I currently have a dog and a cat. I love them both. I do not know if I could choose between them.
I grew up with pets including cats and dogs. I have lived with pets for almost my whole life. There was probably a period of maybe 3 years that I did not have a pet.
The dogs in my life were relatively healthy where we did not need to take them to the vet all that often. The cats in my life have been the opposite. The boy cats had urinary issues and my cat living with me now was fairly healthy for the first 10 years of her life then when I had moved her up to Canada she developed a urinary infection that lead to having emergent surgery to remove her reproductive organs and then about 2 years later a large nodule had developed and it ended up being cancer where she ended up getting surgery to remove all mammary glands.
But the amount you spend on your pet does not determine how much I do or do not love them. They all have unique personalities too. My cat used to be my buddy. She would sleep in my face every night, come cuddle up on my chest every once in a while, sit on my lap while I played on my computer, and always ask for food. She still is constantly in the mood for food and only joins my partner and I in bed every other night or less. She does her thing throughout the day. My dog on the other hand in a cuddler that always needs attention. We get a reprieve from all the attention giving when she wants to do her thing and sunbathe outside.
The doggo makes it tough to go out for the day and not have to worry. We usually have to let her out every 4-8 hours so we either need to be able to come home and let her out our have a friend/family around that is willing to watch her or come let her out. The kitter cat on the other hand only needs assistance when it is time for food and we feed her about every 12 hours which makes day trips easier and less worrisome. And, they both also cost relatively the same when it comes to treats, food, toys, and care products.
They both fill my daily life with love. I am going to be destroyed when either/both of them pass away. Honestly, I think it would be situational where I would be able to say a cat is better than a dog or vice versa.
I love my animals and would not trade them for anything right now.