Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Ecuador
48
GoScore
Budget/mo
$620
Salary/mo
$600
Brazil
47
GoScore
Budget/mo
$560
Salary/mo
$700
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
Ecuador wins for students (GoScore 48 vs 47). A 2-year master's costs $17,440 in Brazil — 2% less than Ecuador, saving $440.
Ecuador wins for working professionals (GoScore 40 vs 39). Professionals in Ecuador retain $-60/month after expenses — $40/month more than in Brazil.
Ecuador is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 57 vs 55). PR takes ~3 years in Ecuador vs ~4 years in Brazil.
Total cost of attendance in Brazil — tuition ($4,000) plus living ($13,440) — is $17,440. In Ecuador: $17,880 ($3,000 tuition + $14,880 living).Brazil is 2% cheaper, saving $440 over the degree.
In Brazil, 20 hrs/week at $4/hr earns $320/month — covering 100% of outside-city rent. In Ecuador, the same hours earn $240/month — covering 100% of rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in Brazil retains $0/month from $700. In Ecuador: $0/month from $600. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $2,400. Tech salaries: $1,500/mo (Brazil) vs $1,400/mo (Ecuador).
Brazil: PR pathway ~4 years. Ecuador: ~3 years. Post-study work visas: 0 months (Brazil) and 0 months (Ecuador). Student visa fee: $50 vs $50.
Minimum IELTS band: 5.5 (Brazil) and 5.5 (Ecuador).Take a free IELTS mock test on mockDe to benchmark your exact skill-level gaps before applying.
| Metric | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 47 | 48 |
| Work GoScore | 39 | 40 |
| Settle GoScore | 55 | 57 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $2,000 | $1,500 |
| Monthly student budget | $560 | $620 |
| Avg net salary / month | $700 | $600 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $500/mo | $380/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 0 months | 0 months |
| PR pathway | 4 years | 3 years |
| Safety index | 30 / 100 | 33 / 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
🇪🇨 Ecuador
Ecuador is one of only 2 countries in the world where you can stand with one foot in each hemisphere simultaneously (at the Mitad del Mundo monument).
Ecuador uses the US Dollar as its official currency — meaning zero currency exchange risk for international professionals or remote workers.
The Galápagos Islands (Ecuador) are the inspiration for Darwin's theory of evolution — marine biology and conservation research careers are globally unique here.
Ecuador's Jubilee Visa (2024) offers low-cost residency to retirees and remote workers earning $800+/month — Latin America's most accessible immigration programme.
Source: Cancillería Ecuador 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.