Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
India
50
GoScore
Budget/mo
$280
Salary/mo
$620
China
47
GoScore
Budget/mo
$750
Salary/mo
$1,200
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
India wins for students (GoScore 50 vs 47). A 2-year master's costs $10,320 in India — 62% less than China, saving $16,680.
China wins for working professionals (GoScore 42 vs 35). Professionals in China retain $402/month after expenses — $298/month more than in India.
China is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 55 vs 51).
Total cost of attendance in China — tuition ($9,000) plus living ($18,000) — is $27,000. In India: $10,320 ($3,600 tuition + $6,720 living).India is 62% cheaper, saving $16,680 over the degree.
In China, 20 hrs/week at $4/hr earns $320/month — covering 97% of outside-city rent. In India, the same hours earn $200/month — covering 95% of rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in China retains $402/month from $1,200. In India: $104/month from $620. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $17,880. Tech salaries: $2,500/mo (China) vs $1,550/mo (India).
China: PR pathway ~10 years. India: no clearly defined pathway. Post-study work visas: 0 months (China) and 0 months (India). Student visa fee: $140 vs $0.
Minimum IELTS band: 6.0 (China) and 0.0 (India). India 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 | 🇨🇳 China | 🇮🇳 India |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 47 | 50 |
| Work GoScore | 42 | 35 |
| Settle GoScore | 55 | 51 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $4,500 | $1,800 |
| Monthly student budget | $750 | $280 |
| Avg net salary / month | $1,200 | $620 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $520/mo | $380/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 0 months | 0 months |
| PR pathway | 10 years | 0 years |
| Safety index | 70 / 100 | 45 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇨🇳 China
China files more international patents than any country in the world — surpassing the US in 2019 and growing every year since.
Source: WIPO 2024
Shanghai has the world's largest metro network by route length at 831 km — larger than London, New York, and Tokyo combined.
Source: UITP 2024
China's Belt and Road Initiative spans 149 countries — creating infrastructure and finance careers with genuinely global reach.
Source: AEI 2023
Mandarin Chinese is the world's most spoken native language — learning it to HSK 5 unlocks business opportunities in East Asia's $26 trillion combined economy.
🇮🇳 India
India is the world's 3rd largest startup ecosystem with over 110 unicorns — more than the UK, Germany, and France combined.
Source: NASSCOM 2024
India's IIT graduates earn salaries competitive with MIT and Cambridge graduates globally — with placements at Google, Meta, and Goldman Sachs.
India will become the world's most populous country by 2023 (UN), with a median age of 28 — the youngest major economy in the world.
Source: UN Population Division 2023
India produces 1.5 million engineers per year — more than any other country — creating both domestic opportunity and the world's largest pool of export talent.
Source: AICTE 2024
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.