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: Rent Check — NSW Government. This is real data from your state government. It is free. It shows the rent for the exact postcode you enter.

Studying in Sydney, NSW

2,458 courses are taught here by 166 registered schools, across postcodes 2000, 2017.

Courses taught here2,458
Schools16611 government
Average feeA$18,950per year · Australia A$30,355
Cheapest courseA$1,400whole course
Campuses195
$$$$$$$$$$ Much more than the NSW middle Checked for this area · about A$930 per week

One of the more expensive suburbs in NSW. Plan to share, or look at nearby suburbs in the same area.

Census 2021 middle rent for Sydney was $600 a week. NSW rents have risen about 55% since then, so expect about $930 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 NSW median (April 2025).

Living in Sydney

People: 16,667 residents, median age 32, 70.8% born overseas, 61.3% speak a language other than English at home.

Languages spoken: Mandarin 12.4%, Thai 11.7%, Indonesian 9.5%, Cantonese 4.4%, Korean 2.9%.

Where people were born: Indonesia 12.9%, Thailand 12.4%, China 9.7%, India 3.5%, South Korea 3.1%.

Income: median household income $2,227 a week; 2.1 people per home on average.

Where residents work: Accommodation and Food Services, Professional Scientific and Technical Services, Financial and Insurance Services, Retail Trade.

Source: ABS Census 2021, CC BY 4.0.

209 campuses in Sydney. Tap a pin for the provider.

Getting around Sydney: Nearest station is QVB (light rail L2, L3), 255 m away. Also Martin Place Station (train T4, SCO; metro M1), 323 m away, St James Station (train T2, T3, T7, T8), 342 m away, Gadigal Station (metro M1), 362 m away. Buses within 800 m: 52, B1, 100, 120, 194, 201, 202, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208 and 91 more (closest stop: QVB, 255 m). Plan a trip (Transport NSW trip planner).

Transport data: Transport for NSW Open Data (CC BY 4.0). Routes change; check the trip planner before you rely on one.

Weekly budget in Sydney

About $600–$930 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$370–$560Whole homes here rent for about $930 a week; a room is usually 40–60% of that.
Public transport$50Opal adult fares, capped at $50 a week. International students are not eligible for concession fares unless on an eligible scholarship.
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 Sydney, scaled to the current NSW 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.

Sydney is in the Sydney Inner City area

217,795 people across 13+ suburbs. Median rent $550 a week. Languages: Mandarin 8.4%, Cantonese 2.8%, Thai 2.7%, Spanish 2.3%.

Nearby suburbs in the same area: Waterloo, Surry Hills, Newtown, Rosebery, Redfern, Pyrmont, Zetland, Glebe, Darlinghurst, Erskineville, Alexandria, Camperdown.

All courses and suburbs in Sydney Inner City · Sydney Council

What this place is like to study in

Sydney is a study area with many schools, not one large campus. 166 schools teach here. Most are colleges inside office buildings, not universities with grounds. 58% 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 38% 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)1,420 58%
Postgraduate523 21%
Other302 12%
Undergraduate207 8%
School6 0%

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$10,2001 yr · A$10,200/yr
  2. A$10,2001 yr · A$10,200/yr
  3. A$10,2001.2 yr · A$8,288/yr
  4. A$10,2003 mo
  5. A$10,2408 mo · A$14,791/yr
  6. A$10,2509 mo · A$13,667/yr
  7. A$10,2501 yr · A$10,250/yr
  8. A$10,2501 yr · A$10,250/yr
  9. A$10,4006 mo · A$20,800/yr
  10. A$10,4006 mo · A$20,800/yr
  11. A$10,5007 mo · A$18,200/yr
  12. A$10,5008 mo · A$15,167/yr
  13. A$10,5008 mo · A$15,167/yr
  14. A$10,5001 yr · A$10,500/yr
  15. A$10,5001 yr · A$10,500/yr
  16. A$10,5008 mo · A$15,167/yr
  17. A$10,5007 mo · A$17,063/yr
  18. A$10,5008 mo · A$15,167/yr
  19. A$10,7206 mo · A$21,440/yr
  20. A$10,7206 mo · A$21,440/yr
  21. A$10,7501 yr · A$10,750/yr
  22. A$10,7501 yr · A$10,750/yr
  23. A$10,7824 mo
  24. A$10,8006 mo · A$21,600/yr
  25. A$10,8005 mo
  26. A$10,8008 mo · A$15,600/yr
  27. A$10,8001 yr · A$10,800/yr
  28. A$10,8001 yr · A$10,800/yr
  29. A$10,8001 yr · A$10,800/yr
  30. A$10,8001 yr · A$10,800/yr
  31. A$10,8001 yr · A$10,800/yr
  32. A$10,8001 yr · A$10,800/yr
  33. A$10,8806 mo · A$21,760/yr
  34. A$10,8808 mo · A$16,640/yr
  35. A$11,0001 yr · A$11,000/yr
  36. A$11,0001 yr · A$11,000/yr
  37. A$11,0001 yr · A$11,000/yr
  38. A$11,0001 yr · A$11,000/yr
  39. A$11,0001 yr · A$11,000/yr
  40. A$11,0001 yr · A$11,000/yr
  41. A$11,0001 yr · A$11,000/yr
  42. A$11,0001 yr · A$11,000/yr
  43. A$11,0001 yr · A$11,000/yr
  44. A$11,0001.1 yr · A$9,862/yr
  45. A$11,0001.1 yr · A$9,862/yr
  46. A$11,0006 mo
  47. A$11,0001.3 yr · A$8,667/yr
  48. A$11,0001 yr · A$11,000/yr
  49. A$11,0001.3 yr · A$8,667/yr
  50. A$11,1001.5 yr · A$7,400/yr