Australia’s most expensive cities for schooling revealed

Melbourne is the most expensive city for public school education, new research has found. (Source: Getty)

Melbourne is the most expensive city for public school education in Australia, while Sydney is the most expensive city for private school education.

Futurity Investment Group’s Cost of Education Index found it would cost $102,807 to send your child to public school in Melbourne over 13 years, based on a child starting school in 2023.

This is 17 per cent above the national metro average ($87,528), and well above Sydney ($89,500) and Brisbane ($80,419) prices.

• Also read: Back-to-school: Parents share top money-saving tips

• Also read: Cost of living forcing kids out of private schools

• Also read: $150 back-to-school boost for every NSW student

According to the research, school fees make up just 5 per cent of the total cost of public school education in Melbourne, with the remaining 95 per cent spent on ancillary costs.

Futurity Investment Group executive Kate Hill said the total cost of education in Australia had increased at nearly double the rate of inflation over the past decade.

“School fees, outside tuition, school camps, transport, uniforms, electronic devices and sports equipment are demanding a far greater share of the family budget than in the past,” Hill said.

“More than ever, the costs associated with education are placing more of a burden on Australian families, who are already stretched by the spiralling cost of living and rising interest rates.

“With less discretionary money to spend, it’s going to be a challenge for some families to pay for education.”

Sydney is the most expensive city to send your child to private school, costing $357,931 over 13 years. This is 19 per cent, or $57,698, above the national metro average of $300,233.

Meanwhile, Canberra is the most expensive city for Catholic education, with a total cost of $197,667 over 13 years - 7 per cent above the national average of $184,545.

How much does Australian schooling cost?

In Australian metro areas, the average cost of public school education is $87,528, Catholic education is $184,545 and private school education is $300,233, according to Futurity Investment Group’s estimates.

Here’s a breakdown of each Aussie city.

Canberra is the cheapest city for public education, while Perth is the cheapest for private school education. (Source: Futurity Investment Group)

Follow Yahoo Finance on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter, and subscribe to our free daily newsletter.