Can you suggest a budget for studying a master's degree in Canada including tuition fees and living expenses?

Studying abroad in Canada for a master's program typically costs CAD 29,000 - 68,000 per year, depending on your university, city, and lifestyle.

Key expenses include:
- Tuition fees: CAD 18,000 - 50,000/year (varies by program and university)
- Living expenses: CAD 10,000 - 15,000/year (includes accommodation, food, transport, utilities)
- Health insurance: CAD 600 - 1,200/year (required for international students)
- Visa and application fees: CAD 235 - 335 (study permit, biometrics, university applications)
- Books and supplies: CAD 500 - 1,500/year
- Miscellaneous: Variable (mobile, personal, entertainment)

These costs are typical and subject to change. Scholarships and part-time work (allowed on a student visa) can help manage your budget.

The typical annual budget for studying in Canada as an international student is CAD 40,000 - 75,000/year for undergraduate programs and CAD 40,000 - 60,000/year for master’s programs. This includes both tuition fees and living expenses.

- Tuition fees: CAD 15,000 - 45,000/year (undergraduate), CAD 15,000 - 30,000/year (master’s)
- Living expenses: CAD 18,000 - 30,000/year (actual), with a minimum proof of CAD 23,000/year required by the government
- Other costs: Study permit fee (about CAD 150), health insurance (CAD 75 - 200/month), books and supplies (CAD 1,500 - 3,000/year)

These figures are subject to change and can vary by university, city, and lifestyle.

Your total cost for a Canadian master's depends heavily on the university, program and city you choose, so plan tuition and living expenses as two separate line items. National average international graduate tuition runs close to CAD 24,000 a year, though individual programs vary widely from this figure.

Typical Annual Master's Budget in Canada

One Time Costs to Add Separately

• Application fees: about CAD 100 to 250 per university.
• Flight from India: roughly CAD 800 to 1,500.
• Winter clothing and setup: CAD 300 to 800 plus a CAD 1,000 to 3,000 housing deposit.
• Laptop, books and supplies: CAD 1,000 to 2,000.

My Advice

In my experience, students who target smaller cities such as Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Atlantic Canada, rather than Toronto or Vancouver, can cut their living budget by close to a third without changing the degree's value. Ask each shortlisted university for its exact current fee schedule before you finalise your loan or blocked funds amount.

Canada's national average tuition figure hides a large provincial spread, and that spread is often a bigger lever on your total cost than the difference between two universities within the same province.

Why Tuition Swings So Much by Province

• National average, 2025 to 26: CAD 24,028 for international graduate tuition.
• Manitoba: around CAD 13,556, among the lowest provincial averages.
• Alberta: around CAD 16,990.
• British Columbia: around CAD 26,607.
• Ontario: around CAD 28,624, among the highest provincial averages.

Beyond tuition, a typical annual budget adds rent and utilities of roughly CAD 10,000 to 18,000, food and groceries of roughly CAD 4,000 to 6,000, transport of roughly CAD 1,000 to 2,000, and health insurance plus personal expenses of roughly CAD 2,000 to 4,000, bringing most students to a total of roughly CAD 35,000 to 60,000 a year depending on province and city.

Living Costs and the New Proof-of-Funds Rule

For study permit applications made on or after 1 September 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada requires a single student outside Quebec to demonstrate CAD 23,448 for one year's living expenses, on top of tuition and transportation costs. This is a financial capacity requirement for your visa file, not necessarily what you will actually spend, but it is a useful floor to budget against. The study permit application fee itself is currently CAD 150.

Budgeting for the Full 2-Year Program

Using the annual range above, a 2 year master's works out to roughly CAD 70,000 to 90,000 total at a lower-cost university and province, CAD 90,000 to 120,000 for a typical case, and CAD 120,000 to 140,000 or more at an expensive university in a major city. Converting at an illustrative rate of around Rs 65 per CAD, a CAD 90,000 to 120,000 total lands around Rs 58.5 to 78 lakh, though your actual cost in rupees will depend on the exchange rate at the time you pay.

This Information Is Also Available On

Statistics Canada (tuition fees report for 2025 to 26), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (study permit proof of financial support requirements).

My Advice

Weigh the province as heavily as the specific university when you shortlist, since the roughly CAD 15,000 gap between Manitoba and Ontario's average tuition alone is larger than many scholarships you would otherwise spend months applying for, and a lower cost-of-living province can meaningfully change your total 2 year budget.