Top budgeting tips for Indian medical students include scholarships, education loans, and making smart budgeting decisions for MBBS abroad on a budget. It is crucial to save money and make financial decisions for low-cost MBBS courses abroad. A few of the top countries that offer affordable MBBS courses for international students include Russia, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, and China. One of the smartest decisions to save money for MBBS in abroad is to study in such countries. These countries not only offer globally recognised medical degrees at lower costs but also provide opportunities for diverse clinical experience. Additionally, other ways to save money that can help with an MBBS abroad on a budget include choosing a university and a country that offer low living expenses for international students.
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We have discussed some of the best ways to save money and then pursue MBBS abroad on a tight budget. A few of these include working part time, cooking for yourself, limiting leisure activities, using student discounts and using public transportation. It can help Indian students to study medicine in abroad at a low cost. MBBS abroad is generally a popular option for Indian students who were unable to get a seat in Indian medical colleges or are not able to afford the expensive private medical colleges in India choose MBBS abroad in 2025. It is essential to manage finances effectively while pursuing MBBS abroad for smart budgeting. Read the complete article to understand how to study MBBS abroad on a budget in 2025 for Indian students.
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First step for Indian students in order to pursue MBBS abroad at a low cost in 2025 is choosing the country with low tuition and living expenses, such as Russia, Kazakhstan, etc. It is difficult for students to study MBBS in India with affordability. This is because India poses a challenge for medical aspirants by giving intense competition for limited seats in government medical colleges and an expensive medical tuition fee structure at private colleges, which can reach up to 1 crore. Many countries offer NMC-approved MBBS degrees at a lower cost. These countries often have low living expenses for international students. Let us now explore some of the top budget-friendly countries for MBBS in 2025.
Country | MBBS Fees (Approx.) | Average Living Expenses |
Russia | INR 18 to 35 lakhs | INR 30 to 40 K |
Kyrgyzstan | INR 15 to 22 lakhs | INR 10 to 20 K |
Kazakhstan | INR 18 to 25 lakhs | INR 30 TO 40 K |
Georgia | INR 30 to 45 lakhs | INR 50 to 70 K |
Uzbekistan | INR 20 to 24 lakhs | INR 20 to 30 K |
Bangladesh | INR 30 to 40 lakhs | INR 20 to 30 K |
Nepal | INR 45 to 55 lakhs | INR 30 to 40 K |
Note: The cost of living depends on the location and personal lifestyle.
After selecting an affordable country to study MBBS abroad in 2025, the most important decision to save on a medical degree is to choose a cheap medical college there. Students must note that the university must be as per the NMC guidelines to study MBBS abroad and should not compromise on education quality. Let us now check some of the cheapest universities for MBBS abroad that can help international students save a lot of money.
University | MBBS Tuition Fees (first year) |
Hebei United University, China | INR 1,25,000 |
Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China | INR 1,90,984 |
INR 3,01,860 | |
Lugansk State Medical University, Ukraine | INR 3,10,720 |
INR 3,40,938 | |
INR 3,48,300 | |
INR 3,48,300 | |
Belgorod National Research University, Russia | INR 3,80,632 |
INR 4,06,350 | |
INR 4,27,240 | |
Nizhny Novgorod State Medical University, Russia | INR 4,27,240 |
INR 4,50,544 | |
INR 5,56,655 |
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Indian students can consider applying to scholarships, education loans or any other financial aid. To do MBBS on a budget, scholarships are of great help for international students, helping them to avoid financial stress and not need to repay them after completing their MBBS degrees. These financial assistances, including scholarships as well as education loans, can help medical aspirants to pursue MBBS abroad at a low cost in 2025. Here are the ways to secure scholarships or education loans for MBBS abroad in 2025:
Numerous scholarships for international students looking to study MBBS abroad in 2025. Some might find it financially difficult to pursue medicine in popular countries such as the USA, UK, Canada, etc. These countries offer some of the best MBBS courses in the world. However, the MBBS degrees have a high tuition fee structure. The tuition fee can range up to 1-2 crores per year in the top medical universities in such countries. Students can find different kinds of MBBS scholarships, ranging from merit-based and need-based scholarships to country-specific and university-specific scholarships. A few of the best scholarships for Indian students to study medicine abroad:
Tata scholarship for medical students
K.C. Mahindra Scholarships
Lady Meherbai D Tata Education Trust Scholarships
Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Program
Felix Scholarship
National Overseas Scholarship
Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowship
Zolve Global Scholarship
Generally, scholarships are quite competitive for international students. Indian students failing to secure any of the MBBS scholarships can consider an education loan. It might include a small financial burden of interest; however, they need to pay it after completing their medical degrees abroad. To be eligible for an MBBS education loan, students must have a good academic record, an admission letter from the medical university and the potential for high salaries/earnings after graduation.
Bank | Interest rate |
SBI Bank | 10.65% - 11.50% |
Axis Bank | 11.00% - 11.50% |
HDFC Bank | 11.25% - 13.00% |
Canara Bank | 11.15% and for girls 10.65% |
Bank of Baroda | 11.40 - 13.05% |
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International students must undertake financial planning before starting their MBBS degrees abroad to manage their expenses while saving money. This includes selecting an affordable country and university, living in shared accommodation, using public transportation, and more. Check out a few smart budgeting tips for MBBS abroad on a budget in 2025.
Expense List | Tips to Save Money |
Accommodation |
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Food |
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Transportation |
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Related Reads: What is the Cost of Studying MBBS Abroad?
Another way to save money and pursue MBBS abroad on a tight budget is by working part-time. It is crucial for international students to check the working requirements for candidates on a student visa in each country. Generally, international students are allowed to work for 20 hours per week. However, the number of hours permitted for part-time work varies depending on the country.
Medical assistant/receptionist
Research assistant
Freelance medical writer
Tutor
Retail sales associate
Baby sitter
Barista or waiter
Food delivery agent
Data entry jobs
There are many part-time job opportunities available abroad for medical students in 2025. However, international students must note that they should prioritise their medical studies before these. An MBBS degree is quite demanding and requires an ample amount of preparation to understand the theoretical and practical aspects of the healthcare sector. It is therefore important for students to give significant importance to the course structure. Afterwards, they can consider taking part-time jobs there to earn some extra money.
Best country for MBBS abroad for Indian students 2025:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Studying MBBS abroad for free is technically possible if a student lands a fully funded scholarship. If not, it is really difficult to do so. One can also take admission in tuition free universities and then only need to cover for the cost of living. A fully funded scholarship to study MBBS abroad generally covers the complete tuition fees and living expesnes for the candidates.
One of the best tip for Indian students looking to study the MBBS degrees abroad cheaply is to target cheap countries such as Russia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, etc for studying. They can also choose government colleges abroad that tend to have a lower medical tuition fee structure in comparison to private ones.
A few of the top countries that offer affordable MBBS courses to Indian students include Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Georgia, among others. The average tuition fee for the MBBS course in these countries is INR 1.5 to 4 lakhs per year. This is quite affordable for Indian students in comparison to Indian private medical colleges that can charge over 1 cr as MBBS tuition.
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