Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Oman
51
GoScore
Budget/mo
$900
Salary/mo
$1,400
Saudi Arabia
49
GoScore
Budget/mo
$800
Salary/mo
$2,500
For Students
This guide compares Oman vs Saudi Arabia on tuition fees, student visa requirements, part-time work allowances, post-study work visas, and cost of living for students — using 2026 data.
AI insights unavailable
Students GoScore Ranking
GoScore 0-100 · Weights: affordability, PR pathway, safety, career & quality of life
Student Cost Comparison
Public university tuition / year
Monthly student budget
Part-time wage / hour
Student visa fee
Post-study work visa
IELTS band required
Safety index
Student visa fee
Work permit fee
Post-study work visa (months)
PR pathway (years)
IELTS band required
Quick Verdict for Students — 2026
Oman wins for international students with a study GoScore of 51 vs 49 for Saudi Arabia — a narrow margin where personal priorities matter. A complete 2-year master's (tuition + living) costs $31,600 in Oman — 10% less than Saudi Arabia, saving $3,600 over the degree.
Part-time work offsets more costs in Saudi Arabia: 20 hrs/week covers 0% of outside-city rent there, vs 0% in Oman. IELTS minimum band: 6.0 for Oman, 6.0 for Saudi Arabia.
The full cost of a 2-year master's in Oman — public university tuition ($10,000) plus living costs ($21,600) — totals $31,600. In Saudi Arabia, the same calculation yields $35,200 ($16,000 tuition + $19,200 living).Oman is 10% cheaper, saving $3,600 — enough to cover 4 months of living costs or reduce education loan size substantially.
Saudi Arabia's higher hourly wage reduces net annual study costs by $0 per year.
After graduating and finding work, how long before your savings cover the cost of the degree? In Oman, a graduate earning the average net salary ($1,400/mo) and saving $310/month after expenses recovers the full degree cost in 102 months. In Saudi Arabia, the break-even point is 27 months. Saudi Arabia offers faster ROI on your education investment.
Oman requires a minimum IELTS band of 6.0 across most student visa categories. Saudi Arabia requires 6.0. Top universities routinely require 6.5 or 7.0 — so the visa minimum is the floor, not the target. Use mockDe's free mock test to identify your exact gap per skill (Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking) before applying.
| Metric | 🇴🇲 Oman | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Public university tuition / yr | $5,000 | $8,000 |
| Monthly student budget | $900 | $800 |
| Part-time wage / hr | N/A | N/A |
| Student visa fee | $130 | $500 |
| Post-study work visa | 0 months | 0 months |
| PR pathway | 0 years | 10 years |
| IELTS band required | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Indian community | Large | Very Large |
| Safety index | 77 / 100 | 77 / 100 |
| Student hall / month | $600 | $500 |
International students in Oman pay an average of $5,000/year at public universities, compared to $8,000/year in Saudi Arabia. Oman's significantly lower public tuition makes it more accessible for Indian students on tight scholarships or education loans. Private institutions cost $9,500/yr in Oman and $15,000/yr in Saudi Arabia. On-campus student accommodation runs $600/month in Oman and $500/month in Saudi Arabia — budget for this before calculating loan amounts.
Part-time work is a critical lever for Indian students managing living costs without full family support. In Oman, the student part-time wage is N/A/hour. At 20 hours/week, that is N/A/month — covering 0% of the average monthly student budget. In Saudi Arabia, the rate is N/A/hour, or N/A/month — covering 0% of the student budget. Saudi Arabia's higher hourly rate gives students a stronger monthly buffer against living expenses.
The study-to-PR pipeline is a primary driver for Indian students choosing between these countries. After graduating, Oman offers a 0-month post-study work visa, giving graduates time to find skilled employment and accumulate points or employer sponsorship for PR. In Saudi Arabia, the post-study work visa runs 0 months with a 10-year PR pathway. Both countries offer equal post-study work visa duration.
Community and cultural familiarity directly affect academic performance and mental well-being.Oman has a large Indian diaspora — meaning established student support networks, Indian grocery stores, temples, and social groups.Saudi Arabia has a very large Indian community. English proficiency among the general public is high in Oman and moderate in Saudi Arabia, affecting how easily you can communicate outside academic settings, find housing, and navigate daily life. The climate in Oman is arid, while Saudi Arabia is arid desert — extremely hot dry summers, mild winters — a practical consideration for students from tropical or semi-arid Indian regions.
Oman requires a minimum IELTS overall band of 6.0 for most student visa categories.Saudi Arabia requires 6.0.Individual universities often require higher bands (6.5 or 7.0 for competitive programmes) — check admission requirements for your specific course. Use mockDe's free full-length IELTS mock test to benchmark your current score across all four skills before applying.
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇴🇲 Oman
Oman is consistently ranked the Arab world's most stable country (Global Peace Index 2023) — a key draw for risk-averse professionals.
Source: IEP 2023
Oman Vision 2040 is investing $100 billion in diversifying away from oil — creating massive demand for tech, tourism, and renewable energy professionals.
Source: NCSI Oman 2024
Oman levies 0% personal income tax — salaries are entirely take-home.
Muscat's cost of living is 30% below Dubai while offering comparable tax-free salaries — making it one of the Gulf's best-kept secrets for professionals.
🇸🇦 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
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.