How Much Does it Cost to Study and Work in Australia?

How much does it cost to study, work and live in Australia? Well, the answer is not easy and depends on many factors. If you get to the end of this article, you will get an idea of the initial budget you need to make the leap to Australia.

The cost of the visa

The first expense you should take into account is the visa. Keep in mind that, depending on your nationality and age, you can apply for one visa or another.

The indicative prices of each visa are the following:

• The tourist visa is free for Spaniards and some Latin American countries that request it from outside Australia (eVisitor Visa). If you apply for a Visitor Visa while outside Australia, it costs AU$150. On the other hand, if you request it while in Australia (Visitor Visa), it has a cost of AU$ 380 depending on the months of visa granted. It is important that you know that with this visa you cannot work.
• The student visa does allow you to work and has a cost of AU$ 650 and the couple visa costs AU$ 485. Remember that the couple’s visa can only be applied for together with the student visa and that the financial solvency to demonstrate is AU$1,754.
• The Work and Holiday visa has a cost of AU$510 and, in addition to meeting all the requirements (age, certificate of English…), you must demonstrate economic funds of AU$5,000.

Depending on your nationality, the Australian government may request a demonstration of funds of AU$1,754 for each month you want to stay in Australia. The Australian immigration department requests it to ensure that you can support yourself during your stay in the country. The economic funds that you demonstrate can be from your parents, partner, or a direct relative.

Studies in Australia

If you want to study in Australia, to calculate the approximate cost of your course you must take into account: the type of course, its duration, the chosen destination, the quality, and the class hours. Depending on the type of course, the Australian government gives these cost ranges:

• English courses: they can cost you around AU$300 a week. The more weeks of the course, the cheaper. For example, a 3-month English course at a quality school in Sydney costs AU$ 3,300 including tuition and materials. If you choose a cheaper school but with lower academic quality, 3 months of English in Sydney will cost you around AU$ 2,100.
• VET Professional Courses: depending on the school, the quality, and the duration, a VET course can cost you from AU$1,500 (3 months) or AU$3,000 (6 months), AU$4,500 (9 months), or AU$7,000 (12 months)…For example, a 7-month Business Diploma in Brisbane costs around A$5,300.
• TAFE Professional Courses: These are high-quality VET courses delivered by Australian Government TAFE schools. A course from these institutions can cost you between 4,000 and 22,000 Australian dollars.
• University: a degree can cost you from AU$ 15,000 to AU$ 33,000 per year. Studying at a university, such as a master’s degree, can cost you from AU$ 18,000 to AU$ 37,000 per year. And finally, a Ph.D. from AU$ 4,000 to AU$ 37,000.

Flights to Australia

Once you have the approved visa you must buy the flights. If you have a fixed date to return to your country, we recommend buying round-trip flights. However, if you have no plans for the future, you can only buy a one-way flight. You never know what can happen in Australia, chances are you’ll want to stay longer!

Logically, the cost of the tickets will depend on the country you come from, the season you fly in, the offers you find, and whether you take a round trip or one way.

Flights to Australia from Spain cost between 800 euros (one way and with a stopover) and 1,300 euros (roundtrip with a single stopover). If you are traveling from another country, use a flight comparator to find out the approximate prices of your tickets.

Also, if you want to start your adventure in Australia with a partner, in this calendar you will find the flights of more people who would like to have company during their plane trip, everything is controlled!

Health insurance in Australia

Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is the compulsory health insurance for all students, it costs around AU$48 per month and should cover you throughout your stay in Australia. If the visa is for a couple, the health insurance must be as well and in this case, it is a little more expensive.

We take care of requesting and processing your health insurance with the BUPA insurance company. BUPA’s OSHC covers medical emergencies in Australia. If you travel with a visa other than the student one, do not hesitate to take out insurance, healthcare in Australia is very expensive!

Accommodation in Australia for the first days

You always have the option of finding accommodation from your home on Facebook pages or websites like Flatmates. If that is not the case, for your first days in Australia we recommend that you look for a hostel or backpacker near your school or the CBD. Booking at least a week in a backpacker will make it easier for you to travel and will allow you to comfortably find accommodation to live a season in Australia.

A night in a backpacker can cost you between AU$20 and AU$40. It will depend on the city, the hostel services and the location.

Initial expenses once you are in Australia

Next, we explain the initial expenses that you have to count on when you land in Australia. Remember that here you charge and pay weekly.

• Room for rent: A single room in the Gold Coast or Brisbane will cost you between AU$170 and AU$240 per week and a shared room between AU$130 and AU$170 per week. In cities like Sydney and Melbourne, a single room costs between AU$240 and AU$400 per week while sharing a room can cost between AU$150 and AU$240 per week.
• Deposit of your room: In almost all houses they usually ask for two weeks of the rental amount in advance as a deposit. But don’t worry, when you leave the house they give it back to you. Find out how to rent a room in Australia.
• Food expenses: It is a very relative expense since it varies a lot depending on what each person eats. To go easy, has AU$80-AU$120 a week.
• Mobile: 30 AU$ per month (It is one of the few expenses that you will pay monthly in Australia).
• Public transport: It will depend on where you live and where your school is. If you have to get around by public transport, it will normally cost around AU$ 35 per week.

All our services are free!

We will not charge you anything to help you make the leap and offer you our services to study in Australia: advice, procedures and received in Australia by our Collaborators. It is the Australian schools that finance us.

If you add the amounts that we have been explaining to you, you should get the initial investment you need to go to study and work in Australia. Add it all up and convert it to your currency using the currency converter.

We give you an example:

To study 6 months of intensive English in Australia you need an initial investment of between AU$5,000 (3,500 euros) and AU$7,500 (5,200 euros).

Details:

• Student visa: AU$650
• English course: AU$2,800 – AU$4,300 (depending on the quality of the school and offers)
• Flight: AU$1,000 to AU$1,900 (depending on stopovers, airlines…)
• Medical insurance: AU$ 420 approximately for 8 months.
• Hostel/Backpacker: AU$100 – AU$280 (depending on the nights, the place, and the offers)

To live a month in Australia without worrying about making ends meet, you must have at your disposal when you land, at least between 2,000/4,000 Australian dollars (1,500 to 3,000 euros).

Details:

• Rent a room for a month: AU$560- AU$1,100
• Room deposit: AU$280- AU$540
• Food per month: AU$380- AU$400
• Mobile per month: AU$30
• Transportation per month: AU$140
• Extras/Incidentals: AU$800

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