New Zealand or UK: Which Is Better for Study? Nepali Guide
Compare New Zealand and UK tuition, living costs, funds rules, post-study work and dependant rules — with the figures Nepali families actually need.
The short answer
If you want a lower published tuition fee, a longer post-study work period after a master's, and the option of bringing family, New Zealand is the stronger choice for most Nepali students right now. If you want a one-year master's, a wider choice of cheap regional cities, and the ability to finish and start working sooner, the UK is the stronger choice — but only if you are single, because for a taught master's starting on or after 1 January 2024 a partner or child is not permitted at all.
That dependant rule decides the question for a large share of married applicants before any fee comparison starts. Settle it first, then compare numbers.
Tuition: compare like with like
The two systems price differently. New Zealand universities often quote per 120 points (one full-time year of study), while polytechnics quote a course or annual fee. UK universities quote a full programme fee for a taught master's and a per-year fee for a bachelor's. Read the unit on every line below — per year and total are not the same thing.
New Zealand tuition (international)
| Institution | City | Published international fee |
|---|---|---|
| University of Auckland | Auckland | NZ$51,020 /120pt |
| University of Otago | Dunedin | NZ$42,840–$46,200 /yr by major |
| University of Waikato | Hamilton | NZ$40,165 /yr |
| University of Canterbury | Christchurch | NZ$39,590 /120pt |
| AUT | Auckland | NZ$38,700 +$1,260 levy |
| Massey University | Auckland / Manawatū / Wellington | NZ$38,080 |
| Victoria University of Wellington | Wellington | NZ$37,546 (2026, 120pt) |
| UP Education (UoAIC) Foundation | Auckland | NZ$36,830 (Foundation) |
| Lincoln University | Lincoln | NZ$35,000 /yr |
| Wintec | Hamilton | NZ$26,600 |
| Ara Institute of Canterbury | Christchurch | NZ$26,572 |
| EIT | Hawke's Bay | NZ$26,000 |
| Otago Polytechnic | Dunedin | NZ$23,400 (scholarship applied) |
| SIT | Invercargill | NZ$20,800 /yr |
Toi Ohomai and Yoobee do not publish a single comparable figure in our data — both are marked "verify", so ask for a written fee quote before you commit. Otago Polytechnic's NZ$23,400 is the figure with a scholarship already applied; confirm you qualify for it rather than assuming it.
UK tuition
| Course level | Institution | Fee | London? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master's | Bradford, classroom-based | £15,700 | No |
| Master's | UCB Band 1 | £17,500 | No |
| Master's | Keele Band 1 (business/MBA) | £18,200 | No |
| Master's | Ulster, standard taught masters | £18,310 | No |
| Master's | Huddersfield MA/MSc | £18,700 | No |
| Master's | Huddersfield London MSc | £18,700 | Yes |
| Master's | London Met (from) | £20,000 | Yes |
| Master's | Gloucestershire Band A | £20,190 | No |
| Bachelor's (per year) | UCB Band 1 | £16,500 | No |
| Bachelor's (per year) | Bradford, classroom-based | £16,100 | No |
| Bachelor's (per year) | Ulster | £17,490 | No |
| Bachelor's (per year) | Huddersfield | £17,600 | No |
| Bachelor's (per year) | UCA (2026/27) | £18,000 | No |
| Bachelor's (per year) | Exeter science/engineering | £31,200 | No |
| Foundation | UCB International Foundation Diploma | £11,000 | No |
| Foundation Certificate | UoLIC (Business/Law/Social Sci) | £22,640 | No |
| Pre-Master's | UoLIC (Business/Economics/Finance) | £25,210 | No |
The catch families miss: a UK taught master's fee is for the whole course, but a UK bachelor's fee is per year and you pay it again each year. Compare a three-year UK bachelor's against a three-year New Zealand programme accordingly.
Living costs
New Zealand, by city
| City | Monthly living cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | NZ$3,662 | Highest in NZ; UoA/AUT/Massey area |
| Wellington | NZ$3,200 | VUW area; expensive but compact |
| Christchurch | NZ$2,800 | UC area; mid-range |
| Hamilton | NZ$2,700 | Waikato/Wintec area |
| Dunedin | NZ$2,500 | Otago; affordable student town |
| Palmerston North | NZ$2,500 | Massey HQ |
| Lincoln | NZ$2,500 | Lincoln Uni village |
| Tauranga | NZ$2,300 | Toi Ohomai region |
| Hawke's Bay | NZ$2,300 | EIT region |
| Invercargill | NZ$1,950 | SIT — cheapest in NZ |
Choosing Invercargill over Auckland changes your monthly budget more than any scholarship most students will win. Quote both figures to your parents side by side and let them do the maths.
UK, by city
The Home Office maintenance minimum is £1,483 per month in London and £1,136 per month outside London. The realistic cost is a separate number:
| Area | Visa minimum | Realistic | Room rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | £1,483/month | £1,300 – £1,900/month | £800 – £1,300/month |
| Manchester | £1,136/month | £950 – £1,350/month | £550 – £850/month |
| Birmingham | £1,136/month | £900 – £1,300/month | £500 – £800/month |
| Belfast / Coleraine / Derry | £1,136/month | £800 – £1,150/month | £400 – £700/month |
| Bradford / Huddersfield | £1,136/month | £800 – £1,150/month | £400 – £650/month |
| Liverpool | £1,136/month | £850 – £1,200/month | £450 – £700/month |
| Cheltenham / Gloucester | £1,136/month | £850 – £1,250/month | £450 – £750/month |
| Plymouth / Exeter / Cornwall | £1,136/month | £900 – £1,300/month | £500 – £850/month |
| Farnham / Canterbury / Epsom / Rochester | £1,136/month | £950 – £1,400/month | £550 – £900/month |
In London the visa floor and the real cost are close — that is the one place the official figure is roughly honest. Elsewhere, check which campus your offer names: Epsom and Farnham sit inside London's cost shadow without being London for visa purposes.
