Private schooling can add a third to three-quarters of your total parenting bill. Here's the data.
One of the biggest budgeting decisions parents face is school choice. Using our 2026 model, we compared the moderate-lifestyle, birth-to-18 cost of raising one child with public versus private/international education across 10 cities. The premium is the percentage added by going private.
| City | Public school | Private school | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai | $260,000 | $455,000 | +75% |
| New York | $380,000 | $646,000 | +70% |
| Singapore | $280,000 | $476,000 | +70% |
| London | $270,000 | $432,000 | +60% |
| Shanghai | $200,000 | $310,000 | +55% |
| Sydney | $230,000 | $356,500 | +55% |
| Hong Kong | $260,000 | $403,000 | +55% |
| Toronto | $240,000 | $360,000 | +50% |
| Tokyo | $180,000 | $261,000 | +45% |
| Seoul | $220,000 | $319,000 | +45% |
The private-school premium ranges from roughly +35% to +75% of the base cost, and it is not evenly distributed. It is highest in city-states and the Gulf (where top international schools are a major line item) and lower where private schooling is a smaller share of total spend.
All figures are structural estimates for planning — see our Sources & References for the public data frameworks we model on.
Across our 10 cities the private-school premium is about +35% to +75% of the base parenting cost, highest in Singapore and Gulf cities and lower where private schooling is a smaller share of total spend.
That is a family decision, not a financial one we can make for you. The data only shows the price gap; weigh it against local public-school quality, which varies by city and neighborhood.
No. University (age 18–22) is a separate optional add-on and is not included in the 0–18 estimate, public or private.
Among our set, Dubai has the largest public-to-private gap, while Seoul has the smallest.
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