Cost of Studying in Australia for Indian Students in 2026
- Last Updated on: June 17, 2026 by
- Sridhar Kongara
The cost of studying in Australia for Indian students in 2026 works out to roughly Rs 42 lakh to Rs 66 lakh in gross first-year funds, depending on whether you pick a budget university or a Group of Eight name like Sydney (health-sciences and medicine degrees can push past Rs 70 lakh). “Gross” matters: that is the money your family arranges upfront, before part-time earnings and scholarships bring the real burden down.
The total has four moving parts: tuition, the AUD 29,710 (about Rs 20.28 lakh) living amount the visa demands you prove, the AUD 2,000 (about Rs 1.37 lakh) visa charge, and mandatory health cover. This guide breaks each one down in rupees with verified 2026 figures, so you and your parents can build a real budget. Start with the Key Takeaways, then the first-year worksheet near the end.
FX note: All INR conversions use the live Google-published rate captured on 2026-05-31: A$1 ≈ ₹68.27. Rates fluctuate intraday, so treat every rupee figure as indicative, not a locked quote.
Key Takeaways
- Gross first-year funds for an Indian student are roughly Rs 42-66 lakh in 2026 (before part-time work and scholarships), set mostly by your university tier.
- The student visa (subclass 500) charge rose to AUD 2,000 (Rs 1.37 lakh) from 1 July 2025.
- You must prove AUD 29,710 (Rs 20.28 lakh) in living funds for the primary applicant, on top of tuition and travel.
- Health cover (OSHC) single cover is about AUD 806 (Rs 55,000) a year on the Allianz rate, with insurers commonly charging AUD 600-1,200.
- Part-time work at 48 hours a fortnight and AUD 24.95/hour can cover living costs, gross and shift-dependent, but never tuition.
- University of Sydney scholarships and the research RTP stipend can cut Rs 6-40 lakh off the bill, but they are competitive and not guaranteed.
Table of Contents
How much does it really cost to study in Australia in 2026?
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The three numbers Home Affairs checks before your visa is approved
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Tuition by university tier: where Australian fees actually land
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Sydney costs more than Adelaide: matching the city to your family budget
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OSHC and the pre-departure bills that catch families off guard
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Can 48 hours a fortnight actually cover your living costs?
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Scholarships that genuinely lower an Indian student’s bill
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Your first-year Australia budget, added up in rupees
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One thing the cost guides get wrong: document rules can change
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Frequently Asked Questions
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How much does it really cost to study in Australia in 2026?
Studying in Australia costs an international student two separate things: tuition, set by the university, and living costs, benchmarked by the government. For 2026 entry, the University of Sydney lists undergraduate tuition of A$49,200 to A$60,600 a year, rising to A$65,900 in health sciences, according to the University of Sydney international fee schedule. Tuition varies more than any other line in the budget.
Here is the honest version most families do not hear up front: tuition is the part that swings hardest. For 2026 entry, most undergraduate areas at a Group of Eight (Go8 – Australia’s research-intensive university bloc) name like Sydney run A$49,200 to A$60,600 (Rs 33.6 lakh to Rs 41.4 lakh) a year, with some health sciences up to A$65,900 (Rs 45 lakh), while a budget or regional university can sit closer to A$25,000 to A$30,000. When you and your family sit down to compare offers, the university name moves your total far more than the city or the visa fee ever will.
The second number, living costs, is set by the Department of Home Affairs, not the university. It is the amount you must prove you can fund, and we break it down next. If you want the wider picture on courses, intakes and visas alongside cost, our study in Australia guide sits alongside this budget breakdown.
Rs 33.6L
Sydney UG tuition (low end), per year Univ. of Sydney, 2026
Rs 20.28L
Living funds you must prove Study Australia, 2026
Rs 1.37L
Student visa (subclass 500) fee Study Australia, 2025
The three numbers Home Affairs checks before your visa is approved
An Australian student visa application is assessed on financial capacity: the applicant must show funds covering 12 months of living costs, first-year tuition, and travel. As of the 2026 intake the living-cost figure is AUD 29,710 for the primary applicant, according to Study Australia's financial capacity guidance. This amount is proof, not a spending limit.
Parents reading this: the figure that matters most for your bank statements and loan file is the financial capacity requirement. As of the 2026 intake, you must show AUD 29,710 (about Rs 20.28 lakh) in living funds for the student, plus the first year of tuition, plus travel money. That is the savings route, and most Indian families use it.
Minimum bank balance formula. The minimum you must be ready to show is simple to total:
First-year tuition + AUD 29,710 living + travel + first year of OSHC + any dependant costs = the funds you must prove.
For a Go8 undergraduate that is roughly Rs 41 lakh tuition + Rs 20.28 lakh living + travel and OSHC, which is why Year-1 gross lands near Rs 66 lakh.
There is a second, less-known route. From 10 May 2024, instead of savings you can show personal annual income of AUD 87,856 (about Rs 60 lakh) if no family member travels with you. Few Indian student applicants qualify on income alone, but it is worth knowing the door exists if a parent runs a high-earning business.
The third number is the visa charge itself. From 1 July 2025, the student visa (subclass 500) application charge rose to AUD 2,000 (about Rs 1.37 lakh) for the primary applicant, up from AUD 1,600. That is a non-refundable government fee, separate from your tuition deposit. Worried the maths is getting heavy? The worksheet near the end stacks everything into one rupee total.
Tuition by university tier: where Australian fees actually land
International tuition in Australia is charged per year and varies by university tier and field of study. Indicative undergraduate bands run from roughly A$20,000 at budget and regional universities to A$65,900 for health sciences at a Group of Eight university, per Study Australia living and education cost guidance and university fee schedules. Field of study drives the top end.
