Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Taiwan
58
GoScore
Budget/mo
$800
Salary/mo
$1,600
Saudi Arabia
49
GoScore
Budget/mo
$800
Salary/mo
$2,500
For Students
This guide compares Saudi Arabia vs Taiwan on tuition fees, student visa requirements, part-time work allowances, post-study work visas, and cost of living for students — using 2026 data.
AI insights unavailable
Students GoScore Ranking
GoScore 0-100 · Weights: affordability, PR pathway, safety, career & quality of life
Student Cost Comparison
Public university tuition / year
Monthly student budget
Part-time wage / hour
Student visa fee
Post-study work visa
IELTS band required
Safety index
Student visa fee
Work permit fee
Post-study work visa (months)
PR pathway (years)
IELTS band required
Quick Verdict for Students — 2026
Taiwan wins for international students with a study GoScore of 58 vs 49 for Saudi Arabia. A complete 2-year master's (tuition + living) costs $31,200 in Taiwan — 11% less than Saudi Arabia, saving $4,000 over the degree.
Part-time work offsets more costs in Taiwan: 20 hrs/week covers 112% of outside-city rent there, vs 0% in Saudi Arabia. IELTS minimum band: 6.0 for Saudi Arabia, 6.0 for Taiwan.
The full cost of a 2-year master's in Saudi Arabia — public university tuition ($16,000) plus living costs ($19,200) — totals $35,200. In Taiwan, the same calculation yields $31,200 ($12,000 tuition + $19,200 living).Taiwan is 11% cheaper, saving $4,000 — enough to cover 5 months of living costs or reduce education loan size substantially.
In Taiwan, 20 hours/week at $5/hour yields $424/month — covering 112% of rent and 53% of the student budget. Taiwan's higher hourly wage reduces net annual study costs by $5,088 per year.
After graduating and finding work, how long before your savings cover the cost of the degree? In Saudi Arabia, a graduate earning the average net salary ($2,500/mo) and saving $1,320/month after expenses recovers the full degree cost in 27 months. In Taiwan, the break-even point is 49 months. Saudi Arabia offers faster ROI on your education investment.
Saudi Arabia requires a minimum IELTS band of 6.0 across most student visa categories. Taiwan requires 6.0. Top universities routinely require 6.5 or 7.0 — so the visa minimum is the floor, not the target. Use mockDe's free mock test to identify your exact gap per skill (Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking) before applying.
| Metric | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
|---|---|---|
| Public university tuition / yr | $8,000 | $6,000 |
| Monthly student budget | $800 | $800 |
| Part-time wage / hr | N/A | $5.30 |
| Student visa fee | $500 | $110 |
| Post-study work visa | 0 months | 12 months |
| PR pathway | 10 years | 5 years |
| IELTS band required | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Indian community | Very Large | Very Small |
| Safety index | 77 / 100 | 77 / 100 |
| Student hall / month | $500 | $500 |
International students in Saudi Arabia pay an average of $8,000/year at public universities, compared to $6,000/year in Taiwan. Taiwan's lower public university tuition reduces the total financial burden considerably over a 2-year programme. Private institutions cost $15,000/yr in Saudi Arabia and $10,000/yr in Taiwan. On-campus student accommodation runs $500/month in Saudi Arabia and $500/month in Taiwan — budget for this before calculating loan amounts.
Part-time work is a critical lever for Indian students managing living costs without full family support. In Saudi Arabia, the student part-time wage is N/A/hour. At 20 hours/week, that is N/A/month — covering 0% of the average monthly student budget. In Taiwan, the rate is $5/hour, or $424/month — covering 53% of the student budget. Taiwan's higher hourly rate gives students a stronger monthly buffer against living expenses.
The study-to-PR pipeline is a primary driver for Indian students choosing between these countries. After graduating, Saudi Arabia offers a 0-month post-study work visa, giving graduates time to find skilled employment and accumulate points or employer sponsorship for PR. PR typically takes 10 years from arrival. In Taiwan, the post-study work visa runs 12 months with a 5-year PR pathway. Taiwan's longer post-study work visa provides more time to transition from student to skilled worker to permanent resident — the most common pathway for Indian graduates.
Community and cultural familiarity directly affect academic performance and mental well-being.Saudi Arabia has a very large Indian diaspora — meaning established student support networks, Indian grocery stores, temples, and social groups.Taiwan has a very small Indian community. English proficiency among the general public is moderate in Saudi Arabia and moderate in Taiwan, affecting how easily you can communicate outside academic settings, find housing, and navigate daily life. The climate in Saudi Arabia is arid desert — extremely hot dry summers, mild winters, while Taiwan is subtropical — hot humid summers, mild winters, typhoon season jun–sep — a practical consideration for students from tropical or semi-arid Indian regions.
Saudi Arabia requires a minimum IELTS overall band of 6.0 for most student visa categories.Taiwan requires 6.0.Individual universities often require higher bands (6.5 or 7.0 for competitive programmes) — check admission requirements for your specific course. Use mockDe's free full-length IELTS mock test to benchmark your current score across all four skills before applying.
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇸🇦 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
🇹🇼 Taiwan
Taiwan produces 90% of the world's most advanced semiconductor chips (below 7nm) — TSMC's fab engineers are among the highest-paid in Asia.
Source: Semiconductor Industry Association 2024
Taiwan ranked #1 globally for ease of doing business in manufacturing for the 8th consecutive year.
Source: World Bank 2024
Taiwan's National Health Insurance covers all residents including foreign workers from day one — comprehensive healthcare with no private insurance needed.
Source: NHI Taiwan 2024
Taiwan's Gold Card programme offers a 3-year open work permit to skilled professionals earning $60,000+/year — processed in 30 days.
Source: NDC Taiwan 2024
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.