SINGLE STUDENT LIVING
ON-CAMPUS
SINGLE STUDENT* LIVING
OFF-CAMPUS
ONGOING MONTHLY EXPENSES
Rent – including gas, electricity
and water
$2030***
$905**
Food
$0 (included in rent)
$430
Mobile phone
$40
$40
Internet
$0 (included in rent)
$20
Public transport
$30
$70
Photocopying
$40
$40
Recreation
$100
$250
Monthly Total
$2240
$1755
36 Weeks
$18,610
$14,580
OTHER ANNUAL EXPENSES
Clothing/personal
$600
$600
Textbooks and course materials
$850
$850
Health (dental/medicine not
covered by OSHC)
$520
$520
Annual Total
$1970
$1970
OVERALL
36 Weeks
$20,580
$16,550
52 Weeks
N/A
$23,030
EXPENSES GUIDE
The chart at left does not include
establishment costs. If you plan to live
in off-campus rental accommodation
you will also need to factor in money
for approximately eight nights of
temporary accommodation when you
first arrive; buying furniture; setting up
electricity, gas, home phone or a mobile
phone account; rental bond (usually the
equivalent of a month’s rent: rental bond
is refundable when you leave your rental
property, provided the property is in a
good condition); and two weeks’ rent in
advance.
In 2015 estimated establishment costs for
one student living off-campus are AU$3085.
– *Based on sharing a communal household with two
other people with a commute time to university of
less than 30 minutes.
– **Please see
for examples of
rental costs near UQ campuses.
– ***This cost may vary from college to college. College
fees are drawn from average 2014 prices and may
vary in 2015.
– Students may opt to reside in the colleges during
the summer vacation period – a fee per night will be
charged. Ongoing additional costs during this period
have both been included in this guide. Please note
that some residential colleges close for approximately
five weeks each year. During this time you may opt
to stay in temporary off-campus accommodation
or otherwise return home. Costs associated with
temporary accommodation and other ongoing
additional expenses during this period are not
included in this guide.
– Not all items stated in the expenses guide can be
used by USA Financial Aid Students in their cost of
attendance (COA) calculation.
– In Australia, all consumers pay a Goods and Services
Tax (GST) of 10 per cent on most purchases. GST
is included in Expenses quoted above. There is no
refund of GST on departure from Australia.
– Students should allow for a four to five per cent
increase in living expenses each year.
– Australian Government and UQ scholarships/
stipends are paid in Australian dollars and are not
affected by changes in exchange rates. However,
home government and private sponsor scholarships/
stipends will be affected.
– Prices for textbooks and materials may vary and will
be higher for professional courses.
– UQ tuition fees and OSHC (see page 40) are not
included in this table.
LIVING COSTS
(INDICATIVE SAMPLE ONLY)
MARIEESPITALIER
NOEL (FRANCE)
Economics and Finance student
“I followed the Aussie way of life and
moved into a five-bedroom sharehouse.
This experience brought me incredible
adventures, like travelling the country
in a van for spring-break, trekking in
the bush, and surfing among dolphins
for a week-end. Brisbane is a great
city. People are easy-going, helpful
and always curious to hear your story. I
made friends from all around the globe,
the kind of ones that are for keeps.”
Study Abroad and Incoming Exchange
UQ Guide 2015
41
