The honest ledger
The real cost of a Shih Tzu in Singapore
The purchase price is the small number. Here is the full 12-year ledger, grooming line first, from a licensed shop that publishes its prices.
Nelson and Kim, Curious Tails · AVS licence AS24J00046
How much does a Shih Tzu cost in Singapore?
A Shih Tzu from a licensed Singapore shop costs $3,888 to $4,888 all-in. Running one costs roughly $250 to $400 a month, and grooming alone runs $900 to $1,400 a year for the dog's whole life. Over 12 years, the grooming bill usually beats the purchase price two to three times over.
Budget the groomer before the puppy
The number nobody leads with: grooming outcosts the puppy
A Shih Tzu is a continuously growing coat with a dog inside it. Hair, not fur, means low shedding but a professional groom every four to six weeks, at $75 to $120 a session in Singapore salons.
Do the multiplication once and it changes how you read every price list. That cadence is $900 to $1,400 a year, and a Shih Tzu commonly lives 12 years or more, so lifetime grooming lands around $10,800 to $16,800. The puppy itself, at $3,888 to $4,888 all-in, is the smaller number.
We cover the cadence, the top-knot, and the tear-stain upkeep in detail in our guide to Shih Tzu grooming in Singapore. Read it before you budget, not after.
Low shedding, high maintenance: you are not buying less grooming, you are buying a groomer on retainer for 12+ years.
The full lifetime ledger
Here is the honest 12-year ledger, line by line. The purchase figures are our own published band; grooming and licence figures are the real Singapore rates; food and everyday-kit lines are market estimates, so treat them as a planning band rather than a quote.
General estimates for lifetime dog ownership in Singapore run $20,000 to $60,000 for any breed. A Shih Tzu sits mid-band, dragged up almost entirely by the coat.
| Cost line | Rate | 12-year total |
|---|---|---|
| Puppy, all-in from a licensed shop | $3,888–$4,888 once | $3,888–$4,888 |
| Professional grooming | $75–$120 every 4–6 weeks | $10,800–$16,800 |
| Food (small breed) | $60–$100 a month, est. | $8,640–$14,400 |
| Routine vet (booster, checkup, dental) | $300–$600 a year, est. | $3,600–$7,200 |
| AVS licence | $13.50 first year; $35 lifetime once sterilised | about $50–$150 |
| Pads, treats, toys, misc. | $30–$60 a month, est. | $4,320–$8,640 |
| Honest total | roughly $31,000–$52,000 |
What does the purchase price include?
An all-in price is a list of things you no longer need to buy, so read the list, not just the number. Our $3,888 to $4,888 band covers the puppy plus everything a first week actually needs.
That is a vet health check, vaccinations on the 6, 8 and 12 week schedule, microchip, a 30-item starter kit itemized at $533, free home delivery with playpen setup, a free training lesson with an AVS-certified trainer, and, because grooming is the whole story with this breed, the first professional groom included.
Licensing paperwork is completed at purchase, and there is 5-day bring-back-if-sick support. A bare puppy price that excludes all of this is not cheaper; it is just quoted earlier in the spending.
Inside the all-in price
- Vet health check, vaccinations, microchip
- Starter kit: 30 items, $533 itemized
- First professional groom included
- Free delivery and playpen setup
- Free AVS-certified training lesson
- Licensing handled at purchase
What does a Shih Tzu cost per month?
Month to month, a Shih Tzu costs roughly $250 to $400 to run in Singapore. Food for a 4 to 7kg dog is about $60 to $100; the groom, averaged monthly, is $75 to $117; pads, treats and toys add $30 to $60; the rest is your vet savings line.
The swing factor is the coat. A long flowing coat needs the full salon cadence; a practical puppy cut sits at the cheaper end. Heat matters too: flat-faced dogs here live an aircon-and-early-walks life, which shows up quietly in the utilities, not the pet-shop receipt.
$60–100
Food per month (est.)
$75–117
Grooming, monthly average
$30–60
Pads, treats, toys
$250–400
Realistic monthly band
Vet costs: routine care plus the flat-face factor
Routine vet care is predictable: core vaccinations at weeks 6, 8 and 12 with deworming at each visit, then an annual booster and checkup from year one. Budget $300 to $600 a year for the routine layer, more in dental-scaling years.
The Shih Tzu's flat face is a health profile, not a cosmetic detail. Breathing, heat intolerance in our climate, and prominent eyes prone to dryness and injury all mean a sensible owner keeps a contingency fund or prices pet insurance. We lay the whole picture out honestly in Shih Tzu health and lifespan.
Budget for the face, not just the fluff
No shop can promise you a flat-faced dog with zero flat-faced costs. Anyone who does is selling, not advising. A contingency fund of a few thousand dollars, or an insurance policy, is part of the honest ledger.
How much is the dog licence in Singapore?
The AVS dog licence is mandatory and mercifully cheap. A puppy under 5 months is $13.50 a year, and since puppies go home at about week 9, that is where every owner starts. An unsterilised adult is $81 a year; once sterilised, it drops to $13.50 a year or a $35 one-time lifetime licence.
We complete the licensing paperwork at purchase, so this line never becomes homework. First-time owners also complete the AVS pet ownership course, which is free.
