Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Malta
56
GoScore
Budget/mo
$1,090
Salary/mo
$2,180
Chile
52
GoScore
Budget/mo
$850
Salary/mo
$1,250
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
Malta wins for students (GoScore 56 vs 52). A 2-year master's costs $31,400 in Chile — 7% less than Malta, saving $2,390.
Malta wins for working professionals (GoScore 54 vs 48). Professionals in Malta retain $648/month after expenses — $485/month more than in Chile.
Malta is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 66 vs 60). PR takes ~5 years in Malta vs ~5 years in Chile.
Total cost of attendance in Chile — tuition ($11,000) plus living ($20,400) — is $31,400. In Malta: $33,790 ($7,630 tuition + $26,160 living).Chile is 7% cheaper, saving $2,390 over the degree.
In Chile, 20 hrs/week at $7/hr earns $520/month — covering 116% of outside-city rent. In Malta, the same hours earn $785/month — covering 103% of rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in Chile retains $163/month from $1,250. In Malta: $648/month from $2,180. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $29,100. Tech salaries: $2,500/mo (Chile) vs $3,270/mo (Malta).
Chile: PR pathway ~5 years. Malta: ~5 years. Post-study work visas: 12 months (Chile) and 12 months (Malta). Student visa fee: $100 vs $305.
Minimum IELTS band: 5.5 (Chile) and 6.0 (Malta). Chile 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 | 🇨🇱 Chile | 🇲🇹 Malta |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 52 | 56 |
| Work GoScore | 48 | 54 |
| Settle GoScore | 60 | 66 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $5,500 | $3,815 |
| Monthly student budget | $850 | $1,090 |
| Avg net salary / month | $1,250 | $2,180 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $680/mo | $1,090/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 12 months | 12 months |
| PR pathway | 5 years | 5 years |
| Safety index | 45 / 100 | 71 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇨🇱 Chile
Chile has the world's largest copper reserves — mining engineers and geologists are permanently in demand with top-tier salaries.
Source: USGS 2024
Santiago's Startup Chile programme was one of the world's first government-funded startup accelerators, attracting 3,000+ startups from 85 countries.
Source: CORFO 2024
Chile ranks 1st in Latin America for ease of doing business (World Bank 2023) and first for global competitiveness in the region.
Source: World Bank 2023
The Atacama Desert in Chile contains the world's largest optical telescope (ELT) — astronomy and astrophysics research careers are uniquely available here.
🇲🇹 Malta
Malta is the EU's smallest and sunniest member state — with 300 days of sunshine per year and English as an official language.
Malta's Individual Investor Programme grants EU citizenship in 12–14 months for qualifying investors — the fastest EU citizenship pathway.
Source: Identity Malta 2024
Malta's iGaming and fintech sectors employ 10% of the country's entire workforce — creating significant tech and compliance job opportunities.
Source: MGA Malta 2024
The cost of a master's degree at the University of Malta is €5,200–9,000 total — among the cheapest EU English-medium postgraduate programmes.
Source: University of Malta 2024
Popular Comparisons
Ready to take the next step?
You'll need IELTS to study in any of these countries. Take a free full-length mock test to know exactly where you stand.
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.