What are some budget-friendly countries for pursuing a Master's in Data Science besides Malta?

Total cost, not just tuition, is what actually determines affordability, and a zero-tuition German university in an expensive city can end up costing more per year than a modestly priced program in Poland or Italy, so it helps to compare all four options on the same basis.

Four Countries Worth Comparing to Malta

• Germany: most public universities charge no tuition beyond a semester contribution, living costs run roughly 900 to 1,200 euros a month, and the country has an especially large selection of English-taught Data Science and AI Masters programs.
• Italy: tuition can depend on your family's documented financial situation, often landing around 1,000 to 4,000 euros a year, with regional scholarships that can cover tuition, accommodation, and sometimes a cash allowance for eligible students.
• France: the standard non-EU Masters fee at many public institutions for 2026-27 is 3,950 euros a year, with a strong research ecosystem and a growing AI and technology sector.
• Poland: Poland's official study portal lists foreign student tuition commonly in the 2,000 to 6,000 euro a year range, with living costs generally lower than Germany, France, or the Netherlands.

How to Prioritise Them for a Tight Budget

If your total budget for the entire Masters is roughly 10 to 15 lakh rupees, investigate Germany first for its near-zero tuition, then Italy for its scholarship potential if you are willing to document family finances, followed by Poland and then France if you want to stay in Western Europe on a defined fixed fee rather than a scholarship-dependent budget.

This Information Is Also Available On

DAAD, cost of education and living in Germany page, and Campus France, tuition fees in France page.

My Advice

In my experience, students fixate on the tuition number alone and then get surprised by a high cost of living city eating into their savings within the first semester. Before you shortlist a country, check the specific city your target university is in, not just the national averages above, since Munich and Frankfurt cost meaningfully more than a mid-sized German city, and the same gap exists between Milan and a smaller Italian university town.