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Future Students

Living in Australia

About Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne is the capital city of the State of Victoria. It is situated on the banks of Yarra River and around the beautiful beaches of Port Phillip Bay. It is an attractive, spacious city with an abundance of parks, gardens, sporting venues and scenic places. Melbourne is also a sprawling city with suburbs extending up to 60km from the city centre.

Melbourne is a truly multicultural city. The population is approximately 4 million. There are now people from over 140 nations living harmoniously together. This broad ethnic mix has brought many benefits to the city including a wide range of cuisines and more than 2,300 elegant and cosmopolitan restaurants, bistros and cafés.

Melbourne is considered to be the fashion (and shopping) capital of Australia and offers some of Australia’s biggest shopping complexes as well as sophisticated, exclusive boutiques and a host of lively and popular markets. Melbourne has an excellent public transport system with trams, trains and buses providing an extensive network throughout the city and suburbs. For more information please visit www.studymelbourne.vic.gov.au and www.visitvictoria.com

Climate

Melbourne enjoys a temperate climate with four distinct seasons in the year - spring, summer, winter and autumn. Below is a guide to average daily temperatures: Spring - September to November - 12-22C, Summer - December to February - 28-32C , Autumn - March to May - 12 - 20C Winter - June to August - 10 - 15C. Melbourne does not have a specific wet season; it can rain at any time of the year.

Festival City

Known as Australia’s festival city, Melbourne provides lively festival entertainment every month. Major festivals include: Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Chinese New Year Parade, Moomba Parade, Melbourne International Arts Festival, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, Spring Fashion Week and the Melbourne Fringe Festival. Melbourne’s primary community venue, Federation Square, hosts a great many multicultural festivals throughout the year such as the Indian Film Festival, Diwali Indian Festival of Light, Buddha’s Day, Nepal Festival, Thai Culture and Food Festival and Fiesta Malaysia. Melbourne’s music festivals are many ranging from indie music events that attract popular international acts to jazz festivals. Some of the International sporting events include Spring Racing Carnival (Melbourne Cup), Australian Open (Grand Slam tennis), Grand Prix Motor Racing, World Series and Test cricket and Bells Beach Surf Classic

Entertainment

Being located close to Melbourne’s Central Business District (CBD), main campus is close to a great array of entertainment options from ten-pin bowling, cinemas and karaoke to sophisticated art galleries, theatre and dance events, as well the usual bars and clubs. Melbourne is Australia’s festival capital, with free events held in city and community venues each month. The city’s beautiful green and spacious surrounds are very attractive for social, sporting and other outdoor activities. There are plenty of opportunities for international students to have an enjoyable time with friends.

Cost of Living

Australia is a sophisticated, friendly country that enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the world. Knowing the average living costs in Australia is an important part of your financial preparation. For your reference, here are some of the costs associated with living and studying in Australia (all costs are in Australian dollars). The costs below are an approximate guide only. Students should be aware that these costs can vary depending on your study location in Australia.

Public Transport

Using trains, trams and buses in Melbourne Melbourne has one of the best public transport systems in Australia, offering a number of services including trains, buses and trams (also known as trolleys or streetcars). Metro https://www.metrotrains.com.au operates Melbourne’s metropolitan train network, while V/Line https://www.vline.com.au/ operates Victoria’s regional public transport. Different companies operate our trams and buses.


Myki card – your transport ticket in Melbourne

No matter what form of public transport you use throughout Melbourne, you can pay for all of them with one payment method: a myki card. Myki https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/tickets/myki/ is plastic card used to ‘touch on’ when you start travelling and ‘touch off’ when you finish travelling. It’s similar to other public transport ticketing systems around the world and makes travelling through Melbourne much easier. You simply add money to the card and top up when you need to. Visit the myki website https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/tickets/myki/ for more information on how to buy and use a myki as well as cost information. Go to the Public Transport Victoria (PTV) website https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/ link to find out how to use Melbourne’s public transport system.

Source: https://liveinmelbourne.vic.gov.au/live/getting-around/public-transport

Accommodation

Hostels and Guesthouses

$90 - $150/week

shared rental

$95 - $215/week

Homestay

$235 - $325/week

rental

$185 - $440/week

Source: https://www.studyaustralia.gov.au/english/live-in-australia/living-costs

Other Living Expenses

Groceries & Eating Out

$140 - $280/week

Gas & Electricity

$10 - $20/week

Public Transport

$30 - $60/week

Car

$150 - $260/week

Entertainment

$90 - $150/week

Phone & Internet

$15 - $30/week

Source: https://www.studyaustralia.gov.au/english/live-in-australia/living-costs

Minimum cost of living


The Affairs has financial requirements you must meet in order to receive a student visa for Australia. As of October 2019, the 12-month living costs are:

For more info: https://www.studyaustralia.gov.au/english/live-in-australia/living-costs


All costs are per year in Australian dollars. To convert to your own currency, visit http://www.xe.com/(opens in a new window). The Australian Government provides information and guidance on managing your finances. You can read more at www.moneysmart.gov.au(opens in a new window)

If you experience financial trouble while in Australia, talk institution’s student support staff for assistance.

Finding Accommodation


Useful internet sites for student housing are:



Useful rental accommodation websites are: