Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Estonia
57
GoScore
Budget/mo
$900
Salary/mo
$1,600
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
Estonia wins for students (GoScore 57 vs 44). A 2-year master's costs $12,600 in Philippines — 59% less than Estonia, saving $18,000.
Estonia wins for working professionals (GoScore 53 vs 33). Professionals in Estonia retain $490/month after expenses — $690/month more than in Philippines.
Estonia is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 66 vs 46). PR takes ~5 years in Estonia vs ~10 years in Philippines.
Total cost of attendance in Estonia — tuition ($9,000) plus living ($21,600) — is $30,600. In Philippines: $12,600 ($3,000 tuition + $9,600 living).Philippines is 59% cheaper, saving $18,000 over the degree.
In Estonia, 20 hrs/week at $5/hr earns $400/month — covering 82% 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 Estonia retains $490/month from $1,600. In Philippines: $0/month from $500. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $41,400. Tech salaries: $2,800/mo (Estonia) vs $900/mo (Philippines).
Estonia: PR pathway ~5 years. Philippines: ~10 years. Post-study work visas: 12 months (Estonia) and 0 months (Philippines). Student visa fee: $100 vs $70.
Minimum IELTS band: 6.0 (Estonia) and 5.5 (Philippines). Philippines 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 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 🇵🇭 Philippines |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 57 | 44 |
| Work GoScore | 53 | 33 |
| Settle GoScore | 66 | 46 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $4,500 | $1,500 |
| Monthly student budget | $900 | $400 |
| Avg net salary / month | $1,600 | $500 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $700/mo | $450/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 12 months | 0 months |
| PR pathway | 5 years | 10 years |
| Safety index | 73 / 100 | 40 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇪🇪 Estonia
Estonia offers the world's only e-Residency programme — allowing anyone globally to run an EU company digitally from anywhere.
Source: e-Residency Programme 2024
Estonia has more tech unicorns per capita than any country in the world — Skype, TransferWise (Wise), Pipedrive, and Bolt all originated here.
Estonian citizens spend the least time on bureaucracy of any country — all government services are available online, including voting, taxes, and company registration.
Source: e-Estonia 2024
Estonia's Digital Nomad Visa (2020) was the world's first — pioneering a visa category now copied by 50+ countries.
Source: Police and Border Guard Board Estonia 2020
🇵🇭 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.