UK guide · Cost · 4 min read
Cost to study in the UK from Nepal, for a one-year master's, in rupees.
A one-year UK master's costs about Rs 62.7 to Rs 84 lakh on the shortlists we wrote last year: tuition of £15,500 to £26,000, living money for 9 months, the £558 visa and the £776-a-year health surcharge, at the Nepal Rastra Bank rate of 18 Oct 2026. London adds about Rs 6 to 7 lakh in living costs. Because the master's is one year, the whole course often costs less than a two-year master's in Australia.
The short version
- A one-year master's, all in: about Rs 62.7 to Rs 84 lakh before scholarships or part-time pay.
- Tuition on our shortlists: £15,500 to £26,000 a year. University scholarships of £1,000 to £6,000 are common.
- Living money the visa asks for: £1,171 a month outside London, £1,529 in London, for up to 9 months (rising to £1,203 and £1,570 for applications from 30 November 2026).
- The health surcharge is £776 for each year of your visa, and a 1-year master's visa often runs about 16 months.
- Outside London, careful students live close to the visa figure. In London, rent alone takes most of it.
The total, for a one-year master’s
At Rs 202.99 per GBP (18 Oct 2026). Tuition is the range on our shortlists last year.
| Item | GBP | Rupees | Paid to | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | 15,500 to 26,000 | about Rs 31.5 to 52.8 lakh | University | Deposit before the CAS, rest by instalment |
| Living, 9 months outside London (visa figure) | 10,539 | about Rs 21.4 lakh | You spend it | Over the year |
| Student visa | 558 | about Rs 1.13 lakh | Home Office | When you apply |
| Health surcharge, about 1.5 years | about 1,164 | about Rs 2.4 lakh | Home Office | When you apply |
| TB test | USD 60 or NPR 7,800 | about Rs 8,000 to 9,000 | IOM or Norvic | Before you apply |
| Flight, one way | about Rs 70,000 to 1.2 lakh | Airline | After the visa | |
| Total, year 1 | about Rs 62.7 to Rs 84 lakh plus TB test and flight |
The surcharge is £776 for each year of the visa, and part-years are charged by the half-year, so a one-year master’s with a visa of about 16 months is usually charged for 1.5 years. Check the exact figure when you apply.
London or not
| Item | Outside London | London |
|---|---|---|
| Visa living figure, 9 months | £10,539 (about Rs 21.4 lakh) | £13,761 (about Rs 27.9 lakh) |
| From 30 November 2026 | £10,827 | £14,130 |
| Shared room a month, what our students report | £450 to £750 | £800 to £1,200 |
| Travel | Often walkable, or a cheap bus pass | Oyster or contactless, £100 to £180 a month |
London has more part-time jobs, and pays a little more. For most students it doesn’t make up for the rent.
The costs that come later
| Cost | Typical | When |
|---|---|---|
| CAS deposit | Often £3,000 to £6,000 | Counts towards tuition |
| IELTS for UKVI, if your university asks for it | about Rs 36,400 | Before you apply |
| NOC | Rs 2,000 | Before paying the deposit |
| Bank transfer charges | Varies | With each payment |
| Room deposit and first rent | £500 to £1,500 | Before you move in |
| Winter coat, bedding, kitchen basics | £150 to £300 | First weeks |
| Phone and SIM | £10 to £20 a month | First week |
What part-time work covers
At degree level you can work 20 hours a week in term, full-time in official vacations. At the £12.71 National Living Wage (from April 2026, age 21 and over), 20 hours a week is about £1,100 a month before tax: enough for a shared room and food outside London once you find a job. Most students take 3 to 6 weeks to find one. Part-time work in the UK has the rules and the jobs.
Five ways to spend less
- Choose a city outside London. The single biggest saving: often Rs 6 to 7 lakh in the visa figure alone, more in real rent.
- Ask for the scholarship. UK universities on our shortlists gave £1,000 to £6,000 off the first year’s tuition, often automatically for good grades or an early deposit. UK scholarships.
- Pay the deposit early, if there’s a discount. Some universities knock £500 to £1,000 off for early payment.
- Share a room, and cook. Our students who cook most meals spend £150 to £200 a month on food.
- Compare like with like. A one-year master’s at a mid-ranked university in Leeds can cost £6,000 less than a similar course in London.
The London difference, worked out. For the same £18,000 course, the visa asks for £13,761 in London against £10,539 elsewhere: £3,222 more, about Rs 6.5 lakh, before you pay a penny more in real rent. Our students outside London also report rooms about £300 to £450 a month cheaper.
The whole course
Most UK master’s last 12 months, some 16 to 24 months with a placement year. A bachelor’s is usually 3 years (4 in Scotland). For a 3-year bachelor’s outside London, budget about Rs 1.4 to 1.9 crore all in, before scholarships and part-time pay.
Is the UK worth the cost?
For a master’s student who wants a degree quickly and two years of work after, often yes: the Graduate visa gives 2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026 (18 months after that). For a student who needs to bring a spouse, or who wants a long path to settlement, compare Australia and the UK side by side.
