Cost of Studying in Australia for International Students

The two big cost buckets

When budgeting for study in Australia, separate your spending into two clear buckets: tuition fees (what the university charges for your course) and living costs (housing, food, transport, insurance, and personal expenses). Treat them independently — a course with high tuition can sit in a city with lower living costs, and the reverse is also true.

Both buckets are quoted in Australian dollars (AUD). Because amounts change every academic year and differ widely between universities and courses, the only reliable figures are the ones published on each university's official fee page and the Australian Government's study and visa websites. Use the ranges and components below to plan, then verify exact numbers on the official source.

• Tuition fees — set per course, per year, by each university
• Living costs — housing, food, transport, insurance, personal
• All figures in Australian dollars (AUD), changing each year

Tuition fees vary by course and level

International tuition in Australia is charged per course and per year, and the range is wide. Undergraduate and postgraduate coursework programs are priced differently, and fees also depend heavily on the field of study — laboratory-based science, engineering, and clinical or medical programs typically cost more than classroom-based humanities or business degrees.

We deliberately do not publish a single tuition figure, because doing so would be misleading: each university sets its own fees and revises them annually. The accurate number for your specific course is on that university's official international-fees page. Look up the exact program you want, for the exact intake year, before you budget.

Living costs and the visa financial requirement

Beyond tuition, you budget for accommodation, food and groceries, public transport, mobile and internet, study materials, and personal spending. Living costs vary by city and by lifestyle — a share house in a regional area is very different from a studio in a major city centre.

Separately, the Australian student visa (Subclass 500) has a financial-capacity requirement: applicants must show they can cover tuition, travel, and living costs for their stay. The Australian Government sets and periodically updates the specific living-cost amount used for this requirement, so always confirm the current figure on the Department of Home Affairs website rather than relying on an older number. This is general information, not immigration or financial advice — verify the current requirement on the official government source before you apply.

• Accommodation — on-campus, share house, homestay, or rental
• Food, transport, phone/internet, study materials, personal
• Subclass 500 financial-capacity requirement — official amount, set by the Government

Other costs to plan for

A complete budget includes more than tuition and rent. Plan for Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), which student-visa holders are generally required to hold for the duration of their stay; one-time costs such as airfare, the visa application charge, and initial setup (deposit, bedding, kitchen items); and ongoing costs like textbooks and, for some courses, equipment or field-trip fees.

OSHC premiums and the visa charge are set by health insurers and the Government respectively and change over time, so check the current amounts on the official sources. Building these into your plan early avoids surprises after you arrive.

• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) — required for the visa duration
• One-time: airfare, visa application charge, arrival setup
• Ongoing: textbooks, equipment, course-specific fees

How to build a realistic budget

Work in this order. First, get the exact annual tuition for your chosen course from the university's official fee page. Second, estimate annual living costs using the Government's current student living-cost guidance and the cost of the specific city you are moving to. Third, add OSHC, the visa charge, airfare, and arrival setup. Fourth, factor in whether part-time work during study (allowed within the conditions of the student visa) may offset some living costs — but never rely on it to cover tuition.

Keep a contingency buffer for currency movement and unexpected expenses. Because every figure here changes annually, re-check the official sources close to your intake rather than trusting last year's numbers.