Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Brazil
47
GoScore
Budget/mo
$560
Salary/mo
$700
China
47
GoScore
Budget/mo
$750
Salary/mo
$1,200
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
China wins for students (GoScore 47 vs 47). A 2-year master's costs $17,440 in Brazil — 35% less than China, saving $9,560.
China wins for working professionals (GoScore 42 vs 39). Professionals in China retain $402/month after expenses — $502/month more than in Brazil.
China is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 55 vs 55). PR takes ~4 years in Brazil vs ~10 years in China.
Total cost of attendance in Brazil — tuition ($4,000) plus living ($13,440) — is $17,440. In China: $27,000 ($9,000 tuition + $18,000 living).Brazil is 35% cheaper, saving $9,560 over the degree.
In Brazil, 20 hrs/week at $4/hr earns $320/month — covering 100% of outside-city rent. In China, the same hours earn $320/month — covering 97% of rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in Brazil retains $0/month from $700. In China: $402/month from $1,200. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $30,120. Tech salaries: $1,500/mo (Brazil) vs $2,500/mo (China).
Brazil: PR pathway ~4 years. China: ~10 years. Post-study work visas: 0 months (Brazil) and 0 months (China). Student visa fee: $50 vs $140.
Minimum IELTS band: 5.5 (Brazil) and 6.0 (China). Brazil 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 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 🇨🇳 China |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 47 | 47 |
| Work GoScore | 39 | 42 |
| Settle GoScore | 55 | 55 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $2,000 | $4,500 |
| Monthly student budget | $560 | $750 |
| Avg net salary / month | $700 | $1,200 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $500/mo | $520/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 0 months | 0 months |
| PR pathway | 4 years | 10 years |
| Safety index | 30 / 100 | 70 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇧🇷 Brazil
Brazil has the world's largest tropical rainforest and leads the globe in environmental science and agritech research — unique career paths unavailable elsewhere.
São Paulo is Latin America's largest financial centre, hosting over 80 international banks and the B3 stock exchange (world's 13th largest by market cap).
Source: B3 2024
Brazil is the world's largest producer of coffee, sugar, and soybeans — agribusiness engineering and food science graduates are in permanent demand.
Source: USDA 2024
Brazil's startup ecosystem produced 15 unicorns by 2024 including Nubank, iFood, and VTEX — Latin America's most dynamic tech scene.
Source: CB Insights 2024
🇨🇳 China
China files more international patents than any country in the world — surpassing the US in 2019 and growing every year since.
Source: WIPO 2024
Shanghai has the world's largest metro network by route length at 831 km — larger than London, New York, and Tokyo combined.
Source: UITP 2024
China's Belt and Road Initiative spans 149 countries — creating infrastructure and finance careers with genuinely global reach.
Source: AEI 2023
Mandarin Chinese is the world's most spoken native language — learning it to HSK 5 unlocks business opportunities in East Asia's $26 trillion combined economy.
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.