Where Can Families Find Great Schools for Less?
Key Takeaways:
- Taiwan and Japan offer some of the best value for education, combining top-three PISA scores with estimated monthly family budgets below $4,000.
- Singapore leads in academic performance with a score of 553, but its estimated monthly family budget exceeds $8,100.
- Poland, Lithuania, and Türkiye offer above-median academic performance at relatively affordable living costs.
Where can families find strong education systems without facing some of the world’s highest living costs?
This visualization, created by Valerii Emelianov, compares academic performance across 67 countries and economies using the OECD’s PISA 2025 results and estimated monthly living expenses from Numbeo.
The budget assumes a family of four renting a three-bedroom apartment outside the city center, excluding school tuition. Countries toward the upper-left of the chart combine stronger academic performance with lower estimated living costs.
Which Countries Offer the Best Education for the Money?
The following table ranks countries by their average mathematics, reading, and science scores, alongside estimated monthly family budgets. Data comes from the OECD’s PISA 2025 Results (Volume I), Table I.B1.2, and Numbeo.
| Country | PISA 2025 Average Score | Monthly Family Budget (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | 552.55 | 8,162 |
| Taiwan | 531.23 | 3,727 |
| Japan | 521.89 | 3,866 |
| South Korea | 516.32 | 4,711 |
| Estonia | 511.42 | 4,393 |
| United Kingdom | 497.72 | 5,673 |
| New Zealand | 495.35 | 5,088 |
| Canada | 495.07 | 5,543 |
| Ireland | 493.31 | 6,681 |
| Australia | 492.5 | 6,082 |
| Switzerland | 490.15 | 9,051 |
| Poland | 486.91 | 3,671 |
| United States | 484.65 | 5,925 |
| Finland | 482.45 | 5,267 |
| Austria | 480.44 | 5,641 |
| Czechia | 478.59 | 4,136 |
| Belgium | 478.57 | 5,314 |
| Türkiye | 475.97 | 3,163 |
| Italy | 475.01 | 4,750 |
| Lithuania | 474.09 | 3,758 |
| Sweden | 471.93 | 5,090 |
| Germany | 471.54 | 5,330 |
| Netherlands | 470.02 | 6,229 |
| Denmark | 469.39 | 6,219 |
| Portugal | 467.9 | 4,171 |
| France | 465.8 | 5,101 |
| Slovakia | 463.98 | 3,879 |
| Hungary | 463.9 | 3,690 |
| Slovenia | 462.77 | 4,312 |
| Spain | 461.98 | 4,243 |
| Croatia | 461.66 | 4,015 |
| Luxembourg | 458.38 | 7,199 |
| Norway | 458.26 | 6,953 |
| Latvia | 452.85 | 3,731 |
| United Arab Emirates | 447.82 | 5,394 |
| Iceland | 437.8 | 8,688 |
| Israel | 437.07 | 6,904 |
| Malta | 435.41 | 4,960 |
| Vietnam | 430.71 | 2,132 |
| Greece | 426.93 | 3,980 |
| Chile | 426.89 | 2,967 |
| Albania | 425.03 | 3,258 |
| Uruguay | 424.21 | 4,163 |
| Qatar | 422.86 | 5,233 |
| Montenegro | 421.54 | 3,519 |
| Serbia | 420.11 | 3,141 |
| Romania | 418.93 | 2,953 |
| Moldova | 411.93 | 2,921 |
| Thailand | 410.28 | 2,853 |
| Georgia | 407.55 | 2,900 |
| Kazakhstan | 406.02 | 2,863 |
| Bulgaria | 404.17 | 3,163 |
| Malaysia | 403.13 | 2,417 |
| Mexico | 403.03 | 3,650 |
| Azerbaijan | 401.51 | 2,418 |
| Cyprus | 400.8 | 5,102 |
| Colombia | 397.84 | 3,579 |
| Brazil | 397.77 | 2,535 |
| Saudi Arabia | 396.87 | 3,511 |
| Peru | 392.73 | 2,445 |
| Argentina | 382.82 | 3,223 |
| Indonesia | 372.59 | 1,913 |
| North Macedonia | 371.91 | 2,452 |
| Philippines | 370.29 | 2,151 |
| Armenia | 364.24 | 3,444 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 356.91 | 2,282 |
| Morocco | 344.62 | 2,171 |
Taiwan and Japan stand out for combining strong academic results with relatively affordable living costs. Both outperform most countries in the ranking while costing less than half as much as Singapore, the highest-scoring education system.
East Asia Leads in Academic Performance
East Asian education systems dominate the upper end of the rankings, with Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea occupying the top four positions.
However, living costs vary considerably among these countries. South Korea’s estimated monthly family budget of $4,711 is higher than Taiwan’s ($3,727) and Japan’s ($3,866), highlighting the differences in affordability even among top-performing education systems.
Japan’s strong results are especially evident in international science performance. The National Center on Education and the Economy also recognizes Japan and Singapore for their consistently strong education systems.
Europe Offers Several Affordable Alternatives
In Europe, Poland scores 487 points with an estimated monthly family budget of $3,671, while Lithuania scores 474 at $3,758. Türkiye is another relatively affordable option, scoring 476 at $3,163.
Meanwhile, the UK, Ireland, and Estonia perform strongly but have higher living costs. Ireland’s overall school score also reflect its established strength in reading performance.
North America is comparatively expensive. Canada scores 495 with a monthly budget of $5,543, while the U.S. scores 485 at $5,925.
What Do PISA Scores Actually Measure?
PISA assesses how well 15-year-old students apply mathematics, reading, and science knowledge to real-world problems. It provides a useful international benchmark but does not measure every aspect of school quality.
Other assessments, including the World Top 20 education rankings, consider factors such as graduation rates, enrollment, and educational access.
For families considering a move abroad, language of instruction, school availability, educational equity, and local enrollment requirements also matter. The estimated budgets exclude school tuition, which could substantially affect affordability for families requiring private or international schools.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
For another perspective on international education, explore Canada Is University Grads’ Dream Destination on Voronoi, examining Canada’s appeal to university graduates.