Cost of Living in Australia: Know About Living Expenses in Australia 2023 - 24 for International Students

Types of Australia Living Expenses for Students

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:

Accommodation

The main living costs come from the students' accommodation costs. The cost of accommodation in Australia for international students varies based on the type of room you want to stay in. You can choose from a lot of accommodation 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 for different accommodation options:

Type of Accommodation	Average Cost
Homestays	450 AUD - 1,200 AUD (INR 24,000 - INR 66,000)
Halls of residence	440 AUD - 1,100 AUD (INR 24,000 - INR 60,000)
Apartment	750 AUD - 1,700 AUD (INR 41,000 - INR 93,000)
Shared apartment	650 AUD - 950 AUD (INR 35,000 - INR 52,000)

Apart from this, your average cost of living in Australia is also affected by the location you want to stay. For example, 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 (INR 11,36,000)
Canberra	22,400 AUD (INR 12,35,000)
Adelaide	24,500 AUD (INR 13,51,000)
Melbourne	24,500 AUD (INR 13,51,000)
Brisbane	25,600 AUD (INR 14,10,000)
Perth	25,700 AUD (INR 14,17,000)

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Food and Groceries

Food is typically an important part that you must 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, 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 (INR 145)
A Dozen Eggs	5.36 AUD (INR 295)
White Fat Milk, 1 Litre	1.24 AUD (INR 68)
Fast Food Combo Meal	12 AUD (INR 660)
1 kg / Apples	4.32 AUD (INR 240)
500 gr. Local Cheese	9 AUD (INR 490)
Tomatoes, 1 kg	5.08 AUD (INR 280)
1.5 Litres of Water	2.20 AUD (INR 121)
Potatoes, 1 kg	3.35 AUD (INR 184)
Bread (for 2 people)	2.78 AUD (INR 153)

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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 yourself of 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 transport is very well connected within the city and 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.

An overview of some of the transport costs is:

Mode of Transport	Average Cost
One-way local transport ticket	3 - 6 AUD (INR 165 - INR 330)
Taxi Tariff	3.60 AUD - 7 AUD (INR 200 - INR 380)
Gasoline (1 litre)	1.19 AUD - 1.60 AUD (INR 65 - INR 88)
Taxi (1 km)	1.62 AUD - 3.20 AUD (INR 90 - INR 177)
Monthly Pass	90 AUD - 220.70 AUD (INR 4900 - INR 12,100)

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Household Bills

The household bills of a student also come 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 they don't, you have to consider them in your Australian living cost per month. Take a look at the average cost of your household expenses in the country:

Bills	Average Cost Per Month
Internet	70 AUD (INR 3800)
Basic Utilities such as Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, garbage, etc	200 AUD (INR 11,000)
Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local	0.10-1 AUD (INR 5 -INR 55)

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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 (INR 4400)
Books & Stationery	10 AUD (INR 550)
Toiletries	11 AUD (INR 600)
Other	50 AUD (INR 2700)

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Living Expenses in Australia for International Students: Based on Cities and Suburbs

The location of your stay matters a lot for 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 in 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 Australian cities and suburban areas popular for well-recognised universities in the country:

Factors of Living	Sydney	Spring Hill
Rent	540 AUD (INR 29,700)	250 AUD (INR 13,700)
Food & groceries	151 AUD (INR 8300)	137 AUD (INR 7550)
Utilities	80 AUD (INR 4400)	67 AUD (3600)
Transportation	38.46 AUD (INR 2095)	25 AUD (INR 1300)
Stationary	7 AUD (INR 380)	7 AUD (INR 380)
Others	50 AUD (2700)	50 AUD (INR 2700)

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Now you know the difference between the cost of living in Australia for students in different areas. Let us look at the average cost 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 private 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
University of Melbourne	Public	31,870 AUD (INR 17,57,000)
University of New South Wales	Public	23,140 AUD (INR 12,76,000)
University of Sydney	Public	44,500 AUD (INR 24,54,000)
The University of Queensland	Public	34,960 AUD (INR 19,28,000)
Australian National University	Public	31,628 AUD (INR 17,44,000)
Bond University	Private	43,200 AUD (INR 23,82,000)
Carnegie Mellon University	Private	58,000 AUD (INR 31,98,000)
Torrents University	Private	34,480 AUD (INR 19,01,000)
Avolande University	Private	34,736 AUD (INR 19,15,000)

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 at 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 into the available currency. Banks usually charge 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 in Australia can also be maintained using some saving steps, such as switching off extra electrical appliances, making homemade food, using public transport or cycling, etc.
• A part-time job or work while studying is another option to decrease 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.

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From the Desk of Yocket

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. 

If you are still confused and are ambitious enough to start your study abroad journey, you are in the right place! With Yocket Premium, you not only get your profile built by our top-of-the-field counsellors, but you also get guidance for making a strong application that will get you the admission you are looking for.