Australian Courses

Read this before you plan your budget. The cost guide below is a rough guide only. It is based on Census data for this suburb, scaled to today's state rents. Each property is different. It does not tell you the price of any room, studio or apartment.

Get the real number for your postcode. Use the official rent data before you agree to anything: Median rents quick finder — Residential Tenancies Authority. This is real data from your state government. It is free. It shows the rent for the exact postcode you enter.

Studying in Fortitude Valley, QLD

416 courses are taught here by 31 registered schools, across postcode 4006.

Courses taught here416
Schools311 government
Average feeA$21,217per year · Australia A$30,355
Cheapest courseA$2,000whole course
Campuses35
$$$$$$$$$$ Above the QLD middle Checked for this area · about A$610 per week

Rent here was above the QLD middle at the last Census. Expect to share. Look one or two stations further out for cheaper rooms.

Census 2021 middle rent for Fortitude Valley was $400 a week. QLD rents have risen about 53% since then, so expect about $610 a week now. Check the exact postcode before you sign anything.

The scale compares this suburb with its state: $ cheaper, $$ medium, $$$ expensive, $$$$ most expensive. Checked ABS Census 2021, scaled to the QLD median (April 2025).

Living in Fortitude Valley

People: 9,708 residents, median age 31, 41.1% born overseas, 28.2% speak a language other than English at home.

Languages spoken: Spanish 4.8%, Mandarin 2.7%, Portuguese 2.7%, Thai 1.7%, Hindi 1.3%.

Where people were born: New Zealand 4.2%, England 3.3%, India 3.2%, Brazil 2.8%, China 2.1%.

Income: median household income $1,658 a week; 1.6 people per home on average.

Where residents work: Professional Scientific and Technical Services, Accommodation and Food Services, Health Care and Social Assistance, Retail Trade.

Source: ABS Census 2021, CC BY 4.0.

41 campuses in Fortitude Valley. Tap a pin for the provider.

Getting around Fortitude Valley: Nearest station is Fortitude Valley station (train BDBN, BDBR, BDCL, BDVL, BNBD, BNBR +46), 303 m away. Also Howard Smith Wharves ferry terminal (ferry F1), 665 m away, Holman Street ferry terminal (ferry F23), 1.0 km away, Riverside ferry terminal (ferry F1, F11, F23), 1.2 km away. Buses within 800 m: 26, 60, 125, 175, 185, 195, 196, 199, 204, 210, 212, 214 and 55 more (closest stop: Ballow Street Stop 206 near Ann St, 38 m). Plan a trip (TransLink journey planner).

Transport data: TransLink GTFS, Queensland Government (CC BY 4.0). Routes change; check the trip planner before you rely on one.

Weekly budget in Fortitude Valley

About $432–$692 a week for one student sharing a house. The visa living-cost benchmark is $571 a week ($29,710 a year).

Room in a shared house$245–$365Whole homes here rent for about $610 a week; a room is usually 40–60% of that.
Public transport$750-cent flat fares on all TransLink services, no application needed.
Groceries and eating$110–$170
Phone and internet$15–$30
Power, gas and water (your share)$15–$30
Everything else (clothes, going out, medicine)$40–$90

Rent: ABS Census 2021 for Fortitude Valley, scaled to the current QLD median. Transport: state operator fares. Other lines are typical ranges for a single student; your own spending will differ. Tuition and health cover (OSHC) are extra. Full cost guide.

Fortitude Valley is in the Brisbane Inner area

87,467 people across 9+ suburbs. Median rent $440 a week. Languages: Mandarin 6.1%, Spanish 2.9%, Cantonese 1.8%, Korean 1.5%.

Nearby suburbs in the same area: West End, South Brisbane, Brisbane City, New Farm, Kangaroo Point, Spring Hill, Highgate Hill, Petrie Terrace.

