Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Saudi Arabia
49
GoScore
Budget/mo
$800
Salary/mo
$2,500
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
Saudi Arabia wins for students (GoScore 49 vs 47). A 2-year master's costs $27,000 in China — 23% less than Saudi Arabia, saving $8,200.
Saudi Arabia wins for working professionals (GoScore 52 vs 42). Professionals in Saudi Arabia retain $1,320/month after expenses — $918/month more than in China.
Saudi Arabia is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 59 vs 55). PR takes ~10 years in Saudi Arabia vs ~10 years in China.
Total cost of attendance in China — tuition ($9,000) plus living ($18,000) — is $27,000. In Saudi Arabia: $35,200 ($16,000 tuition + $19,200 living).China is 23% cheaper, saving $8,200 over the degree.
In China, 20 hrs/week at $4/hr earns $320/month — covering 97% of outside-city rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in China retains $402/month from $1,200. In Saudi Arabia: $1,320/month from $2,500. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $55,080. Tech salaries: $2,500/mo (China) vs $4,500/mo (Saudi Arabia).
China: PR pathway ~10 years. Saudi Arabia: ~10 years. Post-study work visas: 0 months (China) and 0 months (Saudi Arabia). Student visa fee: $140 vs $500.
Minimum IELTS band: 6.0 (China) and 6.0 (Saudi Arabia).Take a free IELTS mock test on mockDe to benchmark your exact skill-level gaps before applying.
| Metric | 🇨🇳 China | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 47 | 49 |
| Work GoScore | 42 | 52 |
| Settle GoScore | 55 | 59 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $4,500 | $8,000 |
| Monthly student budget | $750 | $800 |
| Avg net salary / month | $1,200 | $2,500 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $520/mo | $900/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 0 months | 0 months |
| PR pathway | 10 years | 10 years |
| Safety index | 70 / 100 | 77 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇨🇳 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.
🇸🇦 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
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.