I'l talking about enclosure maintenance, not setting it up. The electricity bill is handled by his parents, and countered by that is the amount of water pacmans require. So that's out.
Vegetables aren't exactly pricey. I bet I could feed a bearded dragon cheaper in a week then I could a pacman frog, and note, I'm not discussing self bred feeders, for that I can counter argument with home grown vegetables.
My big girl eats for about 7€ a week, feeding leafy greens, you can do under that price a week. Also, what family doesn't cook these days? There are always leftover vegetables or fruit in every home. But the same can be said for cockroaches in some homes.
The UVB needs to be changed twice a year, And I would also recommend Arcadia.
He's made it clear in past posts with me that he has a job, or is looking for one and that his parents support him financially when regarding pets. So I'm more worried about him picking a pet that's right for him then crunching numbers down to a cent.