Comparing Realistic Overseas Study Costs for Vietnamese Students by Destination Country
By Muntasir • Published Jul 28, 2024 • Money & Budgeting, Study in Southeast Asia
Japan and South Korea tend to cost Vietnamese families less overall than Australia, the US, Canada or the UK, mainly because of lower living costs and, in Japan, tuition ranges set close to a government-linked standard at national universities. The UK is the one destination with a fixed visa minimum: at least £1,171 a month outside London or £1,529 a month in London, on top of tuition.
🏠 Japan and Korea: generally the lowest combined tuition and living cost among these six.
💵 UK living costs (visa minimum): £1,171/month outside London, £1,529/month in London.
🎓 Australia, the US and Canada: typically the highest combined cost of the group.
📩 Tuition varies hugely by university and program, always check the specific school.
⏱️ Use each destination's official cost calculator before you fix a budget.
Why a single 'average cost' figure misleads families
Tuition and living costs vary so much by city, university and program within each country that a single national average hides more than it shows. A regional Japanese university and a private university in central Tokyo sit on completely different budgets, and the same split shows up in every destination below. Use the relative ranking here to plan which destinations fit your budget range, then pull the real number from the specific school and city before you commit.
Japan and Korea: typically the most affordable of the six
National universities in Japan set tuition within a range close to a government-linked standard, and living costs outside Tokyo run lower than in most Western capital cities, which keeps the combined cost down for many programs. Korea follows a similar pattern: national and public universities charge less than private ones, and living costs outside Seoul come in lower too. Exact tuition still varies by university, department and whether the program teaches in Japanese, Korean or English, so check the admission office page for your target school rather than a single country figure.
UK: the one destination with a fixed minimum you can plan against
The UK stands apart from the other five because its student visa route names an exact minimum living-cost figure rather than leaving it to the university. You must show at least £1,171 a month outside London or £1,529 a month in London, for up to nine months, on top of tuition (gov.uk ). Tuition itself is set per university and course, and international rates run well above what UK students pay, so budget tuition and living costs as two separate line items rather than one combined guess.
Australia, Canada and the US: typically the highest combined cost
These three destinations tend to sit at the top of the cost range for Vietnamese families once tuition and living costs are combined, particularly in major cities such as Sydney, Toronto or New York. None of the three publishes one fixed living-cost figure the way the UK does. Tuition and living budgets are set per institution and region instead, so pull your numbers from the destination's own official source: Australia's government study-cost guidance, Canada's study permit financial-support page, or your target US school's cost-of-attendance figure, rather than a country average you find elsewhere.
What actually drives the difference between destinations
| Cost driver | Where it matters most |
|---|---|
| City vs regional campus | All six, capital and major cities cost noticeably more than regional ones |
| Public vs private university | Japan, Korea and the US especially, private tuition runs well above public |
| Program length and field | Medicine, business and some engineering programs cost more everywhere |
| Allowed part-time work hours | Offsets some living costs where the visa allows work. The cap differs by destination and changes over time. |
| Currency movement | A multi-year budget in AUD, CAD, USD, GBP, JPY or KRW moves against the dong over time |
Build your own realistic budget
Pull tuition directly from the program page you are applying to, not a country average.
Add a separate living-cost line using the destination's official estimator or visa minimum.
Include one-way flights, health insurance and a settling-in buffer for the first month.
Recalculate every intake, tuition and visa financial minimums change from year to year.
Check the current part-time work hour cap for your destination directly with its immigration authority, rather than relying on an old figure.