The standard of living is high in Australia which is reflected in the cost of living. Expenses will obviously vary depending on where you live but the current average living costs you can expect for a student are outlined here on the Study in Australia government website.
It’s also difficult to say what you will find expensive here as it is relative to where you come from. For example, Japanese students find eating out here very expensive because in Japan restaurants are much cheaper than in Australia. But if you are after a pair of sports shoes and you’re from Western Europe, in Australia you will pay roughly 70% of the price you would pay in Germany or France. As for mobile phones, if you’re from Brazil, you will find that the current iPhone model is about 60% of the cost in Australia compared to that of Brazil.
Click here to find out current costs of eating out, shopping, transport, utilities, rent and salaries.
Fun Finance Facts on Sydney
- Quality of Life Index: Ranked 8th in the world
- After-rent Disposable Income Index: Ranked 4th in the world
- Bad Habits Index (cigarettes and beer): In the top 5 most expensive countries in the world
Cost of Rent (per month)
These costs are averages for household rent but for a shared rental for students you can expect to pay between $85 to $215 per week per person.
Cost of Dinner for Two (in a local pub)
The cost of eating out will vary greatly and if you include alcoholic beverages it will, of course, add a lot more to the bill. You can expect to pay $80 to $280 per week for food and groceries – the variation will obviously depend on how much you eat out. Click here for the cheapest places to shop for food.
Cost of Transportation (per month)
Transport costs will depend how far you have to travel everyday. Expect to pay $15 to $55 per week for public transport.
Cost of a pair of Levi Jeans
Shopping in Australia has become much cheaper in recent years due to the arrival of large clothing chains and being able to shop online. Click here to find ways of saving money on clothes shopping.
More data on living costs
Click here for Business Insider’s summary of the annual Deutsch Bank ‘Mapping the World’s Prices’ report 2018.
For Numbeo’s data on the cost of living in Sydney as at March 2019, click here.
