Start looking at international schools in Southeast Asia and the first thing you meet is a fee table. But fees alone cannot settle the decision, because the same budget buys a different school in each country, and each country comes with its own conditions attached.

Fee ranges separate the countries

Converted into US dollars, annual tuition generally falls into the following ranges.

• Malaysia — about $10,000–25,000. Relatively low for the region
• Vietnam — about $12,000–30,000. The top schools in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City exceed $30,000
• Thailand — about $15,000–30,000. Bangkok and Chiang Mai differ in character
• Singapore — about $25,000–50,000. The highest in the region

What matters is the width of each range. Within one country, schools differ by three or four times. "Vietnam is cheap" is not a statement that holds; only "this school in this city costs this much" does.

Four things to look at after cost

1. Conditions for a guardian to stay

Sending a minor means settling who will live with them. Visa arrangements for an accompanying guardian differ by country. This condition determines the whole shape of family life. Malaysia's guardian visa arrangements are covered in detail in a separate article.

2. The proportion of Korean students

A school with many Korean students is easier to settle into but may mean less exposure to English. Conversely, where there are almost no Koreans, the English environment is strong but the initial settling-in is hard. Rather than one being better, the answer depends on the child's temperament and how long you will stay. Schools will generally tell you the nationality breakdown if you ask.

3. Continuity of curriculum

If there is a chance of changing school part way or returning to Korea, which curriculum the child is following becomes important. IB is relatively portable internationally, while switching between the British route (IGCSE and A-Level) and the American route (AP) can lose ground. It is safer to decide whether the child will stay at that school through to graduation and then choose the curriculum.

4. Healthcare and accessibility

Often overlooked, but it matters a great deal in practice: which hospitals are available in an emergency, whether there are direct flights to Korea and how long they take, and the time difference. In particular, if a guardian stays in Korea, travel cost and time recur every year.

How to calculate the total

Comparing fees is only meaningful on total annual spending, not tuition. At minimum the following have to be added.

• Application fees, admission fees and deposits on top of tuition
• School bus — the cost changes considerably with distance
• Uniforms, materials, field trips and after-school activities
• Housing and living costs — differences between cities can reverse a difference in fees
• Visas, insurance and return flights

Work through that list and it becomes clear that "the country with the cheapest fees" is not necessarily "the country with the cheapest total". The cost items are set out as a table in Tuition and Fees.

In summary

International school fees in Southeast Asia tend to rise in the order Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore — but the gap between schools within a country is larger than the gap between countries. So do not choose the country first. Narrow it down in this order: guardian residence conditions, then curriculum, then total cost.