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International school true cost calculator

Tuition is just the headline. The true cost of an international school includes registration, transport, uniform, books, lunch, ECAs and trips. Use this calculator to see the realistic annual all-in cost for any of our 50+ cities.

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Select from 50+ cities. Median secondary fees shown in our other tables.

Many schools offer sibling discounts (typically 5-15%). Calculator uses median fees per child.

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True annual cost

Tuition (per child)Median for selected city + curriculum + age stage
$0
Lunch & activitiesPer child / year
$0
Registration & capital levyOne-off, amortised over 4 years
$0
Total annual cost
$0

Estimates only. Actual fees vary by school, year, capital levy, sibling discount, and corporate enrolment terms. Premium flagship schools can be 30-50% above median.

True cost breakdown
What's included beyond tuition?
Headline tuition is typically 70-85% of the all-in cost. The rest comes from these categories.
💰
Registration & capital
One-off entrance fees ($500-$5,000), capital levies ($5K-$50K) and debentures (Hong Kong: $30K-$5M, refundable on departure).
🚒
Transport
School bus services run $2,000-$5,000 per year per child in most expat cities. Often optional.
🍳
Lunch / catering
School lunch programmes typically $1,200-$2,500 per year. Often mandatory at primary level.
📚
Books, uniform, supplies
$500-$1,500 per year per child for books, uniforms, stationery and devices. Some schools include in tuition.
🏆
Extracurriculars (ECAs)
Sports, music, drama, robotics: $500-$3,000 per year. Often itemised separately. Many schools have non-trivial trip costs.
⚙️
Exam fees
IB DP exams ($600-$1,200), IGCSEs and A-Levels ($120-$200 per subject), AP exams ($100 per subject). Adds $1K-$2K in final years.

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