Money you must show, and the rules that cause refusals
UK
Maintenance is nine months maximum regardless of course length, and it is in addition to the tuition shown on your CAS.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Maintenance — London | £1,483/month, max 9 months = £13,347 |
| Maintenance — outside London | £1,136/month, max 9 months = £10,224 |
| Student visa application (outside the UK) | £558 |
| Extend / switch inside the UK | £558 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge | £1,035 per year of stay |
| TB test | £65 |
| Graduate visa application, later, if taken | £937 + IHS £1,035/yr |
The money must sit in the account for 28 consecutive days, and the end of that 28-day period must be within 31 days of the visa application date. Financial evidence is the most common point of refusal — the 28-day rule, the 31-day window, and the requirement that the account be in the student's or a permitted sponsor's name. Prepare bank statements around the application date, not months in advance. A TB certificate from a UKVI-approved clinic is required for Nepalese applicants on courses longer than six months; book it before you apply.
New Zealand
For New Zealand, our planner works from these figures by family type. Confirm the current official requirement before you lodge anything.
| Family type | Living-cost multiplier | Funds figure (NZ$) | Partner (NZ$) | Child (NZ$) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single student | 1 | 20,000 | — | — |
| Couple (no kids) | 1.5 | 20,000 | 7,400 | — |
| Couple + 1 child | 1.7 | 20,000 | 7,400 | 3,200 |
| Couple + 2 kids | 1.9 | 20,000 | 7,400 | 6,400 |
The multiplier is applied to the city living cost in the table above. Use the Master Reckoner to see the result for your city and family size rather than doing it on paper.
After the degree
New Zealand post-study work length in our data, by qualification:
| Qualification | Years |
|---|---|
| Master's | 3 |
| Bachelor's | 3 |
| Postgraduate Diploma | 1 |
| Graduate Diploma | 1 |
| Diploma | 2 |
| Foundation | 0 |
Note the zero. A foundation programme on its own gives no post-study work in New Zealand — it is a step to a degree, not a destination.
For the UK, three things have tightened since 2024: dependants are gone for taught master's, the Graduate Route drops to 18 months for anyone applying from 1 January 2027, and the Skilled Worker salary floor is now well above the median graduate wage. Plan for the version of the rules that will apply when you finish, not the one that applied to a cousin who went in 2021.
Working while you study
In the UK, permitted hours depend on the course level and whether it is term-time or vacation. The gov.uk Student visa page sets this per case, so confirm against your specific CAS rather than assuming the familiar 20-hour figure. Work is paid at the National Living Wage of £12.71/hour (21 and over, from 1 April 2026). It helps with living costs. It does not pay UK tuition, and a family that budgets on it doing so has mis-budgeted.
How to choose
- Married with a spouse or child? A UK taught MSc, MA or MBA does not allow them. Only a PhD or other doctorate (RQF level 8), a research-based higher degree, or government sponsorship on a course over six months qualifies. New Zealand publishes partner and child figures, so start there.
- Budget-led and single? Compare Bradford's £15,700 master's plus £10,224 maintenance against SIT at NZ$20,800 /yr plus Invercargill at NZ$1,950 a month. Write both columns out; do not merge them.
- Want three years of post-study work after a master's? That is New Zealand's clearest advantage in this data.
- Want to finish fastest? A UK taught master's is one course fee, not a per-year fee.
Start with the New Zealand hub for institution-by-institution detail, run your own numbers in the Master Reckoner, and read the rest of the country guides on the blog.
Common questions
Can I take my wife and children to the UK on a master's?
Not on a taught master's starting on or after 1 January 2024. A partner or child is permitted only if the course is a PhD or other doctorate (RQF level 8) or a research-based higher degree, or if you are a government-sponsored student on a course longer than six months. Raise this at your first counselling meeting — finding out late is what destroys plans.
Is New Zealand cheaper than the UK overall?
It depends entirely on the two cities and the two institutions you compare, not on the countries. SIT at NZ$20,800 /yr in Invercargill (NZ$1,950 a month living) is a different world from the University of Auckland at NZ$51,020 /120pt in Auckland (NZ$3,662 a month). On the UK side, Bradford at £15,700 for a master's with £1,136/month maintenance is the low end; London Met from £20,000 with £1,483/month is not.
What is the most common reason a UK student visa is refused for Nepali applicants?
Financial evidence. The maintenance amount must be held for 28 consecutive days, the end of that period must be within 31 days of the application date, and the account must be in your name or a permitted sponsor's name. If a sponsor is funding you, you also need relationship evidence, a consent letter and their bank statements.
Does a foundation programme count towards post-study work in New Zealand?
No. In our data, Foundation carries zero years of post-study work, while a master's or bachelor's carries three and a diploma carries two. A foundation year is a route into a degree, so budget for the full pathway — foundation fee plus the degree fee — not just the first stage.
Official sources
- University of Auckland — international fees
- AUT — international student fees
- University of Canterbury — international tuition fees
- Victoria University of Wellington — international fees
- Massey University — tuition fees
- University of Waikato — international tuition costs
- University of Otago — international tuition fees
- Lincoln University — international fees
- Ara Institute of Canterbury — international fees
- EIT — international fees
- Otago Polytechnic — international fees table
- SIT — international fees
Fees and rules change. Confirm every figure on the institution's own page and the relevant government page before you pay a deposit or lodge an application.