Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Saudi Arabia
49
GoScore
Budget/mo
$800
Salary/mo
$2,500
Philippines
44
GoScore
Budget/mo
$400
Salary/mo
$500
For Students
This guide compares Philippines 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
Saudi Arabia wins for international students with a study GoScore of 49 vs 44 for Philippines. A complete 2-year master's (tuition + living) costs $12,600 in Philippines — 64% less than Saudi Arabia, saving $22,600 over the degree.
Part-time work offsets more costs in Philippines: 20 hrs/week covers 59% of outside-city rent there, vs 0% in Saudi Arabia. IELTS minimum band: 5.5 for Philippines, 6.0 for Saudi Arabia.
The full cost of a 2-year master's in Philippines — public university tuition ($3,000) plus living costs ($9,600) — totals $12,600. In Saudi Arabia, the same calculation yields $35,200 ($16,000 tuition + $19,200 living).Philippines is 64% cheaper, saving $22,600 — enough to cover 57 months of living costs or reduce education loan size substantially.
In Philippines, working 20 hours/week at $2/hour generates $160/month, covering 59% of outside-city rent and 40% of the average monthly student budget. Philippines's higher hourly wage means students can reduce net annual study costs by $1,920 through part-time work over the degree.
After graduating and finding work, how long before your savings cover the cost of the degree? In Philippines, a graduate earning the average net salary ($500/mo) and saving $0/month after expenses recovers the full degree cost in N/A. In Saudi Arabia, the break-even point is 27 months.
Philippines requires a minimum IELTS band of 5.5 across most student visa categories. Saudi Arabia requires 6.0. Philippines has a lower minimum, which matters if you are between bands. 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 | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Public university tuition / yr | $1,500 | $8,000 |
| Monthly student budget | $400 | $800 |
| Part-time wage / hr | $2.00 | N/A |
| Student visa fee | $70 | $500 |
| Post-study work visa | 0 months | 0 months |
| PR pathway | 10 years | 10 years |
| IELTS band required | 5.5 | 6.0 |
| Indian community | Small | Very Large |
| Safety index | 40 / 100 | 77 / 100 |
| Student hall / month | $250 | $500 |
International students in Philippines pay an average of $1,500/year at public universities, compared to $8,000/year in Saudi Arabia. Philippines's significantly lower public tuition makes it more accessible for Indian students on tight scholarships or education loans. Private institutions cost $5,000/yr in Philippines and $15,000/yr in Saudi Arabia. On-campus student accommodation runs $250/month in Philippines 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 Philippines, the student part-time wage is $2/hour. At 20 hours/week, that is $160/month — covering 40% 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. Philippines's higher hourly wage means students can offset more of their living costs — reducing dependence on remittances from home.
The study-to-PR pipeline is a primary driver for Indian students choosing between these countries. After graduating, Philippines offers a 0-month post-study work visa, giving graduates time to find skilled employment and accumulate points or employer sponsorship for PR. PR typically takes 10 years from arrival. 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.Philippines has a small 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 very high in Philippines and moderate in Saudi Arabia, affecting how easily you can communicate outside academic settings, find housing, and navigate daily life. The climate in Philippines is tropical — hot and humid year-round, typhoon season jun–nov, while Saudi Arabia is arid desert — extremely hot dry summers, mild winters — a practical consideration for students from tropical or semi-arid Indian regions.
Philippines requires a minimum IELTS overall band of 5.5 for most student visa categories.Saudi Arabia requires 6.0. Philippines has a lower minimum band, which benefits applicants still working towards their target score. 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.
🇵🇭 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
🇸🇦 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.