Expats are finding the costs of sending their children to international schools in some Asia-Pacific countries are in a class of their own.
The most expensive schooling is in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, where parents pay an average monthly rent of $851, but $1,251 for education each month.
Compare this to Copenhagen, the Denmark capital, where parents pay $373 a month for schools, which is just 15% of their monthly rent of $2,345.
The study, by the International Schools Database (ISD)lists the costs of rent and schools in 40 cities that are popular expat destinations worldwide.
“As expat parents ourselves, we know that price is a very important part of the decision of which international school to choose. That’s why we made transparent and comparable prices an important feature of the International Schools Database,” said ISD co-founder Andrea Robledillo.
“While comparing prices for international schools and expat rents, we also found that international schools prices tend to correlate with local prices, and are not fixed at a “global price” as could be expected.”
Rent v international school costs
| City | Country | Average Price of International School Per Month | Average Price of Rent in Expat Area | International School Price as % of Rent Price |
| Abu Dhabi | United Arab Emirates | $732 | $2,319 | 32% |
| Amsterdam | Netherlands | $609 | $2,445 | 25% |
| Bangkok | Thailand | $1,032 | $1,554 | 66% |
| Barcelona | Spain | $880 | $1,690 | 52% |
| Beijing | China | $2,519 | $2,091 | 120% |
| Brussels | Belgium | $1,777 | $1,335 | 133% |
| Budapest | Hungary | $1,094 | $964 | 114% |
| Cape Town | South Africa | $375 | $1,330 | 28% |
| Copenhagen | Denmark | $373 | $2,435 | 15% |
| Doha | Qatar | $831 | $2,998 | 28% |
| Dubai | United Arab Emirates | $964 | $2,314 | 42% |
| Geneva | Switzerland | $1,910 | $3,551 | 54% |
| Hanoi | Vietnam | $1,251 | $815 | 153% |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | $1,262 | $1,021 | 124% |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong | $1,282 | $5,100 | 25% |
| Jakarta | Indonesia | $1,196 | $1,060 | 113% |
| Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | $583 | $786 | 74% |
| Lausanne-Vaud | Switzerland | $2,227 | $2,443 | 91% |
| Lima | Peru | $798 | $877 | 91% |
| Lisbon | Portugal | $784 | $1,333 | 59% |
| Madrid | Spain | $844 | $1,685 | 50% |
| Malaga | Spain | $590 | $1,243 | 47% |
| Manama | Bahrain | $422 | $1,545 | 27% |
| Manila | Philippines | $863 | $1,077 | 80% |
| Milan | Italy | $1,183 | $1,841 | 64% |
| Nairobi | Kenya | $752 | $1,550 | 48% |
| Paris | France | $1,070 | $3,216 | 33% |
| Prague | Czech Republic | $1,250 | $1,228 | 102% |
| Riyadh | Saudi Arabia | $422 | $1,008 | 42% |
| Rome | Italy | $1,080 | $2,108 | 51% |
| San Jose | Costa Rica | $803 | $1,080 | 74% |
| Seoul | South Korea | $1,799 | $1,512 | 119% |
| Shanghai | China | $2,744 | $2,363 | 116% |
| Singapore | Singapore | $1,856 | $2,661 | 70% |
| São Paulo | Brazil | $1,100 | $1,086 | 101% |
| Taipei | Taiwan | $1,138 | $1,541 | 74% |
| Tokyo | Japan | $1,528 | $2,544 | 60% |
| Toronto | Canada | $1,977 | $1,841 | 107% |
| Vienna | Austria | $1,597 | $1,638 | 98% |
| Zurich | Switzerland | $2,075 | $3,067 | 68% |
Source: International Schools Database
