Home of the world's most popular yet third leading study abroad destinations, Australia offers quality education to hundreds of thousands of students every year. Apart from its academic excellence, the country attracts a large sum internationally for various reasons. The cost of living in Australia is one of the major concerns in studying abroad. But the good news is that, if you manage it effectively, the living expenses in Australia for Indian students and other international students will be easy to bear.
As an international student in Australia, if you have planned your expenses in advance, your expenses would be around 2,000 AUD per month. Therefore to smartly planned your costs before travelling to the country, here we have curated a complete guide on Australia living cost for international students and everything related to it.
Overview of Australia Living Cost for International Students
The estimated cost of living in Australia for international students is typically around 20,000 AUD. However, this can vary based on a number of factors such as your kind of lifestyle, accommodation, transportation etc. while studying in Australia. Before discussing each of these factors, here's an overview of the monthly expenses in Australia for an international student:
Factors |
Average Cost Per Month |
Accomodation |
297 AUD – 743 AUD |
Food & Groceries |
208 AUD – 416 AUD |
Transportation |
44 AUD – 89 AUD |
Household Bills |
14 AUD – 29 AUD |
Shopping |
118 AUD – 223 AUD |
Miscellaneous |
22 AUD – 29 AUD |
The costs mentioned above do not include the tuition fees or any kind of education fees. To understand better, look at each of these expenses:
Types of Australia Living Expenses for Students
The living expenses in Australia are based on your accommodation type, and the number of times you have explored the location. As an international student, you obviously travel to different corners, taste their dishes etc. To spend on this, you must have at least 2,000 AUD monthly in your pocket. Thus, keeping these things in mind, let's discuss each of the types of expenses to study in Australia in detail:
Accomodation
The main living costs come from the students' accomodation costs. The accommodation cost in Australia for international students varies based on the type of room you want to stay in. You can choose from a lot of accomodation options such as hall of residence shared housing, local homestays etc. Among them, the hall of residence is the most popular for international students.
Here is a look at the monthly cost of living in Australia in different accommodation options:
Type of Accomodation |
Average Cost |
Homestays |
450 AUD - 1,200 AUD |
Halls of residence |
440 AUD - 1,100 AUD |
Apartment |
750 AUD - 1,700 AUD |
Shared apartment |
650 AUD - 950 AUD |
Apart from this your average cost of living in Australia is also affected by the location you want to stay. For example, the living expenses in Sydney are much more expensive for international students in comparison to living in cities like Gold Coast and Canberra.
Have a look at the difference between the expenses of various cities in Australia for an international student:
City |
Average Cost of Living |
Gold Coast |
20,600 AUD |
Canberra |
22,400 AUD |
Adelaide |
24,500 AUD |
Melbourne |
24,500 AUD |
Brisbane |
25,600 AUD |
Perth |
25,700 AUD |
Food & Groceries
Food is typically an important part which you must have to include in your monthly living expenses in Australia. This should be affordable for you if you manage to cook your food on your own instead of going out to fancy restaurants. Eating out on a regular basis can simply increase your cost and can be quite expensive.
The best thing for you is to search for your native groceries in Australia that provide all the ingredients for your native meals, as most of the international students find it easy to cook their food. Hence, the student living expenses in Australia can be managed very well.
The costs of some basic food and groceries are given below:
Particulars |
Costs |
White Rice 1 kg |
2.64 AUD |
A Dozen Eggs |
5.36 AUD |
White Fat Milk 1 Litre |
1.24 AUD |
Fast Food Combo Meal |
12 AUD |
1 kg / Apples |
4.32 AUD |
500 gr Local Cheese |
9 AUD |
Tomatoes 1 kg |
5.08 AUD |
1.5 Litres of Water |
2.20 AUD |
Potatoes 1 kg |
3.35 AUD |
Bread (for 2 people) |
2.78 AUD |
Transportation
The cost of living in Australia for students also includes commuting around the cities. Mostly, if you are living far from your university you will have to travel a lot to reach your destination. But to manage these expenses you can avail some of the student discounts available for ten international students in the country.
You can also choose to travel via public transport as the public transports are very well connected within the city and it is also very convenient. Taking a bus, or train or simply using a bicycle for transportation can be a very affordable option as compared to using taxis.
A overview of some of the transport with the costs are:
Mode of Transport |
Average Cost |
One-way local transport ticket |
3-6 AUD |
Taxi Tariff |
3.60 AUD - 7 AUD |
Gasoline (1 litre) |
1.19 AUD - 1.60 AUD |
Taxi (1 km) |
1.62 AUD - 3.20 AUD |
Monthly Pass |
90 AUD - 220.70 AUD |
Household Bills
The household bills of a student also comes into the picture while living in Australia. The bills for electricity, water, internet etc are important and should be paid on time. Most of the accommodation costs contain these basic utilities, but if it doesn't, you have to consider it in your Australian living cost per month. Take a look at the average costs of your household expenses in the country:
Bills |
Average Cost Per Month |
Internet |
70 AUD |
Basic Utilities such as Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage etc |
200 AUD |
Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local |
0.10-1 AUD |
Shopping
As an international student living in a country like Australia you may be amazed with everything around you. Be its fashionable clothes, delicious restaurants or branded attires, the list may go on. Even if somehow you succeed in controlling your urge to shop, you will still spend around 80 AUD shopping monthly expenses in Australia.
