Cheapest Countries to Study Abroad for International Students 2024

Studying in foreign destinations is no longer a costly affair if you choose the cheapest countries to study abroad. Many overseas countries offer low-cost tuition fees and hold the best and globally ranking universities. A few popular cheapest countries to study abroad for Indian students 2024 include Norway, Germany, France, Taiwan, etc.

This Story also Contains

1. Cheapest Countries to Study Abroad for Indian Students 2024
2. Scholarships to Study in Taiwan
3. Cheapest Countries to Study MBA for Indian Students
4. Cheapest Country to Study MBBS for International Students

These countries offer high-quality education, research facilities, and globally recognised higher education for international students with affordable tuition fees. Over the years, studying abroad has become increasingly popular among Indian students. As per the latest reports of ICEF Monitor, the emigration of Indian students to foreign countries will more than double over the next few years to reach 1.8 million students by 2024.

Surprisingly, in contrast to the regular routes like the USA, UK, Canada, etc., students opted for off-beat destinations like Norway, Taiwan, Korea, and Lithuania due to lower education costs. Additionally, the scope for career growth, job opportunities, and updated student-friendly policies for international students also influenced overseas learners to opt for these countries to study abroad cheap.

These countries offer plenty of study abroad scholarships to manage the students’ living while studying in the country. Indian students can also apply for various study abroad education loans to manage their course requirements and personal expenses in the country. Find out the cheapest countries to study abroad in this article below and select the one that meets your requirements.

Cheapest Countries to Study Abroad for Indian Students 2024

The list of top 10 cheapest countries to study abroad are listed below considering the tuition fees, living expenses, and quality education.

Top 10 Cheapest Countries to Study Abroad: Cost of Living

Norway

Norway is internally popular for its high-quality lifestyle and natural beauty. Norway public universities offer free education for all international students. However, private universities are not completely free and international students need to pay the necessary fee to continue their studies. While a few programmes in Norway public universities require a minimum fee that is comparatively lower than most of the Indian universities. Additionally, the cost of living in Norway is around NOK 139,680 per year which is approximately Rs. 10 lakhs in Indian rupees.

Cheapest Universities in Norway

• Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

• University of Bergen.

• BI Norwegian Business School.

• The Arctic University of Norway.

• Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences.

• University of Nordland.

Mexico

Mexico is a top contender for the cheapest countries to study abroad for Indian students. Mexico has been listed among the top 150 QS Best Student Cities 2025. The cost of living in Mexico ranges from around USD 6,450 to USD 9,250 per month. The tuition fees in Mexico vary, with private universities charging more than the public ones. The average cost of study in Mexico is around USD 6,300 per year for international undergraduate students.

Top Cheapest Universities in Mexico

Germany

Study in Germany offers a perfect mix of quality education, cost of living, and scholarships for international students. Most of the top universities in Germany are public research universities and hold their positions in the top 100 universities of the world as per the QS World University Ranking 2025. The public universities in Germany do not charge any tuition fees for international students. However, students need to pay a mandatory semester fee of around EUR 20,000 per year to continue their studies.

Top Universities in Germany 2024

Cost of Living in Germany

The average cost of living in Germany ranges from around EUR 10,200 per year. Students can manage their living expenses by working part-time jobs or by applying for Germany scholarships.

Cost of Living in Germany for International Students

France

The study in France listed in the top 10 cheapest countries to study abroad holding some of the best and cheapest universities. The tuition fees at top public universities in France is comparatively very low than most of the popular countries like the US or UK. Tuition fees in France are the same for domestic and international students. The cost of studying bachelor’s (licence) programmes ranges from around 170 per year. Whereas, the fees range around EUR 243 for most master’s programmes, and EUR 380 for doctoral programmes. On average the cost of living in France is about 2500 per month. There are many scholarships in France for Indian students with monthly stipends, and tuition fee coverage.

