Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Belgium
53
GoScore
Budget/mo
$1,300
Salary/mo
$2,900
Israel
50
GoScore
Budget/mo
$1,600
Salary/mo
$3,200
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
Belgium wins for students (GoScore 53 vs 50). A 2-year master's costs $41,200 in Belgium — 34% less than Israel, saving $21,200.
Belgium wins for working professionals (GoScore 54 vs 51). Professionals in Belgium retain $1,280/month after expenses — $60/month more than in Israel.
Belgium is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 63 vs 57). PR takes ~5 years in Belgium vs ~10 years in Israel.
Total cost of attendance in Belgium — tuition ($10,000) plus living ($31,200) — is $41,200. In Israel: $62,400 ($24,000 tuition + $38,400 living).Belgium is 34% cheaper, saving $21,200 over the degree.
In Belgium, 20 hrs/week at $12/hr earns $960/month — covering 123% of outside-city rent. In Israel, the same hours earn $960/month — covering 96% of rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in Belgium retains $1,280/month from $2,900. In Israel: $1,220/month from $3,200. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $3,600. Tech salaries: $4,500/mo (Belgium) vs $6,000/mo (Israel).
Belgium: PR pathway ~5 years. Israel: ~10 years. Post-study work visas: 12 months (Belgium) and 12 months (Israel). Student visa fee: $350 vs $110.
Minimum IELTS band: 6.0 (Belgium) and 6.0 (Israel).Take a free IELTS mock test on mockDe to benchmark your exact skill-level gaps before applying.
| Metric | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 🇮🇱 Israel |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 53 | 50 |
| Work GoScore | 54 | 51 |
| Settle GoScore | 63 | 57 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $5,000 | $12,000 |
| Monthly student budget | $1,300 | $1,600 |
| Avg net salary / month | $2,900 | $3,200 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $1,050/mo | $1,500/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 12 months | 12 months |
| PR pathway | 5 years | 10 years |
| Safety index | 51 / 100 | 64 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇧🇪 Belgium
Belgium hosts NATO HQ, the EU Parliament, and over 1,400 international organizations — Brussels is the world's second most important diplomatic city after Washington DC.
Belgian engineers are among the highest-paid in continental Europe, with average salaries of €65,000–95,000/year.
Belgian universities charge €890–4,175/year for non-EU international students — among the lowest in Western Europe.
Source: Nuffic 2024
Belgium has the world's densest rail network per square kilometre — 95% of jobs are reachable by train from any Belgian city.
Source: Infrabel 2023
Belgians invented the internet protocol TCP/IP implementation used by CERN, french fries (despite the name), and the saxophone.
🇮🇱 Israel
Israel has the world's 3rd largest number of Nasdaq-listed companies after the US and China — earning it the nickname 'Startup Nation'.
Source: Start-Up Nation Central 2024
Israel spends 5.44% of GDP on R&D — the highest ratio in the world — making it a global centre for cybersecurity, medtech, and agritech.
Source: OECD 2023
Tel Aviv ranks among the top 5 global startup ecosystems, generating over $25 billion in venture funding annually.
Source: Startup Genome 2024
Israel's universal military service creates a unique professional culture — Unit 8200 alumni have founded over 1,000 tech companies.
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.