Ireland vs New Zealand: Better Study Destination

A common dilemma of all the students who have made their mind to study abroad is which country to opt for. With the upgradations made by the top global universities and the introduction of student-friendly norms by the governments, international students have a long list of study destinations to choose from. Ireland and New Zealand both are two popular countries for overseas education amongst Indian students. To make the process of selecting one of these two easy for you, we have prepared this comparative guide on Ireland vs New Zealand.

Admission Intakes 

Both countries wholeheartedly welcome thousands of international students every year. Top colleges in Ireland as well as in New Zealand have specific intakes through which you can seek admission in your dream college. The universities in Ireland and New Zealand offer two intakes in a year with distinct deadlines. Tabulated below are the intakes in Ireland vs New Zealand. 

Intakes	New Zealand	Ireland
Intake 1	January	Early September – December
Intake 2	July	Late January – May

Read these blogs on MBA in Ireland and MBA in New Zealand and decide which one is better!

How does New Zealand compare to Ireland in terms of quality of living, cost of living, culture and tolerance?

Let’s compare both New Zealand and Ireland in terms of quality of living, cost of living, culture and tolerance:

Getting Student Visa: Ireland vs New Zealand

You can easily apply online for seeking a student visa for both the countries once you have received your acceptance letter from the university. Student visa is a crucial parameter in deciding between Ireland vs New Zealand, so let us have detailed look at each one of them- 

Ireland 

The country offers two types of student visas depending upon the duration of the program chosen. Irrespective of the type of the visa, the cost of it remains the same i.e., — 60 (INR 5,100). Types of Ireland student visa are-

• C Student Visa (For programs ranging less than 3 months)
• D Student Visa (For courses longer than 3 months)

New Zealand 

New Zealand student VISA is available in various types. As per your program of study in the country, you can opt for it. The cost of NZ students visa is NZD 330 (INR 16,000 + 772)

• Fee Paying Student Visa (For up to 4 years)
• Pathway Student Visa (For up to 5 years)

Before we move on to the next parameter for Ireland vs New Zealand,
you must also read our blog on Canada vs New Zealand!

Post Study Work Criteria 

The opportunity to work in the country once you have concluded your course is the next factor in our debate of Ireland vs New Zealand. Apart from the work while studying feature, New Zealand offers post-study work permit for 1-3 years to the candidates who have completed the equivalent qualification to Level 7 (1-year graduate diploma), Level 4-6 (Diploma/ Certificate)., etc. While, on the other hand, you can seek a work visa in Ireland if you have acquired the Ireland Work Permit.

Facts Related to New Zealand in comparison to Ireland

Here are some of the top facts related to New Zealand that make it better than Ireland:

• You live 0.9 years longer in New Zealand than Ireland
• You are 29.9% less likely to be unemployed
• You pay 31.2% lower tax rate
• New Zealand is around 3.8 times larger than Ireland

Facts Related to Ireland in comparison to New Zealand

Here are some of the top facts related to Ireland that make it better than New Zealand:

• You will spend 42.2% less on education
• You can make 87.7% more money in New Zealand
• You are 17.9% less likely to be obese

Cost Comparison: Ireland vs New Zealand

One of the most crucial deciding pointers between Ireland vs New Zealand is the total cost that one has to incur. Both countries are often listed as an economical option in the list of best countries to study abroad.

Seeking a normal bachelors degree in NZ would cost you 22,000-32,000 NZD (INR 10,70,000-15,50,000). Cost of studying in New Zealand for a PG course will be around NZD 26,000- 37,000 (INR 12,50,000- 18,00,000).

Seeking a normal bachelors degrree similar degree in Ireland would range about — 9,850- 25,500 (INR 8,30,000- 21,50,000). Cost of studying Masters in Ireland will cost you — 9,950- 27,000 (INR 8,50,000- 23,00,000).

Here is the link to our Cost of Living Calculator through which you can estimate your living expense at different countries!

Comparison of New Zealand and Ireland

Let’s compare some of the major data related to New Zealand and Ireland that describe the quality of living in these countries:

Comparison	Ireland	New Zealand
Annual GDP	$418,623M	$209,329M
GDP Per Capita	$84,324	$41,127
Education Expenditure	13.41%	16.82%
Govt Health Expenditure	20.04%	19.29%
Unemployment Rate	5.7%	4.9%

Top Universities: Ireland vs New Zealand 

The list of institutions providing high-end education in both countries is a great factor which will definitely help you in deciding between Ireland vs New Zealand. Nearly, 18,500 Non-EEA students/ international students were admitted to the Best universities in Ireland for the year 2019. Similarly, universities in New Zealand welcomed around 42,000 Indian students in the year 2019. Along with high-quality education, remarkable research facilities, homely accommodation, life-changing career opportunities, the universities in both countries offer their own set of perks. Let us have a look at the leading institutions of these countries as per THE Rankings 2020. 

Top Universities in Ireland	THE Rankings for Top Universities in Ireland 2020	Top Universities in New Zealand	THE Rankings for Top Universities in Ireland
Trinity College Dublin	164	University of Auckland	=179
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)	201-250	University of Otago	201-250
University College Dublin	250-300	Auckland University of Technology	251-300
National University of Ireland	251-300	University of Canterbury	301-350
Maynooth University	301-350	Lincoln University	501-600
University College Cork	301-350	Massey University	501-600
University of Limerick	501-600	Victoria University of  Wellington	501-600
Dublin City University	601-800	University of Waikato	501-600
Technological University of Dublin	801-1000

Find out which of these countries is best for MBBS with the help of our blogs on MBBS in New Zealand and MBBS in Ireland!

Eligibility Criteria

The entry requirements for international aspirants in both Ireland and New Zealand are not much distinct but they can vary as per the program you have chosen. The most vital mention in this section is the score of popular English languages proficiency exams such as IELTS, TOEFL, PTE  and competitive exams like GMAT, GRE and SAT exam. The scores of the aforementioned exams are readily accepted in both the universities in Ireland and New Zealand. 

Quality of Life: Ireland VS New Zealand

Ireland and New Zealand are some of the best countries to study. But these countries are equally great to live in as well. Let’s see the quality of life that Ireland and New Zealand offer: 

Cost of Living 

The cost of living in any country matters a lot when planning to stay there for education or job prospects. Let’s see the average cost of living in New Zealand and Ireland.

New Zealand

Expense	Cost
Apartment (1 BHK)	1,613.32 NZ$ (INR 82,260)
Basic Utilities	183.88 NZ$ (INR 9,375)
Internet	81.83 NZ$ (INR 4,172)
Local Transportation	160.00 NZ$ (INR 8,150)
One-time Meal	19 NZ$ (INR 968)

Ireland

Expense	Cost
Apartment (1 BHK)	€1157 (INR 99,570)
Basic Utilities	€145 (INR 12,470)
Internet	€49 (INR 4,210)
Local Transportation	€110 (INR 9,466)
One-time Meal	€15 (INR 1,290)

Happiness Ranking

Recently, the United Nations released a list of the World’s Happiest countries. So, let’s check out where Ireland and New Zealand stand:

New Zealand ranks #9 in the World’s happiest countries that means you will get to experience a great quality of life in New Zealand.

Ireland ranks pretty close to New Zealand at #13 in this list that again shows that the country is a great place to live in.

We hope that this Ireland vs New Zealand showdown helped you in selecting your dream study destination. Both countries offer great programs through their esteemed institutions. Reach out to Leverage Edu experts who will not only help you decide which is the best option for you but will also assist you in the admission process.