Engineering and research related professions are undoubtedly some of the most popular in current times, with a significant proportion of our passionate youth opting for these majors in university. Owing to this, almost every major city in the world has well-established educational institutes that offer professional engineering degrees, allowing students to get the vocational training they need, to excel in their careers.

However, like any major decision in one’s life, the decision of choosing which university to go to is something most students contemplate deeply. Money is perhaps the most considered factor when taking this decision. Students need to make sure that they can cover costs like tuition fees, rent, accommodation, and much more, while they study for their degree. In this article, we have compiled a list of the 10 most affordable cities for engineering students. This is based on the online database Numbeo, the Mercer cost of living index, and the QS World Rankings.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The capital of Malaysia, a cosmopolitan hub built on modern lines, is a prime city for those who wish for a quality education at a reasonable price. With top-ranked universities like the University Malaya, 22^nd according to QS for engineering, students can also live under $800/month with cheap accommodation and travel.

Beijing, China

Beijing is the second biggest city in China, offering a diverse culture that has both historical importance and futuristic attributes. This city ranks well on the cost of living index with decent rent and transportation scores and has some top class universities like the Tsinghua University (10^th best for engineering).

Mexico City, Mexico

Known for its rich cultural history, baroque architecture, and a diverse population, Mexico City offers prospective engineering students a combination of affordability and quality education. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México is a top-ranked university that’s renowned for its research-intensive studies. All cost of living indexes indicate that Mexico City has low-cost accommodation as well as cheap foods and transport.

Saint Petersburg, Russia

Situated at the edge of the Neva river, Saint Petersburg is home to a brilliant culture that has much to offer to outsiders. For engineering students, it has relatively cheap accommodation and items of daily use, and of course great universities like the Saint Petersburg State University.

Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town is the best that the continent of Africa has to offer. Sitting right at the point where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet, it boasts captivating beaches. From a student’s point of view, it is highly affordable, with the cost of living index comparable to that of cheap cities like Jeddah and Budapest. The University of Cape Town has a great engineering department with 5+ sub-departments for students.

Taipei, Taiwan

Taipei City is the populous capital of Taiwan, one of the emerging countries of Asia. What you can enjoy as a student there is low rent/property prices and comparatively low costs for groceries and transport. Taiwan’s best university, ranked 76^th best in the world by QS, National Taiwan University, is situated here. With tuition fees around only $2000, it’s very affordable.

Valencia, Spain

Home to the vividly distinct culture of Spain and beautiful geography, Valencia is surely one of the cities that should be on your checklist. For students, Valencia is an ideal city due to its distinct culture and lifestyle. According to QS, the Universidad Politecnico Valencia is the 134^th best institute in the world for engineering, which is a good rank, given the affordability and cultural diversity this city offers.

Berlin, Germany

Germany, also known as the land of ideas, is the perfect study destination for young engineers. With lower costs of living when compared to the European average, its capital Berlin has easily made our list. A student can expect to pass his month with under $1000 and study in prestigious universities like the globally ranked 144^th Technische Universität Berlin.

Turin, Italy

This Italian city is a cultural and business hub, making it a great choice for international students to study in. The estimated cost of living is around $1000/month, which is much less compared to major European centres with a quality education. The best university in Turin is the 33^rd best for engineering worldwide, Politecnico di Torino, offering tuition fees of $1500/month.

Shanghai, China

China’s biggest city is the perfect destination for studying engineering given its educational ranking, natural and man-made attractions, as well as the metropolitan societal structure. The cost of living can be as low as $800/month for students, who can study English-language engineering courses in prestigious universities like Shanghai Jiao Tong University. This university is 62^nd in the QA global ranking, with tuition fees in the $12000/year range.