Quick answer
With typical enrichment of S$400 a month, our estimates put an all-local route at about S$160,200 in today’s dollars. Local schools then an overseas degree come to about S$340,200, and international school then an overseas degree about S$713,200. The gap between the cheapest and dearest route is S$553,000. These are household planning estimates, not official fees, and every one can be changed.
The useful number: Same child, three price tags: about S$160,200 to S$713,200 in today’s dollars.
Who is this for?
Parents of children from birth to primary school who want a rough sense of the total bill before choosing a route or a savings target.
What are the steps?
- Enter your child’s birth year.
- Pick an enrichment level: light, typical or full.
- Compare the three routes side by side in today’s dollars.
- Edit any estimate that does not fit your family, such as preschool fees or the degree cost.
- Take the route you lean towards into the education savings projector to see how much you could have by age 19.
What does each route cost?
Take a child born in 2025 with typical enrichment of S$400 a month across 12 school years:
- All-local: MOE schools, then a local subsidised degree
- S$160,200
- Local schools, then an overseas degree
- S$340,200
- International school, then an overseas degree
- S$713,200
- Gap between cheapest and dearest
- S$553,000
Spread over the 21 years to the end of a degree at 22, that is about S$636, S$1,350 and S$2,830 a month. For an older child, the tool counts only the years still to come. Open the Kids’ education cost projector and change any of the numbers.
What goes into the estimates?
- Preschool, net of typical subsidies
- S$450 a month for 4 years
- Uniforms, books and miscellaneous school fees
- S$500 a year for 12 school years
- Junior college or polytechnic
- S$5,000
- Local subsidised degree, with expenses
- S$70,000
- Overseas degree (UK or Australia), with living
- S$250,000
- International school, averaged
- S$32,000 a year
- Enrichment presets
- S$150, S$400 or S$800 a month
Local school fees are close to zero for Singapore citizens, so preschool, enrichment and university dominate the local routes. International school fees range roughly from S$20,000 to S$50,000 a year.
What do these figures leave out?
All figures are in today’s dollars, with no inflation. They leave out National Service timing, scholarships and bursaries. Living costs assume your child stays at home for the local routes; the overseas figures include living.
Every figure is a household planning estimate compiled on 12 July 2026, not an official fee. For scale, MOE’s 2026 monthly fees for Singapore citizens are S$13 in primary and S$25 in secondary, plus up to S$18 at autonomous schools (read 10 October 2026). Confirm your school’s fees on MOE’s fees page.
What can you do about the biggest lever?
Enrichment is the cost you control month to month. Before you add a class, run through Questions before adding a tuition class. To turn the route you choose into a savings target, read the Education savings guide.
Printables for this guide
Questions before adding a tuition class
Set a reason, a budget and an end date before paying a tuition deposit. Name the problem, try free options, check the week and cost, and set a review date.
Try it with your numbers
Put in your own details to see your answer.
Open kids' education cost projector →Frequently asked questions
Why is the all-local route so much cheaper?
Local school fees are close to zero for Singapore citizens, so the local routes are mostly preschool, enrichment and university. The international route adds about S$32,000 a year of school fees, averaged, and an overseas degree.
Are these official MOE fees?
No. Every figure is a household planning estimate compiled on 12 July 2026. MOE’s own 2026 monthly fees for Singapore citizens are small: S$13 in primary and S$25 in secondary, plus up to S$18 at autonomous schools. Confirm current school fees on MOE’s fees page, and change any estimate in the tool.
Does the total include inflation?
No. It is in today’s dollars, so routes are easy to compare. The education savings projector adds education inflation, an estimated 2.5% a year, when it projects the cost at age 19.
How much does enrichment add?
It is paid every month for 12 school years, so it adds up fast. The presets are S$150, S$400 and S$800 a month; switch between them to see how much it moves each route. Try the education cost projector →
Keep this guide for the next big decision.
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