Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Serbia
54
GoScore
Budget/mo
$650
Salary/mo
$950
Saudi Arabia
49
GoScore
Budget/mo
$800
Salary/mo
$2,500
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
Serbia wins for students (GoScore 54 vs 49). A 2-year master's costs $20,600 in Serbia - 41% less than Saudi Arabia, saving $14,600.
Saudi Arabia wins for working professionals (GoScore 52 vs 49). Professionals in Saudi Arabia retain $1,320/month after expenses - $1,368/month more than in Serbia.
Serbia is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 63 vs 59). PR takes ~5 years in Serbia vs ~10 years in Saudi Arabia.
Total cost of attendance in Saudi Arabia - tuition ($16,000) plus living ($19,200) - is $35,200. In Serbia: $20,600 ($5,000 tuition + $15,600 living).Serbia is 41% cheaper, saving $14,600 over the degree.
In Serbia, the same hours earn $320/month - covering 80% of rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in Saudi Arabia retains $1,320/month from $2,500. In Serbia: $0/month from $950. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $82,080. Tech salaries: $4,500/mo (Saudi Arabia) vs $2,800/mo (Serbia).
Saudi Arabia: PR pathway ~10 years. Serbia: ~5 years. Post-study work visas: 0 months (Saudi Arabia) and 0 months (Serbia). Student visa fee: $500 vs $80.
Minimum IELTS band: 6.0 (Saudi Arabia) and 6.0 (Serbia).Take a free IELTS mock test on mockDe to benchmark your exact skill-level gaps before applying.
| Metric | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 🇷🇸 Serbia |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 49 | 54 |
| Work GoScore | 52 | 49 |
| Settle GoScore | 59 | 63 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $8,000 | $2,500 |
| Monthly student budget | $800 | $650 |
| Avg net salary / month | $2,500 | $950 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $900/mo | $620/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 0 months | 0 months |
| PR pathway | 10 years | 5 years |
| Safety index | 77 / 100 | 63 / 100 |
Understanding a country beyond spreadsheets - unique facts about each destination that shape the experience of living and working there.
🇸🇦 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
🇷🇸 Serbia
Belgrade's tech scene grew 25% in 2023 - Serbia now has the highest concentration of STEM graduates per capita in Southeast Europe.
Source: ICT Hub Serbia 2024
Serbia allows digital nomad residency with low income requirements - popular for EU-adjacent living at Central Asian costs.
Nikola Tesla was born in Serbia (then part of the Austrian Empire) - reflecting a long national tradition of engineering excellence.
Serbia's flat 10% income tax rate is one of the lowest in Europe.
Source: Tax Administration Serbia 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.