Australian City International College

Living In Australia

Welcome to Australia

Sydney is the largest city in Australia in terms of population. It is often called “The Harbour City” and is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, offering a wide selection of entertainment, food, restaurants, shopping, pristine beaches and sightseeing. Sydney has a temperate climate with warm summers and cool winters, and rainfall spread throughout the year. Students are ideally placed to take advantage of it all.

Australian City International College is located in Parramatta (10 minutes from Parramatta Train Station) which is in Central Western Sydney and is easily accessible through a range of efficient public transport options (train and bus). Parramatta is 23km west of the Sydney CBD.

The Sydney CBD is a major business and commercial center. It is home to the Sydney icons such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney Aquarium, Darling Harbour and many shops and restaurant, boasting some of Australia’s most historic places of interest. For those not inclined to the past, you can catch a performance at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, offering drama and comedy shows or enjoy the many entertaining areas such as Pitt Street Malls, The Rocks, Circular Quay, and China Town. Australia’s most famous beach; Bondi Beach is located approximately 30 minutes from the CBD.

The Department of Home Affairs have set out financial evidence you must demonstrate. As a single student you must be able to show you have the financial capacity to cover living costs of at least $24,505 Australian dollars per year. There are additional costs for extra family members.

Please refer to https://www.studyaustralia.gov.au/en/life-in-australia/living-and-education-costs for a more accurate calculator of what your estimated costs might look like, you can also refer to the Department of Home affairs website https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/student-500#HowTo for more information.

Education costs

Australian education tuition fees for international students are very competitive with other countries. All tuition fees for international students who study in Australia are exempt from GST and are charged up-front, with some institutions making additional charges to cover other associated costs like mandatory student workbooks, sports facilities, laboratory costs, student organization membership, and library fees.

English language courses

Vocational education and training (VET) course costs

Prices for vocational education courses in Australia can vary between A$3,000.00 and A$70,000.00 depending on the course, duration and whether the qualification is a certificate, diploma or advanced diploma. For example, learning to fly is far more expensive than any course that is largely classroom based. The length of courses can also vary greatly depending on the type, of course, you plan on studying so make sure you do your homework before you enroll in any course.

Accommodation costs

Hostels and Guesthouses – $90 to $150 per week
Shared Rental – $85 to $215 per week
On campus – $90 to $280 per week
Homestay – $235 to $325 per week
Rental – $165 to $440 per week
Boarding schools – $11,000 to $22,000 a year

Other living costs

There are of course other costs associated with living in Australia. Please take these into account. For example, the extra cost of the use of electricity, the telephone and gas on top of your rent. Approximate costs of other living expenses include:

Groceries and eating out – $80 to $280 per week
Gas, electricity – $35 to $140 per week
Phone and Internet – $20 to $55 per week
Public transport – $15 to $55 per week
Car (after purchase) – $150 to $260 per week
Entertainment – $80 to $150 per week