Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Lithuania
58
GoScore
Budget/mo
$750
Salary/mo
$1,400
Italy
51
GoScore
Budget/mo
$1,090
Salary/mo
$1,962
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
Lithuania wins for students (GoScore 58 vs 51). A 2-year master's costs $26,000 in Lithuania — 20% less than Italy, saving $6,700.
Lithuania wins for working professionals (GoScore 52 vs 51). Professionals in Lithuania retain $458/month after expenses — $207/month more than in Italy.
Lithuania is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 65 vs 57). PR takes ~5 years in Lithuania vs ~5 years in Italy.
Total cost of attendance in Italy — tuition ($6,540) plus living ($26,160) — is $32,700. In Lithuania: $26,000 ($8,000 tuition + $18,000 living).Lithuania is 20% cheaper, saving $6,700 over the degree.
In Italy, 20 hrs/week at $8/hr earns $654/month — covering 75% of outside-city rent. In Lithuania, the same hours earn $400/month — covering 105% of rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in Italy retains $251/month from $1,962. In Lithuania: $458/month from $1,400. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $12,420. Tech salaries: $3,815/mo (Italy) vs $2,500/mo (Lithuania).
Italy: PR pathway ~5 years. Lithuania: ~5 years. Post-study work visas: 12 months (Italy) and 12 months (Lithuania). Student visa fee: $55 vs $80.
Minimum IELTS band: 6.0 (Italy) and 6.0 (Lithuania).Take a free IELTS mock test on mockDe to benchmark your exact skill-level gaps before applying.
| Metric | 🇮🇹 Italy | 🇱🇹 Lithuania |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 51 | 58 |
| Work GoScore | 51 | 52 |
| Settle GoScore | 57 | 65 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $3,270 | $4,000 |
| Monthly student budget | $1,090 | $750 |
| Avg net salary / month | $1,962 | $1,400 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $1,199/mo | $600/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 12 months | 12 months |
| PR pathway | 5 years | 5 years |
| Safety index | 55 / 100 | 65 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇮🇹 Italy
Italy has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites (58) than any country in the world — uniquely valuable for students in architecture, art history, and design.
Source: UNESCO 2024
The University of Bologna, founded in 1088, is the world's oldest continuously operating university.
Italy's fashion, luxury, and automotive industries (Ferrari, Lamborghini, Gucci, Prada, Armani) collectively employ over 1.5 million people, creating unique career paths unavailable elsewhere.
Italy introduced the Digital Nomad Visa in 2024, targeting remote workers earning €28,000+/year with a straightforward application process.
Source: Italian Ministry of Interior 2024
Italian public universities charge €0–4,000/year for non-EU students — with some of the world's cheapest engineering and medical degrees.
Source: MIUR Italy 2024
🇱🇹 Lithuania
Lithuania attracted over €1 billion in fintech investment in 2023 — Vilnius is now Europe's 3rd largest fintech hub after London and Stockholm.
Source: Invest Lithuania 2024
Lithuania was the first Soviet republic to declare independence (1990) — a political fact that reflects the country's notably strong democratic institutions.
Vilnius' old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring the world's highest concentration of Baroque architecture per square kilometre.
Source: UNESCO
Lithuanian universities charge €2,000–5,500/year for English-taught programmes — among the best value EU degrees available.
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.