What cost should mean here
Tuition is the number every article quotes and the number that decides least. A first year costs tuition plus twelve months of living, and separately you must evidence funds to an embassy before any of it starts. This ranking uses the first of those two, because it is the money that actually leaves your family's account.
The figures below are typical 2026 ranges for the nine countries we handle. They move, so treat them as a shortlisting tool and verify against each country's own guide before you commit.
The ranking
Ordered by the midpoint of the first-year total, lowest first.
| Rank | Country | First-year total | Midpoint | What the low end depends on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hungary | EUR 4,800-12,200 | ~8,500 | Winning Stipendium Hungaricum |
| 2 | Bulgaria | EUR 7,200-11,000 | ~9,100 | Nothing — this is the ordinary price |
| 3 | Italy | EUR 5,400-13,600 | ~9,500 | A low income-assessed tuition band, plus DSU |
| 4 | Greece | EUR 6,900-12,400 | ~9,650 | A low-fee public programme |
| 5 | Cyprus | EUR 9,500-16,600 | ~13,050 | A university merit scholarship |
| 6 | Malta | EUR 12,200-21,800 | ~17,000 | A cheaper programme, not a discount |
| 7 | Finland | EUR 14,400-23,800 | ~19,100 | A tuition waiver |
| 8 | Sweden | EUR 16,000-26,200 | ~21,100 | A tuition fee waiver |
| 9 | Denmark | EUR 15,600-30,400 | ~23,000 | A cheaper programme |
Read the low end carefully
This is where most cost comparisons mislead, including the honest ones. Hungary is first on this table only because of a scholarship it awards to a limited number of applicants once a year. If you do not win Stipendium Hungaricum, Hungary is not a EUR 4,800 country, it is a EUR 10,000 to 12,000 country, and its tuition is higher than Bulgaria's.
Italy's floor is conditional too, but on something you control rather than something you win: public tuition is assessed on family income and assets, so a correctly filed income assessment plus a regional DSU award can genuinely take tuition close to zero. The condition is paperwork, not competition, which makes it a much better bet than a scholarship lottery.
Bulgaria is the cheapest predictable country of the nine. Its range is narrow because there is no condition inside it. If your plan cannot survive losing a scholarship, that predictability is worth more than a lower headline.
The money you spend before you fly
None of this appears in a tuition table, and for most families it is the first real outlay.
| Item | Typical | Note |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | BDT 20,000-26,000 | Confirm the current fee with the British Council or IDP |
| Attestation and apostille set | BDT 5,000-15,000 | Per set; more if you need several |
| Certified translation | BDT 500-1,500 per page | Only where the country asks for it |
| Police clearance certificate | BDT 500-1,000 plus travel | |
| Application fees | EUR 0-100 per programme | Several of the nine charge nothing |
| Visa or permit fee | EUR 50-600 | Italy lowest, Finland highest |
| Visa centre service fee and courier | BDT 3,000-8,000 | |
| Trip to Delhi where there is no Dhaka office | from about BDT 35,000 | Indian visa, travel, a few nights |
| One-way air ticket | BDT 65,000-1,20,000 | Season dependent |
A self-funded applicant to one country should budget roughly BDT 2 to 4 lakh before the first tuition instalment, and more if a Delhi trip is involved. The visa fee breakdown has the country-by-country detail.
Proof of funds is a separate number
This is money you show, not money you spend, and it sits alongside the costs above rather than inside them.
| Country | Approximate funds to evidence, per year |
|---|---|
| Hungary | around EUR 6,000 |
| Cyprus | EUR 7,000 |
| Greece | around EUR 7,200 |
| Bulgaria | around EUR 7,440 |
| Finland | EUR 9,600 |
| Italy | EUR 10,179.85 |
| Malta | around EUR 11,400 |
| Sweden | around EUR 960 per month |
| Denmark | around EUR 11,920 |
For many families this is the harder of the two requirements, and it has its own rules about where the money came from and how long it has been there — see proof of funds.
The cost nobody ranks
A lost cycle. One wrong document, one missed January deadline, one expired test score, and the whole plan moves twelve months. Measured against a year of earnings and a year of life, that is by far the largest number in this article, and it is the reason the cheapest country is a bad choice if it is also the one you understand least.
Choosing on cost without regretting it
- 1Decide whether your plan must survive not winning a scholarship. If it must, rank Bulgaria, Italy and Greece above Hungary.
- 2Add the pre-departure table to whatever country total you are considering. Then add the funds you must evidence.
- 3Check part-time work separately — it does not fund a degree anywhere, and the ranking for work explains why.
- 4Run your own numbers in the cost calculator and compare two or three countries side by side on the comparison tool.
Official sources — check for yourself
- Study in Europe — European Commission
- Migri — residence permit prices, Finland
- Study in Italy — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Stipendium Hungaricum
- Cost calculator
Rules and figures change. We review these articles periodically and show the date above, but always confirm the current requirement with the official source before you act on it.
Common questions
Which of the nine countries is genuinely cheapest?+
Hungary has the lowest possible first-year figure, but only for students who win Stipendium Hungaricum. For a self-funded applicant who needs a predictable number, Bulgaria is cheapest at roughly EUR 7,200 to 11,000 for a first year, followed by Greece and Italy.
Does the proof-of-funds amount get spent?+
No. It is money you demonstrate you have, so that the embassy can see you will not run out. It is not paid to the university and it is not part of the first-year total, which is why this article lists it separately.
How much should I budget for costs inside Bangladesh before flying?+
Roughly BDT 2 to 4 lakh for a single country, covering the English test, attestation, translations, police clearance, application and visa fees, courier charges and a one-way ticket. Add from about BDT 35,000 more if the visa is filed in Delhi rather than Dhaka.
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