Live 2026 data ยท Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Saudi Arabia
49
GoScore
Budget/mo
$800
Salary/mo
$2,500
Brazil
47
GoScore
Budget/mo
$560
Salary/mo
$700
AI insights unavailable
Study Abroad GoScore Ranking
GoScore 0-100 ยท 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
Saudi Arabia wins for students (GoScore 49 vs 47). A 2-year master's costs $17,440 in Brazil - 50% less than Saudi Arabia, saving $17,760.
Saudi Arabia wins for working professionals (GoScore 52 vs 39). Professionals in Saudi Arabia retain $1,320/month after expenses - $1,420/month more than in Brazil.
Saudi Arabia is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 59 vs 55). PR takes ~4 years in Brazil vs ~10 years in Saudi Arabia.
Total cost of attendance in Brazil - tuition ($4,000) plus living ($13,440) - is $17,440. In Saudi Arabia: $35,200 ($16,000 tuition + $19,200 living).Brazil is 50% cheaper, saving $17,760 over the degree.
In Brazil, 20 hrs/week at $4/hr earns $320/month - covering 100% of outside-city rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in Brazil retains $0/month from $700. In Saudi Arabia: $1,320/month from $2,500. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $85,200. Tech salaries: $1,500/mo (Brazil) vs $4,500/mo (Saudi Arabia).
Brazil: PR pathway ~4 years. Saudi Arabia: ~10 years. Post-study work visas: 0 months (Brazil) and 0 months (Saudi Arabia). Student visa fee: $50 vs $500.
Minimum IELTS band: 5.5 (Brazil) and 6.0 (Saudi Arabia). 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 | ๐ง๐ท Brazil | ๐ธ๐ฆ Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 47 | 49 |
| Work GoScore | 39 | 52 |
| Settle GoScore | 55 | 59 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $2,000 | $8,000 |
| Monthly student budget | $560 | $800 |
| Avg net salary / month | $700 | $2,500 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $500/mo | $900/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 0 months | 0 months |
| PR pathway | 4 years | 10 years |
| Safety index | 30 / 100 | 77 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets - unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
๐ง๐ท Brazil
Brazil has the world's largest tropical rainforest and leads the globe in environmental science and agritech research - unique career paths unavailable elsewhere.
Sรฃo 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
๐ธ๐ฆ 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 30โ40% 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
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.