kit costs 21.90 €, against 41.70 € for an equivalent terrarium built piece by piece. The kit contains exactly the amount of substrate needed for its jar, whereas buying à la carte means getting a whole bag and three plants instead of one.

The calculation flips from the second terrarium onwards. The rest of the bag of potting mix, the tools and the mister get used again, and you only buy the container and the plants. DIY also becomes more appealing if you're set on specific plants or if you're reusing a container.

How much does maintaining a terrarium cost?

Almost nothing. A well-balanced closed terrarium needs only a little water, sometimes only once or twice a year according to the maker of our kits. An open terrarium needs more, but the cost remains just that of water. The only occasional purchases are a plant to replace if it fails or grows too big, or a moss slab to fill a gap. If your room is dark, a grow lamp may become necessary: it's then the biggest purchase after the container. Our guide how to water a terrarium will help you avoid losing plants to water issues.

Where can you save, and where shouldn't you?

Where you can save:

• The container: a jar, a carafe or an old clear-glass aquarium all make very good terrariums.
• Tools: Penn State suggests replacing specialist tools with a long-handled spoon, a cork fixed to the end of a stick for tamping down, and scissors.
• Drainage: washed gravel can replace clay pebbles.

Where you shouldn't save:

• The glass: tinted or cloudy glass deprives plants of light.
• The substrate: garden soil costs nothing, but it compacts, holds too much water and brings in pests.
• Mosses: collecting moss in the forest may seem free, but harvesting can be regulated depending on the location, it depletes the natural habitat, and it often introduces unwanted insects. Choose cultivated moss instead.

The full list of equipment, with what's essential and what isn't, can be found in our guide DIY terrarium: the equipment you need.

Equipment

For a first terrarium on a controlled budget, start with a kit or with the jar alone, depending on whether you'd rather have everything provided or choose your own plants.

All the kits are gathered in the DIY kits section.

• Closed terrarium bottle, 3 or 8 L, cork or LED corkØ 19 to 23 cm, 20 to 25 cm tallFrom €25.90Choose
• Terrarium refill, with or without moss, sizes S to XLFor terrariums sizes S to XLFrom €18.90Choose
• Bonsai terrarium kit, size XL, two-part bell jar, 3 plantsØ 28 × H 28 cm€72.90Add
• Terrarium bell jar, size S, egg shape, recycled glassØ 12 × H 25.5 cm€33.90Add

Everything in one kitComplete terrarium kit, size M, 5.5 L, LED cork, 2 plants6 optionsFrom €38.90Choose the version

Sources

• Noah, terrarium bottle garden DIY kit — urbanjngl
• Sam XL Bonsai, terrarium with light, bottle garden DIY kit — urbanjngl
• Terrarium Tools Bundle — urbanjngl
• Creating a Closed Terrarium — Penn State Extension
• How to Design a Closed-System Terrarium — Mississippi State University Extension