How to use this calculator
- Enter your study duration in years
- Compare the six official monthly floors — remember they are proof thresholds, not budgets
- Add 30-60% on top of the floor for real rent levels in major cities
- Cross-check each country's dedicated funds calculator on this site for family add-ons
Every country publishes a living-cost figure that visa applicants must prove they hold. They are not estimates of what life costs — they are legal minimums, set by different formulas in different years. Comparing them directly is the fastest way to see how far your funding needs to stretch by destination.
The spread is dramatic. Germany's blocked account (€11,904 a year, or €992 a month) assumes a modest German student lifestyle and dates its formula to 2024. Canada's floor (C$23,448 a year from September 2026) is tied to 75% of the national low-income cut-off and rises every September. Australia (A$29,710) and the UK (£1,171 a month outside London) sit in between. Ireland (€10,000) and New Zealand (NZ$20,000) round out the picture.
Two structural traps hide inside these numbers. First, the UK figure of £1,171 a month applies only outside London — inside London the requirement jumps to £1,529 a month. Second, Canada's and Australia's floors exclude tuition entirely, and so does Germany's blocked account — the same tuition bill widens the real gap between countries.
The floor is where proof ends, not where budgeting starts. Real rent in Sydney or Toronto routinely runs 30-60% above the local monthly floor, and the first month compounds this with setup costs. A practical rule: budget 1.3 times the official floor for tier-one cities, 1.15 times elsewhere.
London is its own tier
The UK requirement splits by location: £1,171 a month outside London, £1,529 inside. A two-year London master's proves £36,696 in living funds before tuition — more than Australia's whole requirement — purely because of the address.