What Studying Abroad Actually Costs, Country by Country
The gap between the cheapest and most expensive popular destinations is wider than most students expect before they start comparing numbers directly.
By the BNPS International Counselling Team · Published 26 March 2026
The country-by-country numbers
Annual costs, tuition and living combined, run roughly ₹30–50 lakh in the UK, ₹28–34 lakh in Canada, ₹25–40 lakh in Australia, and ₹10–15 lakh in Germany. Italy and China sit even lower, at ₹8–15 lakh and ₹5–12 lakh respectively, while Japan lands around ₹12–20 lakh.
On a monthly basis, that translates to roughly ₹1–1.5 lakh in the UK, ₹70,000–₹1.2 lakh in Canada, ₹80,000–₹1.5 lakh in Australia, and as low as ₹25,000–₹70,000 in China. The width of some of these ranges reflects real differences between cities within the same country. Studying in London or Sydney costs meaningfully more than a smaller city in the same country, so a country-level average can undersell or overstate your actual cost depending on exactly where you end up.
Where the money actually goes
Tuition is usually the number students research most carefully, but accommodation and food together often outweigh it over a full year, particularly in expensive cities. Shared student housing tends to run cheaper than a solo flat almost everywhere, and cooking rather than eating out regularly is the single biggest lever most students have over their own monthly spend, more so than any one big-ticket decision.
Health insurance, mandatory in most destinations for visa purposes, is a smaller but non-negotiable cost, typically a few hundred euros or pounds a year depending on the country and your age. Factor it into your budget from the start rather than treating it as an afterthought once you land.
Why the cheaper countries aren't automatically the better deal
Germany, Italy, and China are consistently the most affordable options, but cost alone isn't the full comparison. Course length, post-study work rights, and the strength of the local job market for your specific field all change the real return on that spend. A cheaper degree that takes two extra years, or leads into a weaker job market for your field, isn't automatically the better financial decision once you account for lost earning time.
A useful way to think about it: divide total cost by the number of years until you're earning a full salary in your target field, not just the number of years until graduation. A one-year UK master's that costs more upfront but gets you into paid work a year earlier than a two-year alternative can work out cheaper in total, once you account for that extra year of income rather than expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country gives the lowest total cost for a masters degree?
Germany, by a wide margin, if you get into a public university, with China and Italy also landing well below the UK, Canada, and Australia. But total cost alone isn't the full comparison; course length and post-study work rights change the real return.
Does living in a smaller city meaningfully lower my costs?
Yes. A country-level average can undersell or overstate your actual cost depending on the exact city, since studying in a capital or major city like London or Sydney costs meaningfully more than a smaller city in the same country.
Have a question this didn't answer?
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