Australia offers excellent value for money, although life in Sydney has become more expensive since the 2000 Olympic Games. An international survey has nominated Sydney as the most livable city in the world and Melbourne is ranked 6th! Read more!

If you study in outback areas or in Queensland, Western Australia or South Australia, the cost of living is generally lower than in other Australian cities

On average, you need around A$12,000 per year to live very comfortably in Australia. These estimates are in addition to airfare, visa application, health cover and tuition fees and will vary depending on your lifestyle and preferences.

To conclude, if you are planning to study abroad, living expenses and tuition costs in Australia are generally less expensive than in the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

We have compiled below a table recapitulating the average costs per categories so that you can have a better idea to organise your budget.

Attention! Te prices indicated below are in Australian dollars, WEEKLY.

Accommodation
Single room (Share Accommodation) : A$80 - $190
Twin room (share accommodation) : A$60 - $125
Studio : AU$180- $300
Food : A$60 - $120
Book materials : A$55- $1.000 (per year)
Electricity : A$10 - $20
Telephone (mobiles and international calls) : A$10 - $30
Transport : A$15 - $32
Stationery, photocopying, etc : A$20
Entertainment : A$30 - $200
Cinema Ticket (student rates) : A$5 - $12.50
Postage
Within Australia : A$0.50
International : A$1/strong>A$1.50 - $4.00
Milk (2 litres) : A$2.60
Australian Cheese (500g) : A$4.50 - $10.00
Lettuce : A$1.60
Cereals (box) : A$4.50
Powerade (Sports drink – 33cl bottle) : A$1.90- $3.00
Chips (bag) : A$2.50
Big Mac : A$3
Medium Soft Drink : A$1.65- $3.50

If you want to know more about study costs,, please refer to the relevant sub-section in our section Studies.

Click here to convert in your home currency!

The living costs are measured differently between countries so we have made a summary of the differences you need to know to organise your buget.

- No student discount for International students on any public transport apart in Canberra, Adelaide and Perth!!

- In Australia, everything is paid weekly: wages, accommodation…

- Rent: it's not the rule that living in the city centre is more expensive than in suburbs!! It depends of the popularity of the area: the most trendy the area, the highest are the costs! Trends in Australia vary very quickly, so check it out before moving in anywhere!!!

- The tuition fees are similar all around Australia, although it can be cheaper in Sydney due to a strong competition between the institutions!!

Get familiar with the Australian dollar!! Click here to convert it into your local currency!