All courses and suburbs in Brisbane Inner · Brisbane Council

What this place is like to study in

Fortitude Valley is a study area with many schools, not one large campus. 31 schools teach here. Most are colleges inside office buildings, not universities with grounds. 55% of courses here are vocational (VET). These courses are practical and hands-on. Your classmates will be a wide range of ages. Course fees here are about 30% below the national average. Over several years, this saves a large amount.

We calculate this description from the CRICOS register: the number of schools, the course levels and the registered fees. It describes study only. To learn about rent, transport and daily life here, talk to current students and ask your school.

What level people study here

LevelCoursesShare
Vocational (VET)227 55%
Postgraduate89 21%
Undergraduate64 15%
Other36 9%

Finding somewhere to live

Most international students choose one of four options. From cheapest to most expensive:

Two things to know before you sign a lease. First, the bond is usually four weeks of rent. A government office holds it, not the landlord. You get it back at the end. If someone asks you to pay a bond in cash directly to them, this is a warning sign.

Second, you usually cannot inspect a property from overseas. Book two to four weeks of temporary accommodation first. Then look at properties in person. This avoids the most common and most expensive mistake students make.

Your school's accommodation office is the best place to start. It is free. They know the area and often keep a list of checked properties.

Every course taught here

  1. A$20,0001.2 yr · A$17,049/yr
  2. A$20,0001.2 yr · A$17,049/yr
  3. A$20,0001.1 yr · A$18,571/yr
  4. A$20,0002 yr · A$10,000/yr
  5. A$20,5001.3 yr · A$16,400/yr
  6. A$21,0001.5 yr · A$14,000/yr
  7. A$21,0001.5 yr · A$14,000/yr
  8. A$21,0001.3 yr · A$15,600/yr
  9. A$21,0001 yr · A$21,840/yr
  10. A$21,0002 yr · A$10,500/yr
  11. A$21,5001 yr · A$21,500/yr
  12. A$21,6001.5 yr · A$14,400/yr
  13. A$21,6001.5 yr · A$14,400/yr
  14. A$21,9452 yr · A$10,868/yr
  15. A$22,0001 yr · A$22,000/yr
  16. A$22,0001 yr · A$22,000/yr
  17. A$22,0002 yr · A$11,000/yr
  18. A$22,0002 yr · A$11,000/yr
  19. A$22,0002 yr · A$11,000/yr
  20. A$22,0001.3 yr · A$17,600/yr
  21. A$22,0002 yr · A$11,000/yr
  22. A$22,6801 yr · A$22,680/yr
  23. A$22,7501.7 yr · A$13,144/yr
  24. A$22,8001.4 yr · A$16,467/yr
  25. A$23,0001 yr · A$23,000/yr
  26. A$23,0001.5 yr · A$15,333/yr
  27. A$23,0002 yr · A$11,500/yr
  28. A$24,0001.9 yr · A$12,480/yr
  29. A$24,0002.4 yr · A$9,905/yr
  30. A$24,0002 yr · A$12,000/yr
  31. A$24,0001.8 yr · A$13,565/yr
  32. A$24,0002 yr · A$12,000/yr
  33. A$24,0002 yr · A$12,000/yr
  34. A$24,0002 yr · A$12,000/yr
  35. A$24,0002 yr · A$12,000/yr
  36. A$24,0001.3 yr · A$19,200/yr
  37. A$24,0001.3 yr · A$19,200/yr
  38. A$24,0002 yr · A$12,000/yr
  39. A$24,0002 yr · A$12,000/yr
  40. A$24,6001 yr · A$24,600/yr
  41. A$24,6008 mo · A$37,624/yr
  42. A$24,6008 mo · A$37,624/yr
  43. A$24,8001.5 yr · A$16,533/yr
  44. A$25,0001 yr · A$25,000/yr
  45. A$25,0001.8 yr · A$13,542/yr
  46. A$25,0001 yr · A$25,000/yr
  47. A$25,2001 yr · A$25,200/yr
  48. A$25,8002 yr · A$12,900/yr
  49. A$26,0002 yr · A$13,000/yr
  50. A$26,1701 yr · A$26,170/yr