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 Surfers Paradise, QLD
209 courses are taught here by 14 registered schools, across postcode 4217.
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 Surfers Paradise was $410 a week. QLD rents have risen about 53% since then, so expect about $630 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 Surfers Paradise
People: 26,412 residents, median age 42, 39.7% born overseas, 25.1% speak a language other than English at home.
Languages spoken: Portuguese 3.8%, Spanish 3.1%, Mandarin 1.8%, Japanese 1.4%, Punjabi 1.3%.
Where people were born: New Zealand 6%, Brazil 4%, England 3.9%, India 3%, Philippines 1.4%.
Income: median household income $1,323 a week; 1.9 people per home on average.
Where residents work: Accommodation and Food Services, Health Care and Social Assistance, Retail Trade, Construction.
Source: ABS Census 2021, CC BY 4.0.
23 campuses in Surfers Paradise. Tap a pin for the provider.
Getting around Surfers Paradise: Nearest station is Cavill Avenue station (light rail L1), 534 m away. Also Cypress Avenue station (light rail L1), 584 m away, Cavill Avenue turnback (light rail L1), 671 m away, Surfers Paradise North turnback (light rail L1), 781 m away. Buses within 800 m: 70, 161, 164, 172, 173, 705, 731, 740 (closest stop: Surfers Paradise, 300 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 Surfers Paradise
About $437–$707 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 | $250–$380 | Whole homes here rent for about $630 a week; a room is usually 40–60% of that. |
|---|---|---|
| Public transport | $7 | 50-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 Surfers Paradise, 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.
Surfers Paradise is in the Surfers Paradise area
45,197 people across 4+ suburbs. Median rent $437 a week. Languages: Mandarin 3%, Portuguese 2.5%, Spanish 2.2%, Japanese 1.5%.
Nearby suburbs in the same area: Benowa, Bundall, Main Beach.
All courses and suburbs in Surfers Paradise · Gold Coast Council
What this place is like to study in
Surfers Paradise has 14 schools teaching here. That is enough choice to compare options, but it is not a busy city-centre study area. Course fees here are about 59% 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
| Level | Courses | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vocational (VET) | 145 | 69% |
| Other | 43 | 21% |
| Postgraduate | 15 | 7% |
| Undergraduate | 6 | 3% |
Finding somewhere to live
Most international students choose one of four options. From cheapest to most expensive:
- A room in a shared house. The most common choice. In expensive cities it is often the only affordable option.
- Student accommodation. Buildings made for students, usually near campus.
- Homestay. You live with an Australian family.
- Your own studio or one-bedroom apartment. The most expensive option.
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
- A$8,8001 yr · A$8,800/yr
- A$8,8001 yr · A$8,800/yr
- A$8,8006 mo
- A$8,8001 yr · A$8,800/yr
- A$9,0001 yr · A$9,000/yr
- A$9,1001.6 yr · A$5,633/yr
- A$9,4006 mo · A$18,800/yr
- A$9,4006 mo · A$18,800/yr
- A$9,5001 yr · A$9,500/yr
- A$10,0006 mo · A$20,000/yr
- A$10,0001.1 yr · A$8,966/yr
- A$10,0009 mo · A$13,684/yr
- A$10,0001.1 yr · A$8,966/yr
- A$10,0007 mo · A$17,333/yr
- A$10,2408 mo · A$14,791/yr
- A$10,5001 yr · A$10,500/yr
- A$10,5306 mo · A$21,060/yr
- A$10,5601 yr · A$10,560/yr
- A$10,7006 mo · A$21,400/yr
- A$10,8005 mo
- A$11,1001.5 yr · A$7,400/yr
- A$11,7001.5 yr · A$7,901/yr
- A$11,7001.5 yr · A$7,901/yr
- A$12,0009 mo · A$16,000/yr
- A$12,0001.1 yr · A$10,759/yr
- A$12,0001.1 yr · A$10,759/yr
- A$12,0001.1 yr · A$10,759/yr
- A$12,0001.1 yr · A$10,759/yr
- A$12,0001 yr · A$12,000/yr
- A$12,0001 yr · A$12,000/yr
- A$12,0001 yr · A$12,000/yr
- A$12,0001.1 yr · A$11,143/yr
- A$12,4001 yr · A$12,400/yr
- A$12,5001.2 yr · A$10,656/yr
- A$12,5001 yr · A$12,745/yr
- A$12,7006 mo · A$25,400/yr
- A$13,2001 yr · A$13,200/yr
- A$13,2001 yr · A$13,200/yr
- A$13,2001 yr · A$13,200/yr
- A$13,2001 yr · A$13,200/yr
- A$13,2001 yr · A$13,200/yr
- A$13,2001 yr · A$13,200/yr
- A$13,2001 yr · A$13,200/yr
- A$13,2001 yr · A$13,200/yr
- A$14,0001.3 yr · A$11,030/yr
- A$14,0009 mo · A$18,200/yr
- A$14,5001 yr · A$14,500/yr
- A$14,8002 yr · A$7,400/yr
- A$15,0001.5 yr · A$9,750/yr
- A$15,0001 yr · A$14,444/yr