Many students ask if $150,000–200,000 is enough for a year in Australia? What’s the minimum amount needed for a year in Australia? How much budget should I prepare to come to Australia? There are always more ways you can bring these costs down.
How Much Does It Cost to Live in Australia for International Students?
Study seriously and don’t fail courses. Failing a course costs around $4,000–7,000. Not failing is the most efficient way to save money. Studying in Australia can be intense. You can legally work 48 hours every two weeks. Those who have spare time can do part-time work. Students should focus on studying; don’t let part-time work affect your academics—it’s not worth it!
Cooking your own meals is super cost-effective. The biggest part of living expenses is rent, followed by food. Eating out or ordering takeaway is really expensive; even the cheapest meal costs 15 AUD. With 15 AUD, you can buy groceries and cook several meals yourself. Grocery shopping for one day costs about 20 AUD and can include meat, vegetables, fruits, and drinks. One grocery trip can last several days—huge savings!
Rent a place a bit farther from campus Many students say that with a budget of 500–600 AUD, they can’t find suitable housing. Of course, housing near campus is expensive. If you don’t mind being a bit farther from school, shared housing for 200–300 AUD per month is possible. Be patient, and you can find a good place!
Get a student transport card Students enjoy half-price discounts, so don’t take Uber all the time—it easily costs 30 AUD. Two Uber trips could equal a month of public transport fees. Use public transport more, get an Opal card, and after a certain number of trips per week, you get discounts.
Open an Australian bank account Before coming to Australia, open a Bank of China account that works in Australia. Transferring money from your Chinese Bank of China card will avoid extra fees.
Keep an eye on second-hand books, appliances, and furniture These can be bought from second-hand markets or local second-hand websites. Very cost-effective; many items are 80% new.
Watch for supermarket discounts Coles and Woolworths have discounted items every Wednesday! You can often buy very cheap laundry detergent, beef, drinks, etc.
Ways to lower the Cost to Live in Australia
Coles – weekly discounts on Wednesdays
Woolworths – weekly discounts on Wednesdays
ALDI – Australia’s cheapest supermarket
HelloFresh – often has 9.9 AUD deals with a bunch of ingredients
HalfPrice – aggregates discounted and half-price items from Coles and Woolworths
Australia Money-Saving News – discount info summary site
Cashrewards – cashback for online and offline shopping
OzBargain – discount info summary site
Tiendeo – discount info summary site
Jetstar – Australian low-cost airline, cheaper when bought in advance
Hopper – discounted flight website
TRS – Australia tax refund app
ShopFully – aggregates discounts from major Australian supermarkets and malls
Wiselist – supermarket price comparison app
Rewards (Woolworths) – points card (points can be redeemed for cash)
Flybuys (Coles) – points card (points can be redeemed for cash)
Unidays – student discount website
MyShopping – shopping price comparison website
Author: Sim K
Author
