Articles · English
How much does an English course cost? Understanding prices and planning your budget
The question of price comes up in almost every first conversation, and rightly so. But the price per lesson on its own tells you little about what reaching your goal will cost in the end. In this article, I show which factors determine the price, how to compare offers fairly and how to calculate a realistic total budget.
Łukasz Pakuła · Updated: 8 November 2026 · English courses online
How much does an English course cost? The short answer
An English course costs the price per lesson multiplied by the number of lessons you need to reach your goal. The price per lesson depends on the format, the teacher’s qualifications and what is included. The number of lessons depends on your starting level, your goal and how much you practise between lessons. Both factors together determine your real cost.
Many people compare only the first factor, yet the second often has a bigger impact on the total cost. A cheap course in which you hardly speak takes more hours to reach your goal than a more expensive course with a lot of speaking time. That is why I recommend looking not for the cheapest hourly rate, but for the best ratio of price to learning progress.
Prices at choices®
To give you a concrete reference point: individuals learn with us from €49.99 incl. VAT per 45-minute lesson. For companies, prices start from €40 net plus VAT per 45-minute lesson. The exact price depends on the format and the number of lessons and is set after the first consultation. You will find all formats on our page English courses online.
What determines the price of an English course?
Five main factors determine the price of an English course: the format (one-to-one, pair or group), the teachers’ qualifications and selection, a level assessment with a learning plan, materials and platform, and any exam preparation. On top of these come contract terms such as duration, cancellation rules and scheduling flexibility, which affect the price you actually pay.
| Cost factor | What it does | What to look out for |
|---|---|---|
| Format | one-to-one costs most per lesson, groups cost less per person | compare the price per person and the share of speaking time |
| Teacher | trained, experienced teachers come at a price | teaching qualifications, experience with adults, selection process |
| Level assessment | a test plus a conversation takes time but saves hours spent at the wrong level | is the assessment included or charged separately? |
| Materials and platform | textbooks, licences, learning platform | included in the price or extra? |
| Exam | exam preparation adds lessons; you pay the exam fee to the exam centre | look at preparation and the exam separately |
| Flexibility | free choice of times and short-notice rescheduling are valuable | check cancellation deadlines and whether lesson packages expire |
Why the teacher is the biggest lever
From my experience of training teachers: two lessons with different teachers can cost the same and achieve completely different results. A good teacher spots your recurring mistakes, plans the lesson around your goal and gets you talking. At choices®, only about 1 in 25 applicants passes our selection process, and all teachers receive methodological training. That is a cost factor, but one that pays for itself in fewer lessons needed.
From €49.99 incl. VAT per 45-minute lesson for individuals, live with a teacher.
Online English courses: comparing prices fairly, 45 or 60 minutes
Always compare prices on the same basis: the same length of lesson, the same treatment of tax and the same scope of service. A lesson usually lasts 45 minutes, but some providers charge per 60-minute hour. Convert a 45-minute price to 60 minutes by multiplying it by 4/3, and check whether VAT is included.
The conversion
- Price per 60 minutes = price per 45 minutes × 60 ÷ 45
- Price per 45 minutes = price per 60 minutes × 45 ÷ 60
Example: €49.99 for 45 minutes is equivalent to around €66.65 for 60 minutes. Conversely, €60 for 60 minutes is only €45 for 45 minutes. It sounds trivial, but this difference is overlooked surprisingly often when people compare offers.
Gross, net, per person
Offers for private individuals should state the final price including VAT. Prices for companies are usually quoted net, in other words plus VAT. With group courses, you often see a price per person that looks cheap next to the one-to-one price. Divide it by the share of speaking time you can realistically expect, and you get a more honest picture.
Questions for comparing offers
- Exactly how long is one lesson?
- Is the price gross or net?
- Are the level assessment, materials and learning platform included?
- What is the maximum group size?
- Until when can I reschedule a lesson free of charge?
- Do booked lessons expire after a certain time?
If you answer these six questions in writing for each offer, you will quickly see which price is genuinely low and which only looks that way.
One-to-one, pair or group: which format is better value?
Per lesson, a group is cheaper; per minute of speaking, one-to-one lessons often win. In one-to-one lessons, you do much of the talking during the 45 minutes, while in a group you share that time. If you need to reach a specific goal quickly, you usually need fewer lessons one-to-one. A pair sits in between and suits two people at a similar level.
Speaking time: a sample calculation
A simplified model: the teacher speaks for about a third of the time, leaving around 30 minutes for the learners.
| Format | Learners | Speaking time per person per lesson (model) |
|---|---|---|
| One-to-one | 1 | approx. 30 minutes |
| Pair | 2 | approx. 15 minutes |
| Small group | 4 | approx. 7–8 minutes |
| Small group | 6 | approx. 5 minutes |
If a group lesson costs a third of the one-to-one price per person (an assumed figure), you still only get about a quarter of the speaking time in a group of four. Per minute of speaking, one-to-one lessons are therefore not more expensive in this example. Groups have other strengths: interaction, different voices and fixed times. Our article One-to-one or group course offers a detailed comparison.
When each format is worth the money
- One-to-one: a clear goal, little time, irregular schedules, an exam or inhibitions about speaking
- Pair: couples, friends or colleagues at a similar level with shared availability
- Small group: you enjoy interaction, can commit to fixed times and are under no time pressure
Total budget by goal: how many hours should you plan for?
As guidelines from scratch, Cambridge English gives about 180 to 200 hours of guided learning to reach A2, 350 to 400 for B1, 500 to 600 for B2 and 700 to 800 for C1. That works out at roughly 100 to 300 hours per level. These figures include guided self-study, not just lessons with a teacher.
