Plan for four things: tuition, living costs, the one-off costs of the visa, health cover and travel, and the deposit that secures your place. The amount the student visa asks you to show is a legal minimum, not a full budget.
Your first year at a glance
- AUD 29,710living costs to show for the student visa for 12 months (one student)
- AUD 2,500student visa application charge from 1 July 2026
- AUD 821example of 12 months’ single health cover (OSHC), 2026 rate of one insurer
- AUD 571a week: the visa living-cost minimum spread over a year
- Tuition (example: AUD 48,000 a year; use the fee in your profile)AUD 48,000 57.8%
- Living costs at the student-visa minimumAUD 29,710 35.8%
- Student visa application chargeAUD 2,500 3%
- Travel to Australia (Home Affairs guide amount)AUD 2,000 2.4%
- Health cover for 12 months (example)AUD 821 1%
Total for the first yearAUD 83,031
An example only: tuition depends on the course (see each profile) and real living costs in Sydney or Melbourne are often higher than the visa minimum. The visa minimum and travel amount are Home Affairs figures; the health cover figure is one insurer’s single rate from 1 May 2026; insurers revise their prices during the year, so ask for a current quote.
What to plan for
- Tuition
Set by each institution and course and quoted per year (or per study load) in Australian dollars. The profiles give the published fee and the year it applies to; fees usually rise each year.
- Living costs for the visaAUD 29,710
For the student visa you show at least AUD 29,710 for 12 months of living costs, plus the first year of tuition and travel (AUD 2,000 from most countries). Instead you can show the annual personal income of a parent or partner of at least AUD 87,856.
- Real living costsAUD 261–667 a week
Rent is the biggest cost. A room in a shared house costs about AUD 261–667 a week depending on the city, managed student accommodation more (Study Australia calculator, November 2025 data). Budget for food, transport, phone, books and a rental bond.
- Health cover (OSHC)AUD 821
Overseas Student Health Cover is compulsory for the whole visa and must start on the day you arrive. Approved insurers include ahm, Allianz Care, Bupa, CBHS, Medibank and nib; one insurer’s single 12-month rate from 1 May 2026 was about AUD 821. Prices change during the year: get a current quote before you pay.
- Visa chargeAUD 2,500
The student visa application charge is AUD 2,500 from 1 July 2026 (AUD 2,050 for a stand-alone English or non-award course). It is not refunded if the visa is refused.
- Deposit
Most institutions ask for a tuition deposit, often the first semester or term, before they issue your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE). Read the refund policy for a refused visa before you pay. Pay only through the payment page or link given in your offer letter.
What the student visa asks you to show
These are the Home Affairs amounts in force since 10 May 2024. Whether you must attach evidence when you apply depends on your country and your institution (the Document Checklist Tool on the Home Affairs site shows it), but Home Affairs can ask for it at any time.
- Living costs
AUD 29,710 for 12 months for the student (pro rata for shorter courses)
- Tuition
The first 12 months of course fees (or the whole course if shorter), less any amount already paid
- Travel
AUD 2,000 when applying from outside Australia (higher from some parts of Africa)
- Partner or child
AUD 10,394 for a partner and AUD 4,449 for each child, plus AUD 13,502 a year school costs per school-age child. Since 2 October 2026 family can come only in a few exempt cases
- Income instead of savings
Personal annual income of a parent or partner of at least AUD 87,856 (AUD 102,500 with family) in the 12 months before applying
Sources: Home Affairs, Student visa (subclass 500) (updated 22 October 2026) and current visa pricing (1 July 2026); legislative instrument LIN 19/198 (compilation of 10 May 2024); Study Australia Cost of Living Calculator (data as of November 2025); Medibank OSHC rate sheet effective 1 May 2026.