Cheapest Countries to Study in Europe: Tuition and Housing Compared

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

The cheapest country for one student is not the cheapest for another. Tuition depends on your passport, the language of the degree and, in some countries, your family's income. This comparison uses the official fees behind the 18,171 programmes in our catalogue, updated 6 October 2026.

Tuition at public universities

Typical yearly tuition for a bachelor's degree at a public university. Typical means the median across the programmes we track.

• Germany: €0 for EU students, €0 for non-EU students. Students pay a semester contribution instead; Baden-Württemberg charges non-EU students €1,500 a semester.
• Czechia: €0 for everyone, for degrees taught in Czech. Degrees in English are paid.
• France: €178 for EU students, €2,902 for non-EU students, with exemptions at many universities.
• Portugal: €697 for EU students, €3,500 for non-EU students admitted as international students.
• Spain: €875 for EU students, €1,208 for non-EU students; the price depends on the region and the subject.
• Italy: €2,395 at full rate for EU students and €2,106 for non-EU students. Fees fall with family income, to almost nothing for low incomes.
• Switzerland: €2,579 for EU and €2,579 for non-EU students, converted from francs.

Private institutions are a different market. Typical private tuition in our data is €15,800 a year in Spain, €9,000 in France and €6,580 in Italy.

Housing

Typical monthly price of a place in a student residence in our catalogue:

• Czechia: €139 to €309
• Portugal: €195 to €199
• Italy: €212 to €264
• Germany: €214 to €535
• France: €345 to €449
• Switzerland: €349 to €1,300
• Spain: €545 to €624

Residence places are limited everywhere and private rooms cost more, sometimes double in capital cities. Spanish figures are high because many of the residences listed there include meals. See finding student housing in Europe.

If you are an EU citizen

• Lowest tuition: Germany and Czechia, at zero, then France.
• Lowest total cost: Czechia and Portugal, where rent is lowest. Germany's free tuition is offset by higher rents in the large cities.
• Italy becomes one of the cheapest if your family income is low, because both tuition and regional grants follow it. See scholarships and financial aid.

If you are not an EU citizen

• Germany remains free in most states, but you must show €992 a month in a blocked account before the visa.
• Czechia is free only if you study in Czech, which means a year of language preparation for most people.
• Italy treats non-EU students like everyone else on fees, and its regional grants are open to them.
• France raised fees for non-EU students, but many universities waive the increase in part or in full. Ask before you rule it out.
• Portugal and Spain charge international students more than EU students; the difference varies by institution.
• Switzerland has moderate tuition and the highest living costs on the list.

Visa rules add a fixed sum you must prove regardless of what you spend; see student visa rules compared.

The costs people forget

• The preparation year. Language courses, a Studienkolleg or exam preparation cost a year of living expenses before the degree starts. See Studienkolleg and foundation years.
• Documents. Legalisation, sworn translations, recognition and exam fees add several hundred euros.
• Health insurance. From nothing in France to well over a thousand euros a year elsewhere. See health insurance for students.
• Length of the degree. Three years in most countries, four in Spain; medicine takes six everywhere. One extra year can outweigh a difference in tuition.
• The language. A degree in English often costs more than the same degree in the local language. See degrees in English.

A way to compare for yourself

1. Pick the degree and the language you can study in within a year.
2. Take the fee for your status from the programme pages, not the country average.
3. Add rent for the actual city, twelve months.
4. Add insurance, the semester contribution and travel.
5. Multiply by the length of the degree, plus any preparation year.

Country guides with the full breakdown: Germany, Czechia, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Switzerland.

Sources

All tuition and residence figures come from the official fee tables collected in our catalogue; see data and sources. Confirm the fee for your programme on the university's own page before you decide.

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.