Miscellaneous
Lastly, some miscellaneous expenses include a wide range of things from stationery items to leisure activities or any other extra living expenditure you come across. You must make sure that these types of expenses can vary from person to person and will mostly depend on the lifestyle you choose.
Therefore, you should plan it accordingly. It is also recommended that you maintain a distance from the luxury items to plan out a budget based on the average expenses in Australia. Take a look at some of the miscellaneous costs:
Miscellaneous Items |
Average Costs |
Household Items |
80 AUD |
Books & Stationery |
10 AUD |
Toiletries |
11 AUD |
Other |
50 AUD |
Living Expenses in Australia for International Students: Based on Cities and Suburbs
The location of your stay matters a lot in the living expenses in Australia for international students. For instance, if you are living in cities like Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne, the average cost of living in Australia would be much higher than the suburban cities such as St. Kilda west, South Brisbane, Spring Hill and many others.
Let's have a look at the difference between the cost of living for Australia cities and suburban areas popular for well-recognised universities in the country:
Factors of Living |
Sydney |
Spring Hill |
Rent |
540 AUD |
250 AUD+ |
Food & groceries |
151 AUD |
137 AUD |
Utilities |
80 AUD |
67 AUD |
Transportation |
38.46 AUD |
25 AUD |
Stationary |
7 AUD |
7 AUD |
Others |
50 AUD |
50 AUD |
Now you know the difference between Australia cost of living for students in different areas. Let us look at the average costs of living in Australia while studying at different universities:
Australia Living Expenses for Students: Public vs Private Universities
The cost of living in Australia for Indian students is also affected by the type of university, whether it is a public or price university. The public universities in Australia are funded by the state government or through some subsidies, whereas Private Universities are funded by investors and require tuition fees from students.
Here is a difference between the tuition fees of both types of universities included in the cost of living in Australia for students:
University Name |
Type of University |
Average Annual Fees |
Public |
31,870 AUD |
|
Public |
23,140 AUD |
|
Public |
44,500 AUD |
|
Public |
34,960 AUD |
|
Public |
31,628 AUD |
|
Private |
43,200 AUD |
|
Private |
58,000 AUD |
|
Torrents University |
Private |
34,480 AUD |
Avolande University |
Private |
34,736 AUD |
So to plan your average monthly expenses in Australia effectively, some of the crucial parameters include:
Tips to Reduce Cost of Living In Australia For International Students
The cost of living in Australia for international students can be reduced using the following steps. Let's have a look these:
- First, you may compare the cost of living in Australia per month based on the university and the state you live in.
- Sometimes while living in a different country, you need to convert your money in the available currency. Banks usually cut some hidden charges for converting the money. Therefore, it is better to choose any transparent money exchange provider in the country.
- The average living expenses Australia can also be maintained using some saving steps such as switching off extra electrical appliances, homemade food, using public transport or cycling etc.
- A part-time job or work while studying is another option to decrease the living expenses in Australia for Indian students and international students.
- Some of the universities also offer scholarships for managing the expenses of an international student in Australia.
Application Requirements to Study in Australia
With this, we can say that managing the cost of living in Australia for Indian students and international students is a game of planning. The simple tricks discussed above will surely overhaul your finances and assist you in spending less on other expenses. However, if you are still confused about the application, selection of best university, right housing types, connect with our Yocket Professionals today.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Cost of Living for Students in Australia
Ques. Is it costly to live in Australia?
Ans. There is no one size fits all plan for an individual in Australia. A single international students may need approximately 20,000 AUD per year and living with family requires to spend more than 45,000 AUD per year to get by in Australia.
Ques. What is the average monthly cost of living in Australia?
Ans. The average living expenses for a single student in Australia is around 2,835 AUD per month.
Ques. Is Australia cheap or expensive?
Ans. The cost of living in Australia is on an average 0.99% higher than the United States. However, the accommodation rent is on an average 24.90% lower than the USA.
Ques. How much does a meal cost in Australia?
Ans. An average basic meal cost for an international student in Australia is around 42 AUD per day for three times the food.
Ques. How much does it cost an Indian students to live in Australia?
Ans. The cost of living in Australia for Indian students can vary between 70,000 INR to 125,000 INR per month.
Ques. What are the cheapest cities to live in Australia?
Ans. List of cities in Australia that are cheaper to live in are:
- Adelaide
- Gold Coast
- Morawa
- Hobart
- Broken Hills
- Cairns