Kindergarten fees vary widely in Ho Chi Minh City

As the 2026-27 school year begins, many parents in Ho Chi Minh City are taking stock of how much they will need to spend each year on preschool education.

According to Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper’s findings, costs vary significantly depending on the type of school, curriculum and additional services selected by parents.

At public preschools, children are exempt from tuition fees, but parents still have to cover meals, full-day care services and a number of other expenses.

Meanwhile, annual tuition and related fees can run into hundreds of millions of Vietnamese dong at private, bilingual and international preschools.

Starting from the 2025-26 school year, kindergarteners nationwide have been exempt from tuition fees.

However, in Ho Chi Minh City, parents still pay for meals, drinking water, breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks, as well as other services agreed upon with schools.

The principal of a kindergarten in Xuan Hoa Ward said that breakfast costs around VND16,000-20,000 ($0.6-0.8) per child per day, while lunch and afternoon snacks cost some VND40,000-45,000 ($1.5-1.7) per day.

“A child attends school for about 20 days a month and nine months a year. Depending on whether the school is located in the city center or the outskirts, food expenses amount to roughly VND10-12 million ($383-459) or more per child per school year,” the principal said.

Parents of children at public preschools must also pay for other services, including organization, care, management and sanitation services for full-day programs, breakfast services and childcare staff.

On average, these expenses amount to less than VND1 million ($38.3) per child per month, or less than VND9 million ($344) for a nine-month school year.

Tuoi Tre also found that parents may have to pay for English familiarization programs.

Preschool children at public schools can take part in introductory English programs offered by partner organizations, with fees varying from several tens of thousands of Vietnamese dong to more than VND200,000($7.6) per child per month.

At a rate of VND250,000 ($9.6) per month, the annual cost would be some VND2.25 million ($86) per child.

Some kindergartens also offer extracurricular clubs for children.

Parents who voluntarily enroll their children in activities such as gymkids, aerobics, martial arts or drawing typically pay around VND90,000-120,000 ($3.4-4.6) per month.

There are also expenses for uniforms and school activities.

These costs amount to at least around VND2 million ($76) per school year.

Private preschool costs can exceed $13,415 a year

At private preschools in Ho Chi Minh City that follow the Ministry of Education and Training’s preschool curriculum, typical fees range from VND6 million to VND8 million ($230-306) per child per month, or VND72-96 million ($2,760-3,680) per child over 12 months.

Kindergartens offering bilingual or international programs are considerably more expensive.

Ngoc Minh, a parent living in the Thao Dien area, shared that her child, who is of nursery-school age, attends a private bilingual preschool located in an apartment complex.

Tuition is nearly VND12 million ($460) a month, and when food, facility fees and other expenses are included, the family spends nearly VND180 million ($6,900) a year over 12 months.

Since the beginning of the 2026-27 school year, many non-public preschools in Ho Chi Minh City have published their tuition and fee schedules on their official websites.

Singapore International School, for example, has announced fees for different kindergarten programs ranging from VND280 million to more than VND358 million ($10,720-13,710) a year.

At some other international preschools, annual fees range from some VND165 million to VND200 million ($6,320-7,666).

Some international preschools also offer short-term childcare services for parents with demanding schedules.

One school, for instance, advertises short-term daily care for preschool and nursery-age children at a cost of less than VND2 million (76) per day.

At private preschools, the cost of childcare can be considerably lower.

Hai Yen Kindergarten on Ba Huyen Thanh Quan Street, for example, charges around VND350,000 ($13.4) for a day of short-term childcare.