Direct answer
For 2026/27 entry, the realistic all-in cost for an international student at one of Hong Kong’s eight UGC-funded universities is:
- Four-year undergraduate degree — HK$985,000 to HK$1,060,000 total (US$126K–135K)
- One-year taught master’s — HK$280,000 to HK$520,000 (US$36K–66K)
- Two-year MBA / professional master’s — HK$680,000 to HK$1,250,000
The biggest single line is tuition; the second is housing. Both are roughly 30–40% above the cost of equivalent programmes in Singapore and broadly comparable to mid-tier UK Russell Group universities for international students.
Tuition by university (non-local, 2026/27)
The published rates for non-local fee-paying students at each university are as follows:
1、 HKU · Undergraduate per year: HK$182,000 · Taught master’s (typical 1-yr): HK$210,000 (MSc) – HK$345,000 (MBA) 2、 CUHK · Undergraduate per year: HK$170,000 · Taught master’s (typical 1-yr): HK$185,000 – HK$320,000 3、 HKUST · Undergraduate per year: HK$175,000 · Taught master’s (typical 1-yr): HK$200,000 – HK$700,000 (MBA) 4、 PolyU · Undergraduate per year: HK$155,000 · Taught master’s (typical 1-yr): HK$140,000 – HK$280,000 5、 CityU · Undergraduate per year: HK$150,000 · Taught master’s (typical 1-yr): HK$135,000 – HK$255,000 6、 HKBU · Undergraduate per year: HK$145,000 · Taught master’s (typical 1-yr): HK$110,000 – HK$210,000 7、 LingU · Undergraduate per year: HK$140,000 · Taught master’s (typical 1-yr): HK$108,000 – HK$170,000 8、 EdUHK · Undergraduate per year: HK$140,000 · Taught master’s (typical 1-yr): HK$95,000 – HK$160,000
Local (HK-resident) tuition is HK$42,100/year — about a quarter of non-local rates — but the local rate requires HK permanent residency, dependant visa status, or other right-of-abode-equivalent grounds.
Self-financing institutions (HKMU, HSUHK, Shue Yan, Saint Francis) charge HK$95,000–135,000/year for non-local undergraduates. Sub-degree programmes (associate degrees, higher diplomas) at HKU SPACE and similar providers cost HK$60,000–95,000/year.
Living-cost benchmarks (per month, 2026)
Here is a breakdown of monthly living costs across three budget levels:
1、 Rent (room in shared flat) · Frugal: HK$5,500 (Sham Shui Po, NT) · Standard: HK$8,500 (Causeway Bay, Mong Kok) · Comfortable: HK$13,000 (Mid-Levels, Sheung Wan studio) 2、 Rent (full studio, < 200 sq ft) · Frugal: HK$10,500 (NT) · Standard: HK$15,000 (Kowloon) · Comfortable: HK$22,000 (HK Island) 3、 University residence · Frugal: HK$2,200–3,000 · Standard: HK$2,500–3,500 · Comfortable: n/a 4、 Food (cook + occasional eat-out) · Frugal: HK$2,500 · Standard: HK$4,000 · Comfortable: HK$6,500 5、 Food (eat out daily) · Frugal: HK$5,500 · Standard: HK$7,500 · Comfortable: HK$11,000 6、 Transport (Octopus, MTR student) · Frugal: HK$200 · Standard: HK$300 · Comfortable: HK$500 (incl. taxis) 7、 Mobile + internet · Frugal: HK$160 · Standard: HK$250 · Comfortable: HK$350 8、 Personal, gym, social · Frugal: HK$1,500 · Standard: HK$3,000 · Comfortable: HK$5,500 9、 Total / month (room in flat) · Frugal: HK$9,860 · Standard: HK$16,050 · Comfortable: HK$25,850
Year-round: HK$118,000 frugal / HK$192,600 standard / HK$310,000 comfortable.
Required proof of funds (student visa)
Hong Kong Immigration Department asks for proof that the student can cover the first year of tuition + 12 months of living expenses. There is no fixed minimum bank-balance figure, but in practice HK$220,000–HK$280,000 in deposit (US$28K–36K) is the level that consistently gets approved without follow-up queries.
Supporting documents:
- Tuition fee invoice or unconditional offer letter
- Bank statement (yours or sponsor’s) covering at least the past 6 months
- Sponsor letter if the funds are not in your own name
- Salary slip / income proof for the sponsor
Scholarships and discounts
The main scholarship schemes available are:
1、 HKU Foundation Scholarships (full) · Approximate value: Tuition + HK$50,000/yr stipend · Notes: Top 1–3% of admitted non-local applicants 2、 CUHK Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship · Approximate value: Full tuition + HK$80,000/yr · Notes: By interview only 3、 HKUST President’s Scholarship · Approximate value: Full tuition for 4 years · Notes: Approx. 30 awards/year 4、 Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) · Approximate value: HK$331,200 stipend + HK$14,500 conference grant per year, 3 years · Notes: RGC-funded; for PhD applicants only 5、 Belt-and-Road Scholarship · Approximate value: Up to HK$120,000/year · Notes: For applicants from BRI partner countries
Postgraduate taught (Master’s) programmes do not typically have substantial scholarship pools — most scholarships at this level are partial (HK$20,000–60,000) and merit-based.
How much can you earn alongside study?
Student-visa holders may work part-time on-campus (no hour limit) and off-campus during summer break (no hour limit, June–August). During academic term off-campus paid work is not permitted under the student visa, except for approved internships. Realistically:
- Part-time tutoring (Putonghua / English / IB): HK$200–400/hour
- Research assistant on campus: HK$80–120/hour
- Summer internship: HK$15,000–25,000/month for tech / finance roles, HK$10,000–14,000 for general
A diligent student can offset HK$30,000–60,000/year through part-time work, but it does not meaningfully change the total cost of the degree.
How HK compares to other study destinations (2026 international student total annual cost)
The total annual cost for a public-university undergraduate across different destinations is as follows:
1、 Hong Kong (HKU/CUHK/HKUST) · $32,000 – $34,000 (USD) 2、 Singapore (NUS/NTU) · $34,000 – $42,000 (USD) 3、 UK (Russell Group, London) · $43,000 – $58,000 (USD) 4、 US (private, top-50) · $75,000 – $95,000 (USD) 5、 Australia (Go8) · $42,000 – $55,000 (USD) 6、 Canada (U15) · $36,000 – $48,000 (USD)
Hong Kong is currently the most affordable English-medium top-100 destination in Asia, with the added advantage of the IANG 24-month post-graduation visa (no equivalent in Singapore at the undergraduate level).
Sources
- University Grants Committee tuition statistics (2025/26): https://cdcf.ugc.edu.hk
- HKU, CUHK, HKUST, PolyU, CityU, HKBU, LingU, EdUHK official non-local fee schedules
- Immigration Department student visa fund requirement: https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/study.html
- Census and Statistics Department household expenditure data: https://www.censtatd.gov.hk