Cost of living

The cost of living in Australia and New Zealand varies considerably between different locations. Your cost of living will depend very much on your location, lifestyle (particularly accommodation) choices, but to give you an idea of what to expect, in Australia you should expect to spend upward of AU$300 per week and in New Zealand, from NZ$250. These estimates typically wouldn't include a budget for going out. Check out currency conversion rates at www.xe.com 

We'd recommend checking the university websites carefully for more detailed cost breakdowns, including student accommodation costs.  

When working out a rough budget, please remember to factor in essential costs such as rent; local travel; food, phone and utility bills (though these three are often included in the rent if you choose to live in catered halls of residence) and money for going out. All the universities give estimated costs for these on their websites (if you are struggling to find them or have questions about the figures that they quote, please contact Study Options to speak to a student advisor).

Remember that a university will usually only give the cost of living for the academic year (typically between 38 and 40 weeks) so if you want to stay on at university over the holidays, you'll need to budget extra.

Australian and New Zealand student visas allow you to work part time, which for many students is an essential way of helping out with living costs. The visa rules only allow you to work up to a maximum of 20 hours a week during term time, however, so part time jobs do not usually bring in enough money to contribute toward tuition fees. You are allowed to work full time during holidays, provided your course meets the Immigration requirements for this.