•Current research on the costs of wildlife conservation tends to focus on material aspect of human well-being.

•Limited studies on non-material costs are characterised by conceptual ambiguity, which limits comparability.

•A better understanding of non-material costs of wildlife conservation can improve wildlife conservation.

•We define, categorizeand characterize non-material costs of wildlife conservation. 

•Implications for measuring non-material costs and designing socially just conservation interventions are discussed.