The guidelines come from Cambridge English’s Guided Learning Hours. They describe averages, not a guarantee. If you practise regularly, already have some English from school or hear a lot of English in everyday life, you often need fewer lessons.
| Level step | Total guideline (difference between Cambridge figures) |
|---|---|
| A2 → B1 | approx. 150–220 hours |
| B1 → B2 | approx. 100–250 hours |
| B2 → C1 | approx. 100–300 hours |
From hours to budget
Part of this time is spent in lessons, the rest on homework, reading, listening and revision. How you split it depends on your discipline and your daily routine. Here are three sample calculations based on the starting price for individuals:
| Example | Lessons (45 min.) | Course cost from |
|---|---|---|
| Preparing for a job interview, B1 level already reached (example) | 20 | €999.80 |
| Six months with two lessons a week (example) | 48 | €2,399.52 |
| One year with two lessons a week (example) | 90 | €4,499.10 |
I describe in detail how long a level step realistically takes alongside a job in How long does it take to learn English?
After the level assessment, you know which format and how many lessons suit your goal.
Hidden costs: what to look for in the small print
Hidden costs rarely lie in the hourly rate, but around it: registration fees, separately charged placement tests, textbooks, platform licences, lesson packages that expire, strict cancellation deadlines and long minimum terms. Lessons taught at the wrong level are also a cost factor that appears on no price list but still eats into your budget.
Checklist
- Registration or admin fee: one-off or annual?
- Level assessment: included or separate?
- Materials: textbook, workbook, digital licences
- Packages: how long are purchased lessons valid?
- Cancellations: until when can you reschedule without paying?
- Term: is there a minimum term or automatic renewal?
- Change of teacher: is it possible, and is there a proper handover?
- Exam: you pay the fee for a certificate exam to the exam centre, not to the language school.
The invisible cost factor: the wrong level
If you start without a level assessment, you can easily end up in a course that is too easy or too hard. Both cost you lessons. A proper assessment at the start is therefore not a formality. At choices®, we work with the CEFR and also with the Global Scale of English, so that even small steps forward become visible. If your teacher ever changes, a structured handover ensures you do not have to start again from scratch.
How can you reduce the cost of an English course?
You save most by needing fewer lessons for the same goal: through regular lessons, short practice sessions between them and a clear learning plan. On top of that, there are financial levers, such as your employer covering the cost, claiming work-related courses on your German tax return, or learning as a pair to share the cost.
Learning efficiency
- Regularity: two lessons a week achieve more than four lessons in one week followed by a three-week break.
- Practice between lessons: 10 to 15 minutes on several days is enough, for example with vocabulary in context, podcasts or an AI chatbot as a conversation partner.
- Focus on your mistakes: if you know your typical errors, you avoid unnecessary repetition. Every first language brings its own patterns; for German speakers, there is an overview in Typical mistakes German speakers make in English (in German).
- Double lessons: two lessons back to back leave more time for free speaking.
Financial levers
- Ask your employer: many companies pay for language courses if there is a link to your job. Companies get their own terms through our language courses for companies.
- Tax: work-related courses can count as Werbungskosten (work-related expenses). Details in our article Claiming a language course on your German tax return.
- Pair lessons: learning with someone else lowers the cost per person, as long as your levels match.
For companies from €40 net plus VAT per 45-minute lesson, with level assessment and reporting.
English courses at choices®: what is included in the price
At choices®, prices for individuals start from €49.99 incl. VAT per 45-minute lesson, and for companies from €40 net plus VAT per 45-minute lesson. This includes live lessons with a trained teacher, a CEFR level assessment and a personal learning plan. We will give you the exact price after the first consultation.
What you get
- live video lessons, one-to-one, as a pair or in a small group of ideally four and no more than six people
- a level assessment at the start and regular progress checks
- British and American English, with the emphasis on authentic, communicative language
- teachers from 10 countries, all with methodological training
- a structured handover if your teacher changes
- exam preparation on request. You sit the exam itself at an official exam centre; there is more on this under exam preparation.
If you would like to know which format suits your goal and budget, start by looking at our online English lessons for adults. There you will find the process, formats and level assessment in detail, including a comparison of one-to-one, pair and small-group lessons for anyone who wants to stay flexible.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
How much does an online English course cost per lesson?
That depends on the format, the teacher and what is included. At choices®, individuals pay from €49.99 incl. VAT per 45-minute lesson, and companies from €40 net plus VAT per 45-minute lesson.
How do I convert 45-minute prices to 60 minutes?
Multiply the price per 45 minutes by 60 and divide by 45. So €49.99 for 45 minutes becomes around €66.65 for 60 minutes.
Are one-to-one lessons more expensive than a group course?
Per lesson, yes. Per minute of speaking, one-to-one lessons are often the same price or cheaper, because you do a much larger share of the talking yourself and often reach your goal in fewer lessons.
How much budget do I need for a whole level?
Cambridge English gives roughly 100 to 300 hours of guided learning per level, including self-study. How many of these are lessons depends on how much you practise. After a level assessment, this can be estimated more precisely.
Are exam fees included in the course price?
No. choices® prepares you for exams but does not run them. You pay the exam fee directly to the exam centre.
Will my employer cover the cost?
This is often possible if the course is work-related. On request, we can invoice your company directly.
Head of Studies at choices®. Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland Global Campus, lecturer at HM Business School Munich and Kempten University of Applied Sciences. Doctoral studies in applied linguistics, publications with Springer and Equinox, among others. More about us
Ask about a course
Tell us what you need. We will take care of the rest.
A few short questions, and within one working day you receive a concrete proposal: format, teacher and price.
- ✓ Free and without obligation
- ✓ Reply within one working day
- ✓ A human replies on the other side
Prefer email? hello@choices-global.com
No obligation. A human replies on the other side, not a bot.