Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Serbia
54
GoScore
Budget/mo
$650
Salary/mo
$950
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
Serbia wins for students (GoScore 54 vs 44). A 2-year master's costs $12,600 in Philippines — 39% less than Serbia, saving $8,000.
Serbia wins for working professionals (GoScore 49 vs 33). Professionals in Serbia retain $-48/month after expenses — $152/month more than in Philippines.
Serbia is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 63 vs 46). PR takes ~5 years in Serbia vs ~10 years in Philippines.
Total cost of attendance in Philippines — tuition ($3,000) plus living ($9,600) — is $12,600. In Serbia: $20,600 ($5,000 tuition + $15,600 living).Philippines is 39% cheaper, saving $8,000 over the degree.
In Philippines, 20 hrs/week at $2/hr earns $160/month — covering 59% of outside-city rent. In Serbia, the same hours earn $320/month — covering 80% of rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in Philippines retains $0/month from $500. In Serbia: $0/month from $950. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $9,120. Tech salaries: $900/mo (Philippines) vs $2,800/mo (Serbia).
Philippines: PR pathway ~10 years. Serbia: ~5 years. Post-study work visas: 0 months (Philippines) and 0 months (Serbia). Student visa fee: $70 vs $80.
Minimum IELTS band: 5.5 (Philippines) and 6.0 (Serbia). 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 | 🇷🇸 Serbia |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 44 | 54 |
| Work GoScore | 33 | 49 |
| Settle GoScore | 46 | 63 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $1,500 | $2,500 |
| Monthly student budget | $400 | $650 |
| Avg net salary / month | $500 | $950 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $450/mo | $620/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 0 months | 0 months |
| PR pathway | 10 years | 5 years |
| Safety index | 40 / 100 | 63 / 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
🇷🇸 Serbia
Belgrade's tech scene grew 25% in 2023 — Serbia now has the highest concentration of STEM graduates per capita in Southeast Europe.
Source: ICT Hub Serbia 2024
Serbia allows digital nomad residency with low income requirements — popular for EU-adjacent living at Central Asian costs.
Nikola Tesla was born in Serbia (then part of the Austrian Empire) — reflecting a long national tradition of engineering excellence.
Serbia's flat 10% income tax rate is one of the lowest in Europe.
Source: Tax Administration Serbia 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.