← Back to blog · 25 May 2026

Dubai vs London vs Singapore vs Hong Kong: What Relocating Families Actually Pay

If you're relocating, school fees are typically the second-biggest line in the budget after housing. Compared head-to-head with London, Singapore, and Hong Kong, Dubai sits roughly in the middle on premium-tier fees and substantially below on entry-level — but the picture changes once you adjust for what's actually included.

Dubai today: the data

• Median private school fee: AED 38,742 / year (≈ £8,422 / $10,556).
• Premium-tier average (40-80K/yr band): AED 63,598 / year (≈ £13,826 / $17,329).
• Elite-tier average (80K+/yr): AED 86,085 / year (≈ £18,714 / $23,456).

These figures cover tuition only. Extras (registration, uniforms, bus, exam fees) add another 10-25% depending on usage.

London: the comparator most expats actually know

UK day-school fees published in the ISC 2024-25 census average around £20,500 per year for senior schools across the UK, rising to roughly £28,500 in London. Top-tier London day schools (Westminster, St Paul's, Latymer, King's Wimbledon) are now £30,000-£35,000 per year. Boarding is £45,000+.

So:

• Median Dubai (AED 38,742 ≈ £8,422) is roughly 1/3 of an average London day school.
• Premium-tier Dubai (AED 63,598 ≈ £13,826) sits at roughly 40-50% of London top-tier day fees.
• Elite-tier Dubai (AED 86,085 ≈ £18,714) roughly matches London top day-school fees — and you get sun, bilingual environments, and (often) more facilities for the money.

Singapore: the closer comparator

Singapore international school fees published for 2024-25 average S$36,000-44,000 per year for entry-level international schools (UWC, SAS, Tanglin), rising to S$48,000-52,000 at top-tier (Dulwich, SJI International senior years). In AED that's roughly AED 99-145K per year — broadly equivalent to Dubai's Luxury and Elite tiers.

The difference: in Singapore, even a parent on a typical expat package will sit firmly in this band because there's no "Dubai-style budget tier" of well-rated schools at AED 20-30K/yr. Singapore's regulated international-school market has a higher floor and a similar ceiling.

Hong Kong: similar fees, very different floor

Hong Kong international school fees (ESF schools, Harrow, Kellett, Chinese International) sit in the HK$180,000-270,000 per year range — roughly AED 84-127K. So Hong Kong's typical fees overlap directly with Dubai's premium and elite tiers. But:

• Debentures. Most Hong Kong international schools require a corporate or individual debenture of HK$2-5M to secure a place. That capital sits with the school for the duration. Dubai has nothing comparable.
• Waitlists are years, not months. Top Hong Kong international schools (Harrow HK, Kellett) have multi-year wait. Dubai's even-most-popular schools rarely waitlist longer than 12 months.

The four-city ranking, normalized

The hidden delta: housing

School fees don't sit in isolation. The combined "kids + housing" line in a relocating family's budget tells the real story. A typical 3-bed compound villa within reasonable commute of a Dubai school costs roughly AED 250K-450K per year (£54K-£98K). A comparable 4-bed family home within zone for a top London day school is £80K-£200K rent. Singapore and Hong Kong are between, leaning Hong Kong.

So the practical relocation math:

• Dubai's competitive advantage on the bill is at the bottom and middle of the school-fee market, not the top. AED 30K/yr at a Very Good Dubai school does not have a London equivalent.
• At the top end, Dubai is competitive but not dramatically cheap. A child at an elite Dubai school plus the family in a premium villa is in the same order of magnitude as London Zone 1-3 + a top day school. Sun and tax matter; fees per se are a wash.

Sources and methodology

Dubai figures: this site's database of 240 private schools. London: ISC 2024-25 census. Singapore: published fee schedules from SAS, Tanglin Trust, UWC, Dulwich, SJI International. Hong Kong: ESF, Harrow HK, Kellett, Chinese International School fee schedules 2024-25. FX rates as of May 2026.