Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Taiwan
58
GoScore
Budget/mo
$800
Salary/mo
$1,600
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
Taiwan wins for students (GoScore 58 vs 49). A 2-year master's costs $31,200 in Taiwan — 11% less than Saudi Arabia, saving $4,000.
Taiwan wins for working professionals (GoScore 55 vs 52). Professionals in Saudi Arabia retain $1,320/month after expenses — $685/month more than in Taiwan.
Taiwan is stronger for permanent residence (GoScore 67 vs 59). PR takes ~5 years in Taiwan vs ~10 years in Saudi Arabia.
Total cost of attendance in Saudi Arabia — tuition ($16,000) plus living ($19,200) — is $35,200. In Taiwan: $31,200 ($12,000 tuition + $19,200 living).Taiwan is 11% cheaper, saving $4,000 over the degree.
In Taiwan, the same hours earn $424/month — covering 112% of rent.
After rent, groceries, transport, and utilities, a professional in Saudi Arabia retains $1,320/month from $2,500. In Taiwan: $635/month from $1,600. Over 5 years the gap compounds to $41,100. Tech salaries: $4,500/mo (Saudi Arabia) vs $3,000/mo (Taiwan).
Saudi Arabia: PR pathway ~10 years. Taiwan: ~5 years. Post-study work visas: 0 months (Saudi Arabia) and 12 months (Taiwan). Student visa fee: $500 vs $110.
Minimum IELTS band: 6.0 (Saudi Arabia) and 6.0 (Taiwan).Take a free IELTS mock test on mockDe to benchmark your exact skill-level gaps before applying.
| Metric | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
|---|---|---|
| Study GoScore | 49 | 58 |
| Work GoScore | 52 | 55 |
| Settle GoScore | 59 | 67 |
| Public university tuition / yr | $8,000 | $6,000 |
| Monthly student budget | $800 | $800 |
| Avg net salary / month | $2,500 | $1,600 |
| Rent 1-bed (city centre) | $900/mo | $650/mo |
| Post-study work visa | 0 months | 12 months |
| PR pathway | 10 years | 5 years |
| Safety index | 77 / 100 | 77 / 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
🇹🇼 Taiwan
Taiwan produces 90% of the world's most advanced semiconductor chips (below 7nm) — TSMC's fab engineers are among the highest-paid in Asia.
Source: Semiconductor Industry Association 2024
Taiwan ranked #1 globally for ease of doing business in manufacturing for the 8th consecutive year.
Source: World Bank 2024
Taiwan's National Health Insurance covers all residents including foreign workers from day one — comprehensive healthcare with no private insurance needed.
Source: NHI Taiwan 2024
Taiwan's Gold Card programme offers a 3-year open work permit to skilled professionals earning $60,000+/year — processed in 30 days.
Source: NDC Taiwan 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.