Australia Money

Cost of living

As a wise man once said “there are no free lunches in the world”, Australian education too comes at a price.  

Many international students who come to Australia are entering a phase in their lives where they have started taking care of their own affairs. Becoming independent is a big change anyway but when this change is combined with moving to a different country, the ramifications can be enormous. Therefore, it is essential that you do all the calculations and budgeting before you come to Australia.

We will assist you in your research to ensure that there are no surprises for you when you arrive in Australia.

International students are allowed to work up to 20 hours a week. Even though working these many hours may seem good enough or may translate into a good enough salary as compared to your own country, international students should definitely not rely on it to fund their cost of living.

International students may not have many options when they start looking for part-time work. Many jobs listed on job search websites are for permanent residents of Australia. Although it is not impossible to find a good paying part-time job, it should still be regarded for extra pocket money, not as a necessity to be able to fund your basic living.

To start budgeting for your stay in Australia, you should have an estimate on how much it will cost you to source your accommodation as it will probably be the highest expense for you. As mentioned in the accommodation section of the article, students must visit the websites such as www.realestate.com.au and www.domain.com.au to get an idea on what kind of places are available for rent and what is an average rent to pay for an accommodation that will suit your needs.

Apart from counting your accommodation cost, you should take into consideration costs of items such as your text books, public transport, utilities, mobile phones etc. The cost of all these items is different in different states.

The figures below will assist you in understanding the cost of commonly used items in Australia:
 

• A litre of milk usually cost around AUD1.60
• A standard can of Coke cost roughly AUD2.20
• You will need to pay AUD3.50 for a loaf of bread and AUD1.60 for 1kg of rice
• You can expect to pay AUD3.50 for a cup of coffee
• Sandwich from café will cost around AUD6.50
• While buying a movie ticket, you can show your students card and get a 30% discount (approx.). After the discount, the ticket would cost around AUD10
• If you intend to purchase a CD, you will be expected to pay roughly AUD20. However, most of the music stores conduct sales after every 3-4 months where you might be able to get a discount on the normal retail price
• A new release DVD rental for a night would cost you AUD7.00
• If you plan to watch a professional sporting event at a stadium, you will need to pay AUD30-AUD50 depending on the event

Note that these costs are approximate and just to give you an indication on what you can expect when you come to the land down under. If you know anyone who lives in Australia, we recommend seeking their opinion on how much it cost to maintain a lifestyle that you look for.

Moreover, if you decide to purchase an expensive item, such as TV, laptop, furniture etc, it is better to do some research and look out for the timing of the sales in stores. If you are comfortable buying such items second-hand, you should look out for ads in the local newspaper or the university news-sheets. There are also few stores (such as Salvation Army’s salvos) and weekend markets dedicated to selling pre-owned items. The risk in buying a second-hand item is high as usually no guarantee or warranty is provided on such items.

A goods and services tax (GST) of 10% is added to most goods and services in Australia. But most of the prices listed are usually inclusive of GST.


Eating out and tipping

Thanks to being a multi-cultural society, Australia is able to offer you almost every possible cuisine available in the world. You will also find a choice in the type of restaurants with some restaurants providing you fine dining and some providing food at a more modest level.

Many small restaurants/eating joints have also opened up near universities offering courses to international students. These places usually offer lunch and dinner meals at a very competitive price of AUD8-AUD12 per meal.

You will also find heaps of fast food joints everywhere in Australia. International food chains such as McDonald’s, KFC and Subway are available in all the major cities. There are also fish and chips shops in almost every suburb in Australia.  

It is not customary in Australia to tip but it is a matter of choice and many people tip the food and drink waiters up to 10% of the bill if they wish to show their appreciation for good service.

In Australia, service charges are not added to accounts by hotels and restaurants.