What It Costs to Own a Dog or Cat in Singapore, Year by Year

By The Big Buy desk · Last verified 4 October 2026

Owning a dog or cat in Singapore costs most in the first year, then settles into a steady annual bill, with the occasional vet emergency. A Dollars and Sense estimate (October 2025) puts a cat at about S$2,530 in the first year, excluding the adoption or purchase price, and about S$2,145 a year after that. Income Insurance’s line items (January 2025) put routine care for a small-to-medium dog at a little over S$1,100 a year before vaccinations and surprises. Adoption runs from free to a few hundred dollars; a breeder’s puppy or kitten can cost S$800 to S$9,000. Cats and dogs must both be licensed, and since the free cat-licensing window closed on 31 August 2026 they pay the same fees, from S$35 for a lifetime licence if sterilised. One serious operation can cost S$1,900 to S$4,000.

A pet repays every dollar in joy, but the dollars still need a plan. Here is what to expect each year.

Quick facts

• Adoption fees: about S$0 to S$150 for cats and S$70 to S$600 for dogs, per published guides.
• Breeders: about S$1,000 to S$5,000 for cats and S$800 to S$9,000 for dogs.
• Licence: S$35 for a lifetime licence for a sterilised cat or dog; unsterilised pets pay more, every year.
• Sterilising a cat: about S$200 to S$300; microchipping about S$50 to S$70.
• Pet insurance for a dog: from about S$316 a year in Income’s example.
• Keep an emergency fund of S$1,000 to S$5,000, or insurance, for operations.

Year one: the setting-up costs

Item	Cat	Dog
Adoption fee	About S$0 to S$150	About S$70 to S$600
Breeder price (if buying)	About S$1,000 to S$5,000	About S$800 to S$9,000
Sterilisation	About S$200 to S$300	Varies with size; ask your vet
Microchip	About S$70	From about S$50
Licence (sterilised, lifetime)	S$35	S$35
First vaccinations	About S$50 to S$60 a shot	About S$239 a round, then every three years
Bed, lead, toys and carrier	Small; about S$20 for basic cat-proofing	About S$95 for a bed and S$92 for a collar and lead

Year two onwards: the running costs

For a small-to-medium dog, Income’s figures give food and treats of about S$366 a year, grooming about S$274, heartworm prevention about S$100, insurance from about S$316 and a check-up of up to S$67: about S$1,123 a year, plus deworming, flea treatment and the S$239 vaccination round every three years. A large dog eats and costs far more. For cats, Dollars and Sense counts boosters of S$30 to S$60 a shot, a basic vet visit from about S$50, monthly grooming if you choose it (about S$900 a year) and dental scaling at about S$300.

A worked lifetime budget for a cat

1. First year, excluding adoption: about S$2,530.
2. Each later year: about S$2,145.
3. Over a 15-year life: S$2,530 + (14 × S$2,145) = S$2,530 + S$30,030 = S$32,560.
4. Add an emergency buffer of S$1,000 to S$5,000, or insurance.

Prices differ by clinic and by breed, so treat these as published estimates rather than quotes. Ask your vet for a written price list for vaccinations and sterilisation.

The WahLiao Verdict

Adopt if you can, sterilise early, microchip and license straight away, and buy insurance or start an emergency fund in the first month, not after the first scare. Budget the running costs as a monthly line, around S$100 to S$200 for most cats and small dogs, and expect more for a large breed. Check your home’s rules before you bring a pet home. A well-planned pet is a happy one, and so is its owner.

Questions people ask

Is a cat cheaper than a dog?

Not always. Published estimates for cats include optional monthly grooming; without it, a cat’s yearly bill falls well below S$2,145.

Do I have to license my cat now?

Yes. The free licensing window for cats closed on 31 August 2026, and cats and dogs now pay the same fees. See our licence explainer below.

Is pet insurance worth it?

It helps if one S$2,000 to S$4,000 operation would strain you. Read the exclusions for existing conditions and age limits.

What is the most expensive year?

Usually the first, because of setting up, sterilisation and vaccinations, and later the senior years, when vet visits rise.

Sources: Income Insurance, cost of dog ownership (January 2025); Dollars and Sense, cost of keeping a cat (October 2025); Animal and Veterinary Service via our licence explainer below. Vet prices vary by clinic; ask for a written quote. The Big Buy explains; it does not advise.

Read next: Cat and Dog Licence Fees in Singapore · Otters, Monkeys and Wild Boars · Back to The Big Buy

For what’s worth it this week, with the bill shown, read The WahLiao Week.