Live 2026 data · Tuition, rent, visa, salaries, PR pathways & more
Saudi Arabia
49
GoScore
Budget/mo
$800
Salary/mo
$2,500
Vietnam
46
GoScore
Budget/mo
$420
Salary/mo
$520
For Students
This guide compares Saudi Arabia vs Vietnam 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 46 for Vietnam — a narrow margin where personal priorities matter. A complete 2-year master's (tuition + living) costs $15,080 in Vietnam — 57% less than Saudi Arabia, saving $20,120 over the degree.
Part-time work offsets more costs in Vietnam: 20 hrs/week covers 70% of outside-city rent there, vs 0% in Saudi Arabia. IELTS minimum band: 6.0 for Saudi Arabia, 5.5 for Vietnam.
The full cost of a 2-year master's in Saudi Arabia — public university tuition ($16,000) plus living costs ($19,200) — totals $35,200. In Vietnam, the same calculation yields $15,080 ($5,000 tuition + $10,080 living).Vietnam is 57% cheaper, saving $20,120 — enough to cover 48 months of living costs or reduce education loan size substantially.
In Vietnam, 20 hours/week at $3/hour yields $224/month — covering 70% of rent and 53% of the student budget. Vietnam's higher hourly wage reduces net annual study costs by $2,688 per year.
After graduating and finding work, how long before your savings cover the cost of the degree? In Saudi Arabia, a graduate earning the average net salary ($2,500/mo) and saving $1,320/month after expenses recovers the full degree cost in 27 months. In Vietnam, the break-even point is N/A.
Saudi Arabia requires a minimum IELTS band of 6.0 across most student visa categories. Vietnam requires 5.5. Vietnam 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 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 🇻🇳 Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Public university tuition / yr | $8,000 | $2,500 |
| Monthly student budget | $800 | $420 |
| Part-time wage / hr | N/A | $2.80 |
| Student visa fee | $500 | $25 |
| Post-study work visa | 0 months | 0 months |
| PR pathway | 10 years | 0 years |
| IELTS band required | 6.0 | 5.5 |
| Indian community | Very Large | Small |
| Safety index | 77 / 100 | 61 / 100 |
| Student hall / month | $500 | $240 |
International students in Saudi Arabia pay an average of $8,000/year at public universities, compared to $2,500/year in Vietnam. Vietnam's lower public university tuition reduces the total financial burden considerably over a 2-year programme. Private institutions cost $15,000/yr in Saudi Arabia and $5,000/yr in Vietnam. On-campus student accommodation runs $500/month in Saudi Arabia and $240/month in Vietnam — 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 Saudi Arabia, 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 Vietnam, the rate is $3/hour, or $224/month — covering 53% of the student budget. Vietnam'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, Saudi Arabia 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 Vietnam, the post-study work visa runs 0 months. Both countries offer equal post-study work visa duration.
Community and cultural familiarity directly affect academic performance and mental well-being.Saudi Arabia has a very large Indian diaspora — meaning established student support networks, Indian grocery stores, temples, and social groups.Vietnam has a small Indian community. English proficiency among the general public is moderate in Saudi Arabia and moderate in Vietnam, affecting how easily you can communicate outside academic settings, find housing, and navigate daily life. The climate in Saudi Arabia is arid desert — extremely hot dry summers, mild winters, while Vietnam is tropical — north has mild winters, south hot year-round; monsoon season may–oct — a practical consideration for students from tropical or semi-arid Indian regions.
Saudi Arabia requires a minimum IELTS overall band of 6.0 for most student visa categories.Vietnam requires 5.5. Vietnam 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.
🇸🇦 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
🇻🇳 Vietnam
Vietnam's economy grew at 7.1% in 2023 — the fastest in Southeast Asia — driven by electronics manufacturing (Samsung, Intel, LG all produce here).
Source: World Bank 2024
Ho Chi Minh City ranks in Asia's top 10 startup ecosystems, with particular strength in fintech and e-commerce.
Source: Startup Genome 2024
Vietnam produced 1.2 million university graduates per year in STEM fields as of 2023 — the fastest-growing STEM talent pipeline in Southeast Asia.
Source: MOET Vietnam 2023
Vietnam's coast stretches 3,260 km — making tourism, hospitality management, and marine engineering uniquely important industries.
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.