Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Romania
57
GoScore
Budget/mo
$550
Salary/mo
$1,000
Philippines
44
GoScore
Budget/mo
$400
Salary/mo
$500
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
Romania wins for students (GoScore 57 vs 44). A 2-year master's costs $12,600 in Philippines — 34% less than Romania, saving $6,600.
Romania wins for working professionals (GoScore 49 vs 33). Professionals in Romania retain $302/month after expenses — $502/month more than in Philippines.
Romania is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 63 vs 46). PR takes ~5 years in Romania vs ~10 years in Philippines.
Total cost of attendance in Philippines — tuition ($3,000) plus living ($9,600) — is $12,600. In Romania: $19,200 ($6,000 tuition + $13,200 living).Philippines is 34% cheaper, saving $6,600 over the degree.
In Philippines, 20 hrs/week at $2/hr earns $160/month — covering 59% of outside-city rent. In Romania, the same hours earn $320/month — covering 119% of rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in Philippines retains $0/month from $500. In Romania: $302/month from $1,000. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $30,120. Tech salaries: $900/mo (Philippines) vs $2,200/mo (Romania).
Philippines: PR pathway ~10 years. Romania: ~5 years. Post-study work visas: 0 months (Philippines) and 9 months (Romania). Student visa fee: $70 vs $120.
Minimum IELTS band: 5.5 (Philippines) and 5.5 (Romania).Take a free IELTS mock test on mockDe to benchmark your exact skill-level gaps before applying.
| Metric | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 🇷🇴 Romania |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 44 | 57 |
| Work GoScore | 33 | 49 |
| Settle GoScore | 46 | 63 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $1,500 | $3,000 |
| Monthly student budget | $400 | $550 |
| Avg net salary / month | $500 | $1,000 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $450/mo | $420/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 0 months | 9 months |
| PR pathway | 10 years | 5 years |
| Safety index | 40 / 100 | 63 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets — unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇵🇭 Philippines
The Philippines is the world's 3rd largest source of English-speaking professionals — over 100 million people speak English as a working language.
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) generates $30 billion/year in the Philippines — it's the world's largest offshore service delivery hub.
Source: IBPAP 2024
Filipino nurses and doctors work in over 40 countries — healthcare training here is internationally recognised across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
The Philippines became a lower-middle-income country in 2010 and is projected to join the upper-middle-income tier by 2026.
Source: World Bank 2024
🇷🇴 Romania
Romania produces more software engineers per capita than any other EU country — Bucharest is now a major Eastern European tech hub.
Source: Invest Romania 2024
Cluj-Napoca (Romania) hosts the UNTOLD festival — one of Europe's top 5 music festivals — reflecting a surprisingly vibrant cultural and creative economy.
Romania's flat 10% income tax rate and growing startup ecosystem attracted over $500 million in tech investment in 2023.
Source: Romanian Startups 2024
Romania has more castles per square kilometre than any country in Europe — Transylvania's heritage creates unique tourism and hospitality opportunities.
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.