University Cost Calculator (South Africa)
Work out the real, all-in cost of studying for a year – tuition, residence, food, transport and everything else. Pick your city and living setup for sensible starting figures, then adjust anything to match your plan.
Reviewed: July 2026
Estimate only. Tuition varies a lot by university and course – enter your own figure from the institution’s fee
booklet. The living-cost figures are editable 2026 starting estimates, not exact quotes. Check final costs with your
university and residence.
Your study setup
Typical: humanities R35k-50k, commerce/law R55k-70k, health/private R70k-95k.
Tuitionper yearR0
AccommodationR0
Food & groceriesR0
TransportR0
Data & airtimeR0
Personal & otherR0
Books & devicesper yearR0
Cost per monthR0
Total for the yearR0
Funding tip: If you get NSFAS, it covers tuition, residence and a set of allowances – your out-of-pocket cost can drop close to zero.
Check if you qualify with the NSFAS eligibility checker.
If you do not qualify, the total above is roughly what you or your family need to budget.
What drives the cost
- Tuition is the biggest variable – the same degree can cost R35,000 at one university and R70,000 at another. Always use your own institution’s figure.
- Residence is the next biggest. Catered residence costs more than self-catering, and living at home cuts it out entirely (but adds transport).
- Cape Town is generally the most expensive city to live in; Durban and smaller towns the least.
- The academic year is about 10 months, so monthly living costs are counted over 10 months, not 12, unless you stay year-round.
- Budget a cushion of 10-15% for price rises, emergencies and once-off registration or ID fees.
Note: Living-cost figures are general 2026 estimates drawn from published student-cost guides and university
residence fees, and are fully editable. Tuition is user-supplied. This tool is a budgeting guide, not a quote. Reviewed July 2026.
