Dubai: Sending a child to school in Dubai continues to strain household budgets, with school fees costing some parents more than Dh60,000 per year, according to the latest data.
Edarabia, which regularly monitors education costs, said consumers shell out between Dh12,733 and Dh64,093 annually on tuition fees alone.
The amount does not include other expenses, such as admission charges, transportation, school uniforms and books.
However, the majority of the students, approximately 57.5 per cent, spend less than Dh20,000 a year on tuition, and if they do a bit of research, they will find cheaper options in certain locations.
According to the study, Deira is the cheapest place for students, with school fees averaging nearly Dh13,000.
Muhaisnah or Al Qusais is second on the list for the budget-conscious, followed by Al Karama, with rates in both locations averaging nearly Dh16,000. In Mirdif or Al Rashidiya, the rates can go up to Dh30,731.
For the rest of Dubai, fees can get costlier, hitting more than Dh31,000 to Dh64,000 a year, with the costliest schools located in Nad Al Sheba and Springs/Meadows/Greens.
Dubai is home to at least 185 private schools with more than 273,000 students.
According to an earlier study by HSBC, parents in the country fork out an average of $99,378 (Dh365,025) to cover the cost of a child’s education in the UAE, from primary to university.
The aggregate cost, which covers tuition, educational books, transport and accommodation, is the second highest in the world.
5 cheapest areas for schools:
1. Deira : Dh12,733
2. Al Qusais/ Muhaisnah: Dh15,652
3. Al Karama: Dh15,895
4. Mirdif/ Al Rashidiya: 30,731
5. Al Quoz: 32,996
5 costliest areas for schools:
1. Nad Al Sheba: Dh64,093
2. Springs/Meadows/ Greens: Dh59,307
3. Jumeirah Village Circle: Dh58,910
4. Arabian Ranches: Dh58,409
5. Umm Suqeim: Dh55,175
School fees in other locations:
Discovery Gardens/ Jebel Ali: Dh41,189]
Bur Dubai: Dh34,999
Jumeirah: Dh42,017
Motor City: Dh41,711
DIP/ Green Community: Dh41,712
Dubai Silicon Oasis/ Academic City: Dh47,827
Al Barsha: Dh54,285
Dubai Sports City: Dh53,947
Al Sufouh: Dh40,820