Cost of international education in Asia in 2022

Last Updated on 25 March 2023

When we covered this topic back in 2019, China captured the top spot as the most expensive destination for international education in the world.

For 2022, China continues to dominate as the most expensive country in Asia for international schools, according to the research done by the International Schools Database. In fact, the top four most expensive cities are all located in China: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou (the same order as in 2021).

Despite the high prices seen in China, elsewhere in Asia median prices are more affordable than you may think. Of the 24 cities included in the analysis, 14 had median prices of under US$15,000 per year. These were Taipei, Yangon, Bangkok, Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Manila, Johor Bahru, Bali, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Phnom Penh and Ipoh (Perak).

Ipoh, the capital city of Perak in Malaysia, has taken the title of the least expensive location in Asia for international schooling.

Malaysia and Thailand are the most affordable countries in Asia when it comes to the cost of international education, with three Thai cities (Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Phuket) and four Malaysian cities (Johor Bahru, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh) included in the 10 least expensive locations in the continent.

Here are some other highlights from the research:

Singapore is more expensive than the average city in Asia for international schools: 5th out of 24 cities.
The majority of Asian cities have median prices of under US$15,000 per year, making it relatively affordable (China excluded) compared to other regions.
Malaysia and Thailand are among the least expensive countries in Asia for international schools, with seven of the 10 least expensive cities located here.
Bali is included in the research for the first time, and is the 5th cheapest destination in Asia for international education.

Rank	City	Minimum	Median	Maximum
1	Beijing	$10,397	$36,243	$39,261
2	Shanghai	$4,929	$34,126	$45,550
3	Shenzhen	$12,844	$27,255	$46,057
4	Guangzhou	$10,173	$26,385	$46,391
5	Singapore	$5,321	$21,386	$38,531
6	Seoul	$5,242	$21,352	$32,301
7	Hanoi	$5,183	$19,505	$28,820
8	Hong Kong	$2,253	$17,561	$34,723
9	Ho Chi Minh City	$4,784	$16,078	$25,344
10	Tokyo	$4,652	$15,254	$23,109
11	Taipei	$11,512	$14,757	$30,244
12	Yangon	$7,010	$13,263	$27,170
13	Bangkok	$2,539	$12,363	$25,968
14	Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe	$5,720	$11,196	$19,220
15	Pattaya	$3,427	$10,802	$17,756
16	Chiang Mai	$3,866	$8,495	$11,047
17	Phuket	$4,390	$8,239	$18,363
18	Manila	$2,181	$8,154	$21,051
19	Johor Bahru	$2,951	$6,629	$19,750
20	Bali	$2,664	$5,890	$13,757
21	Penang	$3,950	$5,768	$7,083
22	Kuala Lumpur	$1,809	$5,016	$22,020
23	Phnom Penh	$2,400	$4,908	$20,340
24	Ipoh – Perak	$2,316	$2,632	$3,065

Source: International Schools Database (www.international-schools-database.com). All prices in US$. You can sort the table by clicking on the up/down arrow.

If you're interested, you can check out the cost for the rest of the world here: https://www.international-schools-database.com/articles/the-cost-of-international-education-around-the-world-in-2022