1 On average, a lion cub will cost anywhere from $1,500 to as much as $15,000. 2  The rarer the breed, the more you are going to have to plan on spending.3  BigCatRescue.org notes that the average lion cub can cost about $2,500 per cub. The state and federal agencies will require you to have a liability insurance and this will cost you $1,000 to $15,000 a year depending on your safety record. 2  This it to protect you from lawsuits and other legal issues in the case that you lion should attack and/or injure someone.