Cost of Living

Acommodation

You have a number of different accommodation options as an international student. The most popular options include:

Homestay

'Homestay' is when you live with an Australian family in their home. The homestay family provides you with meals, laundry facilities and your own room with a study desk. You will usually be asked to share some household chores. Homestay also gives you the chance to practice your English every day at home.

Homestay costs range from A$200 - A$230 per week. Homestay accommodation for students under 18 years of age includes guardianship arrangements and ranges from A$260 - A$280 per week.

Hostel accommodation

Hostels provide a friendly, safe, supervised environment. You get your own room or a shared room with communal facilities such as dining room, games room and television room. Many hostels also provide meals. Share rooms cost around A$30 - A$35 per night and private rooms A$60 - A$80 per night

Sharing a house or apartment

Sharing a house or apartment gives you more independence than homestay or hostel accommodation. However, you will need to provide your own furniture (if the house/apartment is unfurnished) and linen. You share the cost of rent, telephone, electricity and gas. You need to buy your own food and do your own laundry and cooking (although many sharing arrangements include sharing the cooking).

Renting by yourself

Studio or one-bedroom apartments are smaller and less expensive to rent than larger apartments. You'll need to provide your own furniture (if the house/apartment is unfurnished), pillows, sheets and blankets and pay for expenses such as electricity, gas, and telephone. You'll also need to clean your apartment, do your own laundry, buy your own food and do your own cooking. Costs depend on the size and location of the apartment or house.
For resources and further information, visit the Tenants' Union of NSW website.

In all accommodation there are a few rules basic and generally accepted rules:

1) Students will be expected to pay for their own telephone calls

2) If a student is to move from the accommodation provider wishes the student to move from the accommodation , it is common courtesy for either the student or the householder to give two weeks notice of their intension.

3) Student may be responsible for tidying their own room and are expected to treat all facilities home with care.

Most students find accommodation near to their university and travel to the university by public transport (train, tram or bus). Not all types of accommodation are available at any particular time, so students may have limited choice of accommodation. Accommodation can be booked prior to arrival. Two weeks advance notice is required before you depart for Australia, further details can be obtained from the international student office of your university or institute.

Some weekly estimated costs for Sydney are:

A$180 - A$350 1 bedroom apartment
A$125 - A$200 Shared 2 bedroom apartment (per bedroom)
A$100 - A$180 Shared 3 bedroom house (per bedroom)

Accommodation costs are cheaper outside of Sydney

Currency

The Australian dollar (AUD) is the currency that is accepted for all transactions in Australia.Cash is available as plastic notes and coins in the following values:

Notes: $5, $10, $20, $50, $100
Gold coins: $1, $2
Silver coins: 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c

100 cents make up one dollar.

Credit cards and debit cards are also accepted by most stores. Large businesses including telephone, gas and electricity companies also provide payment options using the telephone or internet to pay directly from your Australian bank account.

Living Costs

You'll need to allow for living costs in addition to your course tuition fees.

The Australian government estimates the average living expenses for an international student is A$12,000–A$20,000 per year ($A230-A$380 per week) to cover food, accommodation, telephone, gas, electricity, transport and entertainment. This will vary depending on where you study and the lifestyle you live.

Example weekly budget (in Australian dollars):

$100-$150 Accommodation (house or apartment shared with others)
$60-$80 Food
$20-$40 Utilities - telephone, electricity, gas (shared costs with others)
$20-$50 Public transport
$30-$60 Entertainment
$230-$380 Total

It generally costs more to live in Sydney than in other cities or towns in New South Wales. Outside Sydney, accommodation and transport costs are lower.

Here are some estimates of common expenses (in Australian dollars):

$15 Cinema/movie ticket
$25 - $35+ Dinner (restaurant)
$8 - $12 Lunch (cafe)
$3 - $4 Coffee
$5 - $8 DVD hire
$1.50 Newspaper (local)
$4 - $7 Newspaper (international)
$5 - $8 Magazine

Shopping
Sydney and regional cities and towns in NSW offer a wide range of choices for shoppers:

•Supermarkets sell fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, frozen foods, canned goods, bread, paper products, stationery, personal needs and some non-prescription medicines. Many supermarkets have extended shopping hours and are open late at night each day of the week.

•Large shopping centres are located in Sydney's central business district, in Sydney suburbs and in larger regional towns. Shopping centres often include major department stores (David Jones, Myer, Target, K-Mart or Big-W), supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths, Franklins), specialist retail stores (books, clothing, shoes, sportswear, music, etc), banks, cafes and fast-food outlets, and movie theatres.

•Markets sell a wide variety of new and second-hand goods. There are a number of weekend markets, and you may be able to bargain at some stalls. Some well-known food and clothing markets in Sydney are:
•Paddy's Markets in Haymarket and Flemington
•The Rocks Markets
•The Glebe Markets
•Bondi Markets
•Balmain markets
•Sydney Fish Markets

Most stores open from 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Saturday, with the exception of Thursday when trading hours are usually 9:00am to 9:00pm. Shops in the Central Business District and major suburban shopping centres open from 10:00am to 4:00pm Sunday.