Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
India
50
GoScore
Budget/mo
$280
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
India wins for students (GoScore 50 vs 44). A 2-year master's costs $10,320 in India — 18% less than Philippines, saving $2,280.
India wins for working professionals (GoScore 35 vs 33). Professionals in India retain $104/month after expenses — $304/month more than in Philippines.
India is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 51 vs 46).
Total cost of attendance in India — tuition ($3,600) plus living ($6,720) — is $10,320. In Philippines: $12,600 ($3,000 tuition + $9,600 living).India is 18% cheaper, saving $2,280 over the degree.
In India, 20 hrs/week at $3/hr earns $200/month — covering 95% 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 India retains $104/month from $620. In Philippines: $0/month from $500. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $18,240. Tech salaries: $1,550/mo (India) vs $900/mo (Philippines).
India: no clearly defined PR pathway. Philippines: ~10 years. Post-study work visas: 0 months (India) and 0 months (Philippines). Student visa fee: $0 vs $70.
Minimum IELTS band: 0.0 (India) and 5.5 (Philippines). 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 | 🇮🇳 India | 🇵🇭 Philippines |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 50 | 44 |
| Work GoScore | 35 | 33 |
| Settle GoScore | 51 | 46 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $1,800 | $1,500 |
| Monthly student budget | $280 | $400 |
| Avg net salary / month | $620 | $500 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $380/mo | $450/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 0 months | 0 months |
| PR pathway | 0 years | 10 years |
| Safety index | 45 / 100 | 40 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇮🇳 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
🇵🇭 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.