The cost of sending a student to an international school has declined over the past few years in Japan, according to new research by .

The research team ¡ª which aims to help both expat and local parents when choosing international schools for their children ¡ª ranked cities globally and by continent in terms of the price of one full term for a 6-year-old.

According to this year¡¯s numbers, the median price of a Tokyo school decreased by over $2,000 from the survey conducted last year to $15,254 (about ?1.97 million at current exchange rates), shifting the city from 8th to 10th place among Asian cities and regions and from 17th to 20th globally. Since 2019, the median has declined almost $3,000.

The median cost also decreased in the Kansai region ¡ª which includes Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe ¡ª by around $1,300 to $11,196. The area is ranked 14th in Asia and 33rd globally this year.

Meanwhile, the median cost of attending an international school increased or stayed flat in many cities across Asia, with Chinese cities being a mainstay at the top of the rankings.

of 24 cities and regions in 13 Asian countries, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou emerged as the top four most expensive cities. Beijing and Shanghai are ranked second and third with median costs of $36,243 and $34,126, respectively, putting them in between New York and the San Francisco Bay Area, which are first and fourth at $43,100 and $31,148, respectively.

Although still expensive, the decline in cost may be attributed to the yen¡¯s weak exchange rate and an increase in international school options both in Japan and across the globe.

That may have some parents thinking the time is ripe to enroll their children in what¡¯s historically been a rather exclusive education space.

But for parents looking for even cheaper options in Asia, they¡¯ll have to look south.

Cities in Malaysia, Cambodia and Thailand had the three least expensive schools in the rankings this year. The Malaysian city of Ipoh hosts the least expensive school in both the Asian and global rankings, with a maximum cost of just over $3,000 for a full term.

The research provided by the International Schools Database included only cities that are home to seven or more international schools and where 25% or more of the schools had publicly available tuition information. The costs do not include initial fees and tuition-free schools were not considered.