Information on the cost of living in Australia including cost of grocery transportation, phone, ect.

Knowing the average living costs in Australia is an important part of your financial preparation. For your reference, here are some of the costs associated with living and studying in Australia.

(All costs are in Australian dollars)

Accommodation

These accommodation fees are for one person only

• Hostels and Guesthouses - $90 to $150 per week
• Shared Rental - $85 to $215 per week
• On campus - $90 to $280 per week
• Homestay - $235 to $325 per week
• Rental - $165 to $440 per week
• Boarding schools - $11,000 to $22,000 a year

For more information about renting and buying property in Australia, please click on housing in about Australia page.

Other living expenses

• Groceries and eating out - $80 to $280 per week
• Gas, electricity - $35 to $140 per week
• Phone and Internet - $20 to $55 per week
• Public transport - $15 to $55 per week
• Car (after purchase) - $150 to $260 per week
• Entertainment - $80 to $150 per week

Groceries

You can visit the below supermarket websites and see the grocery prices to have an idea of how much your grocery shopping costs.

• Click here for Online grocery shopping at Coles
• Click here for grocery shopping at Aldi

Purchasing a car

Whether you would like to purchase a new or second-hand car, carsales is one of Australia’s biggest car sale website.

Phone and Internet

There are numerous home phone and mobile providers in Australia. You may choose a plan or a prepaid option according to your needs and budget. Below are the websites of some of the biggest providers in Australia. You may have a look at their prices and compare:

• Telstra
• Optus
• Vodafone
• iinet

Public Transport

Trains and Trams

Depending where you will live, the public transport fees varies between states. The below are the websites of the trains in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia:

• Translink (Queensland)
• PTV (Victoria)
• Sydney Trains (New South Wales)
• Adelaide Metro (South Australia)
• Transperth (Western Australia)

Taxis

• Taxis (cabs) are readily available in metropolitan and regional areas and they are easily recognised by their bright yellow colour.
• To hire a taxi in Australia you can make a phone booking, wait at a taxi-cab rank or hail a taxi from the side of the road. Fares are metered. Extra charges apply for telephone booking, toll charges and late-night services.
• All taxis must be registered, and the driver must display his/her identification in the car.
• Uber is widely used now, and their prices are reasonable. You need to download Uber app on your phone and book an Uber driver prior to your trip.

The minimum cost of living

The Department of Home Affairs has financial requirements you must meet in order to receive a student visa for Australia. From 1st February 2018 the 12 month living cost is:

• You - $20,290
• Partner or spouse - $7,100
• Child - $3,040

All costs are per year in Australian dollars. To convert to your own currency, please click here.

Average Living Cost for Family oF four in Brisbane (Queensland)

**Public Schools are free for Permanent Residents

Source: www.studyinaustralia.gov.au