Australia is the destination where the numbers are largest on both sides of the ledger: the highest upfront requirement of our five popular destinations, and the highest student wages. Here they are, side by side.
What you must show for the visa
The Department of Home Affairs sets a living-cost benchmark of AUD 29,710 for 12 months for a single student. On top of that, your financial evidence has to cover the first year of tuition and your travel costs. A partner adds AUD 10,394 and each dependent child AUD 4,449, plus schooling costs for school-age children.
Tuition at private and public institutions typically runs from around AUD 20,000 to 45,000 a year depending on the course, with business and IT at the lower end and health, engineering and science higher.
You also need Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the full length of your visa, from an approved insurer.
What it actually costs to live
The AUD 29,710 benchmark works out to about AUD 570 a week. Real spending varies mostly by rent:
- Sydney and Melbourne: shared accommodation commonly AUD 250 to 400 a week per person. Budget the full benchmark and a little more.
- Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide: noticeably cheaper rent, often AUD 180 to 300 a week shared.
- Regional cities: cheaper still, and regional study can carry extra post-study work rights.
Food, transport and phone add roughly AUD 120 to 200 a week on top of rent.
What students earn
Australia’s national minimum wage rose to AUD 26.44 per hour on 1 July 2026, one of the highest in the world, and casual workers receive a 25% loading on top of base rates. Student visa holders may work up to 48 hours per fortnight while their course is in session, and unlimited hours during scheduled breaks.
At 48 hours a fortnight on minimum wage, that’s around AUD 1,270 a fortnight before tax, or roughly AUD 33,000 a year: more than the living-cost benchmark. Hospitality, retail, aged care and warehouse work are the usual entry points, and casual roles are widely available.
After graduation
The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) gives most bachelor’s and coursework master’s graduates two years of full work rights, and research degree graduates three years. Eligibility conditions apply, including English and age requirements, and rules change, so we confirm the current settings with every student.
Sources
- Department of Home Affairs, financial capacity: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/
- Fair Work Ombudsman, minimum wages: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/pay-and-wages/minimum-wages
- Overseas Student Health Cover: https://www.privatehealth.gov.au/
Want the full upfront figure for a specific course? Our cost estimator does it in your currency. Or talk to us.
Figures current as of 2026: living cost benchmark AUD 29,710, minimum wage AUD 26.44 per hour from 1 July 2026, work limit 48 hours per fortnight. Wages and thresholds are reviewed annually.