Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
India
50
GoScore
Budget/mo
$280
Salary/mo
$620
Ecuador
48
GoScore
Budget/mo
$620
Salary/mo
$600
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
India wins for students (GoScore 50 vs 48). A 2-year master's costs $10,320 in India — 42% less than Ecuador, saving $7,560.
Ecuador wins for working professionals (GoScore 40 vs 35). Professionals in India retain $104/month after expenses — $164/month more than in Ecuador.
Ecuador is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 57 vs 51).
Total cost of attendance in Ecuador — tuition ($3,000) plus living ($14,880) — is $17,880. In India: $10,320 ($3,600 tuition + $6,720 living).India is 42% cheaper, saving $7,560 over the degree.
In Ecuador, 20 hrs/week at $3/hr earns $240/month — covering 100% of outside-city rent. In India, the same hours earn $200/month — covering 95% of rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in Ecuador retains $0/month from $600. In India: $104/month from $620. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $9,840. Tech salaries: $1,400/mo (Ecuador) vs $1,550/mo (India).
Ecuador: PR pathway ~3 years. India: no clearly defined pathway. Post-study work visas: 0 months (Ecuador) and 0 months (India). Student visa fee: $50 vs $0.
Minimum IELTS band: 5.5 (Ecuador) and 0.0 (India). India 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 | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | 🇮🇳 India |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 48 | 50 |
| Work GoScore | 40 | 35 |
| Settle GoScore | 57 | 51 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $1,500 | $1,800 |
| Monthly student budget | $620 | $280 |
| Avg net salary / month | $600 | $620 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $380/mo | $380/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 0 months | 0 months |
| PR pathway | 3 years | 0 years |
| Safety index | 33 / 100 | 45 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇪🇨 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
🇮🇳 India
India is the world's 3rd largest startup ecosystem with over 110 unicorns — more than the UK, Germany, and France combined.
Source: NASSCOM 2024
India's IIT graduates earn salaries competitive with MIT and Cambridge graduates globally — with placements at Google, Meta, and Goldman Sachs.
India will become the world's most populous country by 2023 (UN), with a median age of 28 — the youngest major economy in the world.
Source: UN Population Division 2023
India produces 1.5 million engineers per year — more than any other country — creating both domestic opportunity and the world's largest pool of export talent.
Source: AICTE 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.