Buying & living
The real cost of owning a Shiba Inu in Singapore
The purchase price is the smallest part. Here is the honest lifetime ledger for a Shiba in Singapore, licence, food, vet care, grooming and the buffer you should keep, across a fifteen-year life.
Nelson and Kim, Curious Tails · AVS licence AS24J00046
How much does it cost to own a Shiba Inu in Singapore?
Beyond the purchase (from $2,888 all-in), budget for the recurring costs of a 12-to-16-year life: the AVS dog licence ($13.50/year for a sterilised dog or puppy, or $35 once for life), food, routine vet care and vaccinations, deshedding tools and grooming, insurance, and a buffer for the odd health issue. Realistically, ongoing costs run into the low thousands per year.
Budget the life, not just the puppy
The purchase is the smallest part
A Shiba's purchase price gets all the attention, but over a fifteen-year life it is a fraction of the total. Our all-in puppy price already folds in the first-year essentials, vaccinations, microchip, starter kit, delivery, a training lesson and licensing, so you start without a pile of hidden set-up costs, which is exactly the padding the price page warns about on the price guide.
What follows the purchase is the real budget: the recurring cost of feeding, licensing, grooming tools, routine vet care and the occasional surprise, every year, for the life of the dog.
The recurring costs, itemised
The AVS dog licence is the smallest and most predictable line: $13.50 a year for a sterilised dog or a puppy under five months, or a one-time $35 licence for life once sterilised, with an unsterilised adult costing $81 a year. Those figures already include the rebate for paying online. Beyond that, budget for quality food, deshedding tools and the odd professional groom, annual vet checks, vaccinations and parasite prevention, and ideally pet insurance to cushion a bigger bill.
The Shiba's relatively easy, no-clipping coat keeps grooming costs down compared with high-maintenance breeds, but the twice-a-year coat blow means you invest in decent deshedding gear. Overall, plan for ongoing costs in the low thousands a year, more in a year with a health issue.
| Cost | Rough figure |
|---|---|
| AVS dog licence | $13.50/year, or $35 once for life (sterilised) |
| Food | A recurring monthly cost; quality varies widely |
| Routine vet + vaccinations | Annual check-ups and boosters |
| Grooming / deshedding tools | Low vs clipped breeds; kit for coat blows |
| Insurance / health buffer | Optional but sensible over a long life |
The one-time and unexpected
Sterilisation is a one-off cost, usually from around seven months, and it also unlocks the cheaper licence tier. Beyond that, the honest budgeting advice is to keep a buffer: even a healthy Shiba may need an unexpected vet visit, and a bigger issue can run into four figures. This is why the biggest money mistake is buying cheap and smuggled: a parvovirus treatment alone can cost $5,000 to $10,000, which dwarfs any upfront "saving", as covered on spotting a scam Shiba.
Budget for the long haul, not just the puppy, and a Shiba is an entirely affordable companion. The full purchase picture is on the price page.
Keep reading
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to own a Shiba Inu in Singapore?
Beyond the purchase from $2,888 all-in, budget for recurring costs, the AVS licence ($13.50/year or $35 for life), food, vet care and vaccinations, grooming tools and insurance, which typically run into the low thousands per year.
How much is a dog licence in Singapore?
For a sterilised dog or a puppy under five months, $13.50 a year, or a one-time $35 licence for life. An unsterilised dog over five months is $81 a year. These figures include the online-payment rebate.
Are Shiba Inus expensive to groom?
Less than high-maintenance breeds, because the coat is not clipped. You mainly invest in deshedding tools for the twice-a-year coat blow, with occasional professional grooming optional rather than essential.
What is the biggest hidden cost of a Shiba Inu?
An unexpected health bill, which is why keeping a buffer and buying from a licensed source matters. A single parvovirus treatment from a smuggled puppy can cost $5,000 to $10,000, far more than any upfront saving.
Meet your Shiba Inu
Come say hello at Balestier
2 Balestier Road #01-701, Singapore 320002 · Weekdays 12pm–6pm · Weekends 10am–6pm. Or message us first: tell us about your home and whether you have researched the scream, the prey drive and the shedding, and we will tell you honestly if a Shiba fits.
Want the full number?
Tell us the colour and origin you want and we will give you the exact all-in price.
See the price guide