Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Belgium
53
GoScore
Budget/mo
$1,300
Salary/mo
$2,900
South Africa
49
GoScore
Budget/mo
$560
Salary/mo
$1,000
AI insights unavailable
Study Abroad GoScore Ranking
GoScore 0-100 · Weights: affordability, PR pathway, safety, career & quality of life
Key Comparison Metrics
Public university tuition / year
Monthly student budget
Part-time wage / hour
Student visa fee
Post-study work visa
IELTS band required
Safety index
Quick Verdict - 2026
Belgium wins for students (GoScore 53 vs 49). A 2-year master's costs $22,440 in South Africa - 46% less than Belgium, saving $18,760.
Belgium wins for working professionals (GoScore 54 vs 39). Professionals in Belgium retain $1,280/month after expenses - $995/month more than in South Africa.
Belgium is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 63 vs 53). PR takes ~5 years in South Africa vs ~5 years in Belgium.
Total cost of attendance in Belgium - tuition ($10,000) plus living ($31,200) - is $41,200. In South Africa: $22,440 ($9,000 tuition + $13,440 living).South Africa is 46% cheaper, saving $18,760 over the degree.
In Belgium, 20 hrs/week at $12/hr earns $960/month - covering 123% of outside-city rent. In South Africa, the same hours earn $240/month - covering 86% of rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in Belgium retains $1,280/month from $2,900. In South Africa: $285/month from $1,000. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $59,700. Tech salaries: $4,500/mo (Belgium) vs $1,800/mo (South Africa).
Belgium: PR pathway ~5 years. South Africa: ~5 years. Post-study work visas: 12 months (Belgium) and 12 months (South Africa). Student visa fee: $350 vs $100.
Minimum IELTS band: 6.0 (Belgium) and 5.5 (South Africa). South Africa has a lower threshold - beneficial for applicants close to their target band. Take a free IELTS mock test on mockDe to benchmark your exact skill-level gaps before applying.
| Metric | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 53 | 49 |
| Work GoScore | 54 | 39 |
| Settle GoScore | 63 | 53 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $5,000 | $4,500 |
| Monthly student budget | $1,300 | $560 |
| Avg net salary / month | $2,900 | $1,000 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $1,050/mo | $420/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 12 months | 12 months |
| PR pathway | 5 years | 5 years |
| Safety index | 51 / 100 | 26 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets - unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇧🇪 Belgium
Belgium hosts NATO HQ, the EU Parliament, and over 1,400 international organizations - Brussels is the world's second most important diplomatic city after Washington DC.
Belgian engineers are among the highest-paid in continental Europe, with average salaries of €65,000–95,000/year.
Belgian universities charge €890–4,175/year for non-EU international students - among the lowest in Western Europe.
Source: Nuffic 2024
Belgium has the world's densest rail network per square kilometre - 95% of jobs are reachable by train from any Belgian city.
Source: Infrabel 2023
Belgians invented the internet protocol TCP/IP implementation used by CERN, french fries (despite the name), and the saxophone.
🇿🇦 South Africa
South Africa is the world's largest producer of platinum and 2nd largest of palladium - mining and materials engineering are among the highest-paid professions.
Source: USGS 2024
Cape Town has been ranked Africa's best city for remote work and digital nomads for 3 consecutive years.
Source: Nomad List 2024
South Africa has the continent's most sophisticated financial system - the Johannesburg Stock Exchange is the 16th largest in the world.
Source: JSE 2024
The country has 11 official languages - multilingualism is professionally valued and culturally embedded.
Popular Comparisons
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Data Sources
Editorial
Compiled by mockDe Editorial Team
Verified by IELTS-certified advisors with study-abroad counselling experience.
Freshness
Data reflects 2026 benchmarks.
Last reviewed June 2026.
AI verdict cached permanently; regenerated on data change.
All figures in USD. AI insights by Gemini Pro. Values are indicative - verify official sources before making relocation decisions.