Queensland Living Cost

LIVING EXPENSES FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS STUDYING IN QUEENSLAND

As an international student studying in Queensland you are allowed to bring in $10 000 AU when you arrive and if you bring in money over that amount you will have to sign a BNI form that will be given to you by the customs officer when you declare what you have in your possession when you enter the country.

This is just one of the situations you will have to consider when you enter into Australia to begin or continue your academic career as a holder of a student visa. Like most international students who study in Australia you will most probably be in possession of a student visa with an 8105 student visa subclass that allows you to work 20 hours per week during term and full time during hiatus. And this will help you to make the $400 a week you will need to get by in Australia during your time here. Over the past couple of years Australia has shown itself to be resistant to the financial meltdown that is affecting the rest of the developed world at present and good part time employment is still quite easy to come by if you need to find work to support yourself as a student in the country.  Although it is recommended that you have the financial resources to stay in Australia without having to use this option because your primary goal while you are here is too finish your studies.

There are many living expenses that you will have to take into account as an international student depending on where you live and the type of finances that you have access too.

Some of these are:

1.    Accommodation
2.    Food
3.    Clothing
4.    Student Fees
5.    Health
6.    Transportation
7.    Entertainment

But initially you will have to set yourself up in Queensland before you can do a budget that will work for you. The initial costs of setting up in Australia will run to about $2500 and may include rental bonds, electricity connection fees, student fees, text books / course materials, telephone bond, gas security deposit, internet, pre-loved furniture, utensils and linen. The International Student Services department (ISS) at the institution you will be studying at can help you with all of this and offer excellent assistance in this area.

So, what do you have to consider?


ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation is important and there are many accommodation options to be considered as an international student. The two best options though (financially speaking) are shared accommodation and on-campus accommodation at one of the housing dorms at the institution you are studying at. Shared accommodation is a cheap option for international students to consider because it is inexpensive with the rent being spread over four or five people that allow you to rent a bigger house in a suburb closer to the city and you have the freedom of doing whatever you want. This is very important to most people if they are over 21 years of age! Also being in shared accommodation allows you to live with people from your own country who are experiencing many of the same feelings for the first time that you are feeling and could help you navigate the new society with greater efficiency and clarity, while providing a valuable link to your home culture that could help you through momentary symptoms of culture shock that are normal for people experiencing Queensland for the first time. Although it might not be possible for you to go into shared accommodation when you first arrive in Queensland you could live at a housing dorm at the institution you are studying with if you are a university student or at a secondary college. The positive aspects of staying at a housing dorm is that you can have your own room or share one with another student, get all meals served to you, and have your laundry done by the domestic staff all for one fee. You also do not have to worry about power bills and most transportation costs because you will be at the university or other tertiary institution already.  Most universities in Queensland have inter-campus shuttle bus services. The downside to a housing dorm is that you cannot pick your neighbours and there is less freedom to do what you want. But if you do not know anyone in the country than this is a good option for you. Most housing dorms cost between $150 and $250 a week.  They are very well maintained and the staff is highly professional.


FOOD

The average food bill for a single person living in Queensland is usually between $60AU and $80AU a week and can be more expensive depending on the suburb that you live in. Most larger grocery stores in affluent suburbs tend to be more expensive than those in lower socio-economic areas, although they have a greater range of food products that might be more akin to your home country. And the wealthier shopping districts are more likely to have ethnic stores that cater to people from non Anglo-Celtic backgrounds, but once again these specialty items may come with an extra cost. But if you have the resources then by all means look at these places as an option that may have some of your favorite foods from home.


CLOTHING

Clothing, like food in Australia is directly related to how much in the way of financial resources that you have access too. You can buy inexpensive clothing in Australia from the larger retailers cheaply. A t-shirt from one of these stores will cost you between $10AU and $30AU and you can fit yourself out with a relatively decent wardrobe for about $500AU that will last you a year and get you through all Queensland seasons. The Australian national style (we don’t have a dress costume) is defined by an easy going and informal attitude and you may find that you begin taking in elements of while you are in the country. Although it is possible to get access to clothing from your home country via eBay and other internet based businesses, but remember not all clothing does well in the Queensland climate. There are (basically) 8 months of summer. So going with a casual, loose-fitting ‘aussiesque’ clothing style that is similar to other students studying in the country is probably they way to go if you are on a budget and can be purchased from almost any retail district in the state.


STUDENT FEES

As an international student all student fees will need to be paid before you enter into Australia. It is a stipulation on all student visa applications for entry into the country regardless of the visa subclass. How much student fees will cost depends on the institution you are studying at and the field that you are studying in.  A medical degree in Australia takes 6 years, while most Bachelor of Art courses take 3 years. You will have to contact your AA Education Agent and ask them to help you with this part of the process and they should be able to give you the price of your course and associated fees without to much difficulty. Text books and other material related to your course of study can be brought from the university bookshop. And the price of these materials varies depending on the specifications of the modules you will be studying during that particular term, while most electronic devices like laptops and printers can be used in Queensland with the purchasing of an adaptor.  And the price of new electronic devices in Australia can be researched on via the internet before you leave your home country.


HEALTH

As an international student studying in Queensland you will have to have OSHC and that will cost you roughly $340AU annually and has to be maintained during your entire time of study in Australia. Except if you are an international student from Norway then you are covered by the Norwegian Government’s agreement with the Australian Government.
The benefits of OSHC are:
Access to General Practitioners / Surgery / Hospital Wards in public hospitals and private wards in hospitals that have a contractual relationship with your OSHC provider / some prosthetics / Day Surgery accommodation / Limited pharmaceuticals and Ambulance services.
All of these benefits are covered by OSHC and OSHC can be paid directly to the institution you are studying in or the provider.


TRANSPORTATION

Over the last year in Queensland public transport fees have risen by 40%, so every one who uses transport in Queensland are feeling the pinch. Like many international students studying in Queensland you will most likely be using public transport on a regular basis to get to and from the institution you are studying at.  Public transport can cost between $25AU and $50AU a week and even more if you are in one of the outer suburbs.  But the upside to this is that as a either an undergraduate student or a postgraduate student you will receive a small discount from the state government and you will also be able to access the inter-campus shuttle bus service. But it is still best to find share accommodation with other students in a suburb closer to the institution you are studying at or stay on campus so you can cut down on this expense. A way of cutting down this expense if you are put into a position where you (unavoidably) have to use public transport is to purchase ‘go-cards’ that will cover your transport fees weekly or  monthly. ‘Go-cards’ are a good way of cutting down transport costs if you are a heavy user of public transport while you are studying.  


ENTERTAINMENT

Entertainment and lifestyle options also directly relate to the type of person you are and how much financial resources you have access too. And the cost of entertainment is rounded off to about $1000AU per year. But this will be more or less on the type of entertainment that you are looking for. Most universities in Queensland have a student guild that usually put on festivals and events that are inexpensive and will not break the budget. Cinemas are also quite cheap and you can see a movie for about $15AU.  While most galleries and art houses do not have an admission price and Queensland has many of the best beaches and national parks in the world that are free and within public transport range of most towns in the state. Entertainment is important and you will find what suits you for the budget that you have in Queensland without to much difficulty.