Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Saudi Arabia
49
GoScore
Budget/mo
$800
Salary/mo
$2,500
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
Saudi Arabia wins for students (GoScore 49 vs 44). A 2-year master's costs $12,600 in Philippines — 64% less than Saudi Arabia, saving $22,600.
Saudi Arabia wins for working professionals (GoScore 52 vs 33). Professionals in Saudi Arabia retain $1,320/month after expenses — $1,520/month more than in Philippines.
Saudi Arabia is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 59 vs 46). PR takes ~10 years in Saudi Arabia vs ~10 years in Philippines.
Total cost of attendance in Philippines — tuition ($3,000) plus living ($9,600) — is $12,600. In Saudi Arabia: $35,200 ($16,000 tuition + $19,200 living).Philippines is 64% cheaper, saving $22,600 over the degree.
In Philippines, 20 hrs/week at $2/hr earns $160/month — covering 59% of outside-city rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in Philippines retains $0/month from $500. In Saudi Arabia: $1,320/month from $2,500. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $91,200. Tech salaries: $900/mo (Philippines) vs $4,500/mo (Saudi Arabia).
Philippines: PR pathway ~10 years. Saudi Arabia: ~10 years. Post-study work visas: 0 months (Philippines) and 0 months (Saudi Arabia). Student visa fee: $70 vs $500.
Minimum IELTS band: 5.5 (Philippines) and 6.0 (Saudi Arabia). 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 | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 44 | 49 |
| Work GoScore | 33 | 52 |
| Settle GoScore | 46 | 59 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $1,500 | $8,000 |
| Monthly student budget | $400 | $800 |
| Avg net salary / month | $500 | $2,500 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $450/mo | $900/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 0 months | 0 months |
| PR pathway | 10 years | 10 years |
| Safety index | 40 / 100 | 77 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇵🇭 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
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 is committing $1 trillion to diversification — creating the world's largest single programme of economic transformation jobs.
Source: Vision 2030 2024
NEOM, the planned $500 billion mega-city project, is hiring engineers, urban planners, and tech professionals at salaries 30–40% above Gulf market rates.
Source: NEOM 2024
Saudi Arabia levies 0% personal income tax — and introduced a Privileged Iqama programme offering permanent-style residency to high earners.
Source: MISA Saudi Arabia 2024
Riyadh was the world's fastest-growing city by FDI inflow in 2023, overtaking Dubai and Singapore.
Source: Financial Times fDi Intelligence 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.