Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Colombia
47
GoScore
Budget/mo
$600
Salary/mo
$620
Philippines
44
GoScore
Budget/mo
$400
Salary/mo
$500
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
Colombia wins for students (GoScore 47 vs 44). A 2-year master's costs $12,600 in Philippines — 35% less than Colombia, saving $6,800.
Colombia wins for working professionals (GoScore 41 vs 33). Professionals in Colombia retain $-155/month after expenses — $45/month more than in Philippines.
Colombia is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 59 vs 46). PR takes ~5 years in Colombia vs ~10 years in Philippines.
Total cost of attendance in Colombia — tuition ($5,000) plus living ($14,400) — is $19,400. In Philippines: $12,600 ($3,000 tuition + $9,600 living).Philippines is 35% cheaper, saving $6,800 over the degree.
In Colombia, 20 hrs/week at $4/hr earns $280/month — covering 93% of outside-city rent. In Philippines, the same hours earn $160/month — covering 59% of rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in Colombia retains $0/month from $620. In Philippines: $0/month from $500. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $2,700. Tech salaries: $1,800/mo (Colombia) vs $900/mo (Philippines).
Colombia: PR pathway ~5 years. Philippines: ~10 years. Post-study work visas: 0 months (Colombia) and 0 months (Philippines). Student visa fee: $185 vs $70.
Minimum IELTS band: 5.5 (Colombia) and 5.5 (Philippines).Take a free IELTS mock test on mockDe to benchmark your exact skill-level gaps before applying.
| Metric | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 🇵🇭 Philippines |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 47 | 44 |
| Work GoScore | 41 | 33 |
| Settle GoScore | 59 | 46 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $2,500 | $1,500 |
| Monthly student budget | $600 | $400 |
| Avg net salary / month | $620 | $500 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $480/mo | $450/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 0 months | 0 months |
| PR pathway | 5 years | 10 years |
| Safety index | 38 / 100 | 40 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇨🇴 Colombia
Colombia's Medellín transformed from the world's most dangerous city in the 1990s to a global benchmark for urban innovation — hosting the World Urban Forum in 2014.
Colombia is the world's 3rd largest flower exporter after the Netherlands — supplying 75% of US-consumed flowers.
Source: ProColombia 2024
Bogotá's Transmilenio is one of Latin America's largest bus rapid transit systems — a case study in urban mobility planning.
Colombia's digital nomad visa (2022) allows remote workers to live for up to 2 years with simplified requirements.
Source: Cancillería Colombia 2022
🇵🇭 Philippines
The Philippines is the world's 3rd largest source of English-speaking professionals — over 100 million people speak English as a working language.
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) generates $30 billion/year in the Philippines — it's the world's largest offshore service delivery hub.
Source: IBPAP 2024
Filipino nurses and doctors work in over 40 countries — healthcare training here is internationally recognised across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
The Philippines became a lower-middle-income country in 2010 and is projected to join the upper-middle-income tier by 2026.
Source: World Bank 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.