Cost of Studying in China for ASEAN Students: Tuition and Living Compared
By Muntasir • Published Sep 18, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Study Abroad, Money & Budgeting, Study in Southeast Asia
Self-funded study in China costs roughly USD 7,000 to 14,000 a year including tuition and living costs, with Beijing and Shanghai the most expensive cities and inland cities like Chengdu, Wuhan and Xi'an the cheapest. A full China Scholarship Council (CSC) award removes most of that cost and adds a monthly stipend.
💵 Bachelor's tuition at public universities runs RMB 20,000-40,000 a year; master's runs RMB 25,000-50,000.
🏠 Living costs in Beijing and Shanghai run roughly RMB 7,000-8,400 a month; inland cities run less.
📩 English-taught programs cost 20-40% more than the same program taught in Chinese.
🎓 A full CSC scholarship covers tuition, housing and insurance, and pays a stipend of RMB 2,500-3,500 a month depending on degree level.
What self-funded study in China costs
For ASEAN students paying their own way, the two costs that matter are tuition and monthly living expenses, and both vary sharply by city. At public universities, bachelor's tuition runs from RMB 20,000 to RMB 40,000 a year (roughly USD 2,800 to 5,600), and master's tuition runs from RMB 25,000 to RMB 50,000. Programs taught in English rather than Chinese typically add 20-40% to that base tuition, since universities price English-medium instruction as a premium track aimed at international students.
Tuition by degree level
| Degree level | Annual tuition (RMB) | Approx. USD |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's, Chinese-taught | 20,000-40,000 | 2,800-5,600 |
| Master's, Chinese-taught | 25,000-50,000 | 3,500-7,000 |
| English-taught programs (either level) | +20-40% on above | +20-40% |
Living costs by city
Where you study matters as much as what you study. Beijing carries the highest cost of living among Chinese cities, with monthly living costs around USD 1,000-1,200 (roughly RMB 7,000-8,400), not counting rent, according to Mastersportal's guide to studying in China . Shanghai and Shenzhen run somewhat lower, at USD 850-1,200 a month, and other cities run USD 600-1,000 a month for the same basics. For accommodation, a bed in a university dormitory runs USD 150-400 a month, while a private one-bedroom flat runs USD 300-1,000 a month depending on the city and neighborhood.
| City tier | Monthly living costs (excl. rent) | Dorm room | Private flat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing | USD 1,000-1,200 | USD 150-400/month | USD 300-1,000/month |
| Shanghai / Shenzhen | USD 850-1,200 | USD 150-400/month | USD 300-1,000/month |
| Other cities | USD 600-1,000 | USD 150-400/month | USD 300-1,000/month |
Put together, a self-funded international student typically spends RMB 50,000-100,000 a year (about USD 7,000-14,000) once tuition, accommodation, insurance and daily living costs are all counted. Choosing a lower-cost city over Beijing or Shanghai is the single biggest lever you control to bring that number down, since tuition differences between universities are usually smaller than the living-cost gap between cities.
What changes with a CSC scholarship
A full China Scholarship Council (CSC) award changes this picture. Type A and Type B CSC scholarships waive tuition entirely, provide free on-campus accommodation or an equivalent housing allowance, cover comprehensive medical insurance, and pay a monthly stipend of RMB 2,500 for bachelor's students, RMB 3,000 for master's students and RMB 3,500 for doctoral students, based on CSC scholarship terms published by the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences .
| Cost item | Self-funded | Full CSC scholarship |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | RMB 20,000-50,000/year | Waived |
| Accommodation | USD 150-1,000/month | Free or allowance-covered |
| Insurance | Out of pocket | Covered |
| Monthly stipend | None | RMB 2,500-3,500 |
The stipend is not large enough to live on comfortably in Beijing or Shanghai without other savings, but it comfortably covers daily expenses in most lower-cost cities. If cost is your main constraint, apply for CSC or a university Type B scholarship first, and treat self-funded study as the fallback plan rather than the default, since the gap between funded and self-funded study in China is larger than in many Western destinations.