Cheapest Universities in France

Taiwan

Taiwan is another of the cheapest countries to study abroad. The country is densely populated and attracts about 1 lakh overseas students every year. Taiwan consists of some Globally top universities and is one of the cheapest countries to study abroad. It is the most affordable country as the top university in Taiwan i.e., National Taiwan University requires a fee of just USD 3000 per year. On average the tuition fees for undergraduates start at TW 100,920 per year for liberal arts programmes, up to TW 124,200. On average, the international student requires about 1600 USD per year to study in Taiwan.

Best and Cheapest Universities in Taiwan

Scholarships to Study in Taiwan

Being the cheapest country to study abroad for indian students, there are plenty of government and university-based scholarships available for international students. The eligibility for these scholarships depends on the student's academic merit international citizenship, etc.

Some of the popular scholarships in Taiwan for international students are:

• MOFA Taiwan Scholarship

• National Taiwan University Scholarships

• Taiwan ICDF scholarship

• National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) Scholarships

Argentina

Argentina in South America is one of the cheapest countries to study abroad. The country offers courses in the English language making it very convenient to study for international students. The public universities in Argentina do not charge any tuition fees. On the other side, the private university fees in this country are cheaper than most of the popular international countries. On average the tuition fees required to study at the private universities in Argentina can cost around USD 5,100 per year. Students will need around USD 5,000 per month to manage their living expenses in the country.

Best and Cheapest Universities in Argentina

Malaysia

Malaysia is one of the popular abroad study destinations welcoming more than 2 lakh international students every year. The country is the cheapest country to study abroad for Indian students. Many international universities have opened their branches in this country.

Most of the courses are available in English language benefiting the international students to study here. On average, the cost of study in Malaysia ranges from USD 4000 to 16,000 per year for international students. Also, it costs around USD 800 per month to manage living expenses in Malaysia. The city Kaiula Lumpur is ranked as the 2nd best student city by QS ranking in terms of affordability.

Best and Cheapest Universities in Malaysia

Poland

Poland is considered the cheapest countries to study abroad in Europe. The country is located in Central Europe and is the neighbouring country of Germany. Many Poland universities are ranked among the top universities in the world with lower tuition fees. The average cost of studying in Poland is approximately EUR 2000 to 4000 per year.

There are many English-taught programmes available, costing around EUR 2,000-3000 per year. The capital city, Warsaw, was ranked within the top 20 cities for affordability in the latest QS Best Student Cities index, and 53rd overall. Additionally, students need approximately EUR 7700 per year to manage their living expenses in the country.

Top Universities in Poland

South Africa

South Africa has some of the good number of top universities in the world that provide higher education at lower rates. The English language is widely spoken in this country enabling an advantage for international students. The average cost of studying in South Africa for Indian students is around USD 6,000 per year. Additionally, students need around R 120,000 per year to cover their living costs.

Top Universities in South Africa

Italy

Italy is the other cheapest European country to study abroad. The country’s cuisine magnificent countryside and beautiful mountain ranges make it a fascinating destination for those seeking foreign education.

The tuition fees at top public universities in Italy range from EUR 900 to 4,000 per year. Whereas, the cost of studying in private universities in Italy charges ranges from EUR 6,000 to 20,000 per year. On average it costs around 1,100 per month for living expenses in Italy. Accommodation for Indian students can cost around 300 to 400 per month in Itlay.

Cheapest Universities in Italy

Cheapest Countries to Study MBA for Indian Students

MBA is one of the top chosen courses for our Indian students to study abroad. MBA study abroad is very expensive for Indian students. However, many top study abroad universities offer high quality education with low tuition fees. Here is a list of the cheapest countries to study MBA abroad for international students:

• Canada

• China

• Germany

• France

• Ireland

• Singapore

• Sweden

• Switzerland

• Norway

Cheapest Country to Study MBBS for International Students

The cost of MBBS in India is very high. Therefore, many students opt to study MBBS abroad at affordable prices. The average cost of study MBBS in the cheapest study-abroad country is around Rs. 30 to 40 lakhs for the complete course duration. Here is the list of abroad countries with the cheapest MBBS fees:

• China

• Georgia

• Kyrgyzstan

• Kazakhstan

• Bangladesh

• Philippines