For HDB dwellers, the good news costs nothing: the Shih Tzu is on the approved small-breed list, one dog per flat.
AVS licence fees, exactly
- Under 5 months: $13.50 a year
- Unsterilised adult: $81 a year
- Sterilised: $13.50 a year, or $35 once for life
- Licensing done at purchase with us
- HDB approved breed, one dog per flat
Can you make a Shih Tzu cheaper to own?
Honestly, yes, on three lines. A puppy cut stretches grooming toward the six-week end of the cadence and suits the Singapore heat; owners on r/shihtzu commonly report switching to it within the first year for exactly this reason. Daily brushing is free and prevents the matting that turns a $90 groom into a shave-down.
Sterilising unlocks the $35 lifetime licence. Buying food in larger bags trims the monthly line. What you should never trim is the vet layer; skipped boosters and postponed checkups are how small costs become four-figure ones.
The $2,000 Shih Tzu: why cheap costs more
A Shih Tzu priced far below the licensed market usually comes from an unlicensed seller, often via Carousell or Telegram, and often across the Causeway without proper veterinary care. The $500 to $1,000 you save upfront is the bet; a single parvovirus treatment at $5,000 to $10,000, with no guarantee of survival, is the downside.
The law now reaches buyers too. One dog buyer was fined $7,000 by NParks for purchasing a smuggled dog. Before paying anyone, check the AVS public registry of licensed pet shops; a legitimate shop is on it, licence number and all. Ours is AS24J00046.
One more pricing red flag: a "mini", "imperial" or "teacup" premium. That label adds price and health risk, not value, and we refuse to sell on it.
The cheap-puppy maths
Save $500 to $1,000 upfront; risk a $5,000 to $10,000 parvovirus bill and a $7,000 buyer fine. That is not a discount, it is a liability with fur.
Is adopting a Shih Tzu cheaper?
Upfront, much cheaper: adoption fees through groups like SPCA Singapore typically run $200 to $350. Every other line of the ledger, the grooming above all, stays exactly the same, so adoption changes the entry fee, not the commitment.
The honest catch is availability. Small, popular breeds surface rarely in SG rescue, so treat adoption as a patience route, not a bargain aisle. If you go that way, we genuinely wish you well; the maths in this article still applies.
What other sellers charge, and where we sit
The current Singapore market spread is wide: one licensed seller advertises $2,388 nett, while another quotes a vague $3,000 to $7,000 depending on the dog. Our published band, $3,888 to $4,888 all-in, sits deliberately between those anchors, above the barest quote and below the inflated ceiling, with the inclusions listed in black and white.
Compare all-in against all-in, not sticker against sticker. Our full breakdown of the Shih Tzu price in Singapore shows how the numbers reconcile, and our available Shih Tzu puppies carry that same published band.
$2,388
Lowest market anchor (nett)
$3,888–4,888
Our all-in band
$3,000–7,000
Vague market ceiling
30+
Shih Tzus placed by us
Who should not buy a Shih Tzu
If $900 to $1,400 a year on grooming, forever, reads as an outrage rather than a line item, this is the wrong breed, and no purchase price will fix that. We ask about grooming-readiness before we talk price, in that order, on purpose.
We'd rather talk you out of the wrong breed than sell you the wrong dog. If the ledger above looks like a plan rather than a problem, the Shih Tzu repays every dollar in sturdy, lion-hearted company.
Budget the groomer before the puppy. If the yearly grooming line scares you, the breed is wrong, not the price.
Keep exploring
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Shih Tzu cost per month in Singapore?
Roughly $250 to $400 a month: $60 to $100 on food, $75 to $117 on grooming averaged monthly, $30 to $60 on pads, treats and toys, plus a vet savings line.
How much is a Shih Tzu puppy in Singapore?
From our licensed shop, $3,888 to $4,888 all-in, including the vet health check, vaccinations, microchip, 30-item starter kit, first professional groom, delivery with setup, and licensing completed at purchase.
What is the biggest cost of owning a Shih Tzu?
Grooming. At $75 to $120 every four to six weeks, it runs $900 to $1,400 a year for life, which is usually two to three times the purchase price over a 12-year lifespan.
How much is the dog licence in Singapore?
A puppy under 5 months is $13.50 a year. An unsterilised adult is $81 a year. Once sterilised, it is $13.50 a year or a one-time $35 lifetime licence.
Is a cheap Shih Tzu from Carousell worth it?
No. The $500 to $1,000 saved can become a $5,000 to $10,000 parvovirus bill, and one buyer of a smuggled dog was fined $7,000 by NParks. Check the AVS registry before paying anyone.
Do Shih Tzus need pet insurance?
It is optional, but the flat-faced health profile makes it worth pricing. At minimum, keep a contingency fund of a few thousand dollars for the eyes, breathing and heat-related risks.
Is adopting a Shih Tzu cheaper than buying?
Upfront yes, with fees around $200 to $350, but every running cost including the grooming stays identical. Small-breed availability in Singapore rescue is also thin, so expect a wait.
Meet your Shih Tzu
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 routine, and we'll tell you honestly if a Shih Tzu fits.
Still deciding?
Read the price guide first: every dollar explained, no surprises at the shop.
See the price guide