Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Lithuania
58
GoScore
Budget/mo
$750
Salary/mo
$1,400
Hungary
48
GoScore
Budget/mo
$605
Salary/mo
$1,100
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
Lithuania wins for students (GoScore 58 vs 48). A 2-year master's costs $21,120 in Hungary — 19% less than Lithuania, saving $4,880.
Lithuania wins for working professionals (GoScore 52 vs 43). Professionals in Lithuania retain $458/month after expenses — $347/month more than in Hungary.
Lithuania is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 65 vs 54). PR takes ~5 years in Lithuania vs ~8 years in Hungary.
Total cost of attendance in Hungary — tuition ($6,600) plus living ($14,520) — is $21,120. In Lithuania: $26,000 ($8,000 tuition + $18,000 living).Hungary is 19% cheaper, saving $4,880 over the degree.
In Hungary, 20 hrs/week at $3/hr earns $253/month — covering 57% of outside-city rent. In Lithuania, the same hours earn $400/month — covering 105% of rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in Hungary retains $111/month from $1,100. In Lithuania: $458/month from $1,400. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $20,820. Tech salaries: $2,200/mo (Hungary) vs $2,500/mo (Lithuania).
Hungary: PR pathway ~8 years. Lithuania: ~5 years. Post-study work visas: 6 months (Hungary) and 12 months (Lithuania). Student visa fee: $110 vs $80.
Minimum IELTS band: 6.0 (Hungary) and 6.0 (Lithuania).Take a free IELTS mock test on mockDe to benchmark your exact skill-level gaps before applying.
| Metric | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 🇱🇹 Lithuania |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 48 | 58 |
| Work GoScore | 43 | 52 |
| Settle GoScore | 54 | 65 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $3,300 | $4,000 |
| Monthly student budget | $605 | $750 |
| Avg net salary / month | $1,100 | $1,400 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $605/mo | $600/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 6 months | 12 months |
| PR pathway | 8 years | 5 years |
| Safety index | 65 / 100 | 65 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇭🇺 Hungary
Hungary has the EU's most competitive R&D tax credit — companies get 200% deduction on qualifying research expenditure — driving strong demand for engineers and scientists.
Source: HIPA 2024
Budapest's thermal bath culture and UNESCO World Heritage city centre make it Europe's most affordable capital city with Western infrastructure.
Hungary's White Card Digital Nomad Visa (2024) allows remote workers to live in Hungary for 1 year, renewable, with minimal income requirements.
Source: OIF Hungary 2024
Hungarian and Transylvanian mathematicians have disproportionately shaped modern computer science — John von Neumann, born in Budapest, invented the computer architecture used in all modern computers.
🇱🇹 Lithuania
Lithuania attracted over €1 billion in fintech investment in 2023 — Vilnius is now Europe's 3rd largest fintech hub after London and Stockholm.
Source: Invest Lithuania 2024
Lithuania was the first Soviet republic to declare independence (1990) — a political fact that reflects the country's notably strong democratic institutions.
Vilnius' old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring the world's highest concentration of Baroque architecture per square kilometre.
Source: UNESCO
Lithuanian universities charge €2,000–5,500/year for English-taught programmes — among the best value EU degrees available.
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.