Cost of Living in Sydney for Indian Students

Numerous Indian students today seem inclined towards visiting abroad for higher education. Sydney is one of the choices for a large number of Indian students. When students start living in Sydney, their major concern happens to be the cost of living. It is the aspect that students have to face in their everyday life till they live in Sydney. So, in this blog post, you will read the cost of living that you will need to pay in your daily life as an Indian student while living in Sydney.

Groceries

Groceries are the major items on which you will need to spend on in your everyday life. So, it is a major thing you need to learn. You can get 1 liter of regular milk here for A$2.65. A loaf of 500 grams of fresh white bread is available here at A$3.67. You can get 1 kg of white rice for A$3.28. Local cheese (1 kg) is available at A$19.19.

In fruits, 1 kg of apples is available at A$4.95. To buy 1 kg of bananas, you need to pay A$4.36. Oranges (1 kg) can be bought here at A$4.37. In vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes, and onions (both 1 kg) can be acquired at A$7.37, A$4.10, and A$3.39, respectively. Lettuce (1 head) can be bought for A$3.27.

Restaurant Meals

While living in Sydney, you may need to visit a restaurant sometimes or would like to visit there with friends. Therefore, your cost of living in Sydney will also include the costs of meals in restaurants.

If you have a meal in an inexpensive restaurant in Sydney, you will need to pay A$29.50. In a midrange restaurant, the meal for two people can be obtained at A$130. You can also choose to have a combo meal at McDonald’s for A$16.

Transportation

In Sydney, your transportation cost highly depends on the type of transport you choose, whether it is public transport or it is your personal vehicle. Here are some of the transportation prices.

Fare Caps (Maximum Spend): This is the best way to save. Once you hit these limits, all further travel for that period is free:

• Daily Cap (Mon–Thu): A$19.30
• Daily Cap (Fri–Sun & Holidays): A$9.65
• Weekly Cap: A$50.00

Off-Peak Discounts: You get a 30% discount on trains, metro, buses, and light rail when traveling on Fridays, weekends, public holidays, or outside peak rush hours.

Typical Single Fares (Adult):

• Trains/Metro: A$4.33 – A$10.60 depending on distance.
• Buses/Light Rail: Approx. A$3.00 – A$5.20.
• Ferries: A$7.35 – A$9.20.

Accommodation

Accommodation is the major requirement for students when they choose to stay in Sydney. In fact, the first thing they need to book after enrollment in a university or college in the city is “student accommodation Sydney”.

There are different housing options available in Sydney, and the cost of accommodation depends on the type you choose. If you choose to stay in PBSA (Purpose-Built Student Accommodation) property, the prices start from A$235 per week, and you can get the accommodation at as high as A$1800 per week. The price also depends on the types and number of amenities you find in an accommodation property. Moreover, the housing variants are also the deciding factors for the prices. Shared rooms can be the cheapest, in which the rent may be equally divided among all occupants of a room. Cheaper options are available in other room types also, such as ensuite rooms, non-ensuite rooms, apartments, and studios.

If you are willing to rent a space in a private apartment, you can get it at A$320 per week. However, you can also look for lower prices.

You can also rent a room in halls of residence in Sydney, which are the university-owned accommodations. Accommodations in halls of residence in Sydney can be obtained at prices varying from A$350 to A$700 per week.

Utilities

However, basic utilities like electricity, heating, cooling, water, and garbage may be inclusive of rents if you book accommodation in a PBSA property or halls of residence. But you may need to pay for them separately if you choose to live in a private apartment. For an 85 m2 Apartment, you need to pay A$308.68 for these utilities.

A monthly mobile phone plan with calls and 10 GB+ data can be obtained in Sydney at A$33.48. For broadband internet with unlimited data at a speed of 60 MBPS or higher, you are required to pay A$75.37; however, you get free or inclusive of rent broadband or Wi-Fi internet if you choose to live in halls of residence or a PBSA property.

Final Thoughts

The above mentioned ones are the tentative and estimated costs. The costs are subject to change from time to time, so they can be more or less different when you will reach Sydney. Besides, costs are always dynamic. Therefore, you should double-check the costs before reaching the final conclusion.

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