The cleanest way to think about tuition is by university tier, not a single average. A budget or regional university, a mid-tier name, a Go8 research university, and a high-cost health or medicine degree sit at four different price points. Firm numbers come from each university’s own CRICOS-registered course page (CRICOS is the official register of courses approved for international students); the tiers below show where most Indian students land in 2026.
| University tier | Typical examples | Indicative UG tuition/yr (AUD) | In INR/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget / regional | Regional and outer-metro universities | A$20,000 – 30,000 | Rs 13.65L – 20.48L |
| Mid-tier | Deakin, RMIT, Curtin | A$30,000 – 42,000 | Rs 20.48L – 28.67L |
| Group of Eight | Sydney, Monash, UNSW | A$49,200 – 60,600 | Rs 33.6L – 41.4L |
| High-cost (health / medicine / dentistry) | Go8 health-science and clinical degrees | A$65,900 – 83,500 | Rs 45L – 57L |
To anchor that with verified figures: for 2026 entry the University of Sydney lists postgraduate coursework tuition of A$47,500 to A$83,500 (Rs 32.4 lakh to Rs 57 lakh) a year, with dentistry at the very top. Two students at the same university can pay tuition that differs by Rs 25 lakh a year purely on course choice, so the degree you pick is the single biggest lever on your bill. Mid-tier names like Deakin University often land well below the Go8 figures for a comparable field.
Sydney costs more than Adelaide: matching the city to your family budget
Living costs in Australia are benchmarked against the AUD 29,710 annual financial-capacity figure, but actual rent varies sharply by city. Sydney and Melbourne carry the highest student rents, while Adelaide and most regional cities are cheaper, per University of Sydney living-cost data and StudyAdelaide. City choice can shift an Indian family's annual rent bill by lakhs without touching tuition.
The biggest controllable cost after tuition is rent, and rent is a city decision. The table below shows indicative weekly rent for shared or student accommodation in six study cities, drawn from university and government study-body figures. Treat the Sydney and Adelaide rows as the firmest (official sources); the others are indicative ranges from student cost-of-living guides.
| City | Shared/student rent (AUD/week) | Approx. rent (INR/month) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | A$370 – 550 | Rs 1.10L – 1.63L | UTS (2024 data) |
| Melbourne | A$200 – 300 | Rs 0.59L – 0.89L | Insider Guides |
| Brisbane | A$300 – 500 | Rs 0.89L – 1.48L | Insider Guides |
| Perth | A$250 – 400 | Rs 0.74L – 1.19L | Curtin University |
| Adelaide | A$150 – 300 | Rs 0.45L – 0.89L | StudyAdelaide |
| Hobart / regional | A$175 – 350 | Rs 0.52L – 1.04L | Study Tasmania |
Rent is where cities diverge most; groceries and transport vary less. The University of Sydney puts monthly food and groceries at A$1,000 to A$2,500 (Rs 0.68 lakh to Rs 1.71 lakh) and transport at A$130 to A$800, while in Adelaide a concession MetroCARD costs about A$57.80 (Rs 3,947) a month and weekly groceries A$60 to A$100. Budget roughly A$400 to A$600 a month for food wherever you study.
Here is how we frame it for families we counsel in Hyderabad: choose the city for the budget, then the university within it. A student set on Sydney or Melbourne should expect to spend above the benchmark and plan part-time work in; a student open to Adelaide or a regional campus can often live under the benchmark and bank the difference. Go8 names like Monash University in Melbourne or UNSW in Sydney carry prestige but big-city rent, so the city premium is real.
OSHC and the pre-departure bills that catch families off guard
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is a compulsory visa condition: every student visa holder must hold cover for the full duration of study and buy it before arrival, per Study Australia's OSHC guidance. OSHC is paid upfront for the whole course length, so it lands as a single pre-departure bill, not a monthly one.
Overseas Student Health Cover, or OSHC, is mandatory for your entire stay and must be bought before you land – it is written into the subclass 500 visa conditions. On the Allianz rate published by ANU, single cover for 12 months is about AUD 806 (Rs 55,028); across approved insurers single-cover premiums commonly run AUD 600 to 1,200 (Rs 41,000 to Rs 82,000) a year, so get a live quote for your exact dates. Because insurers bill it for the full course length, a two-year master’s means paying two-plus years of cover in one upfront hit.
OSHC is only one of the pre-departure bills. Before you fly, a family typically funds the visa charge, OSHC, the tuition deposit, airfare, and a medical exam and biometrics. These are the costs that surprise parents because they all fall due in the same month, often before the student has earned a single dollar. Build them into the budget early so the final weeks before departure are not a scramble.
Visa + OSHC
Subclass 500 charge A$2,000 (Rs 1.37L) plus OSHC from about A$806 (Rs 55,000/yr), both paid before you land.
Tuition deposit
Most universities ask for one semester of tuition upfront to issue your Confirmation of Enrolment.
Travel + setup
Airfare, a medical exam, biometrics and first-month rent bond add Rs 2-4 lakh on top.
Can 48 hours a fortnight actually cover your living costs?
Student visa holders may work a maximum of 48 hours per fortnight during study terms and unlimited hours in scheduled breaks, per Study Australia's subclass 500 guidance. At the national minimum wage, that cap can broadly fund monthly living costs but not tuition, which remains the family's responsibility.
When families add up the cost of studying in Australia for Indian students, this is the line most people get wrong, so let us do the actual maths. In 2026, the work cap is 48 hours per fortnight during teaching periods, with unlimited hours in scheduled breaks. From 1 July 2025, the national minimum wage is AUD 24.95 (about Rs 1,704) per hour, set by the Fair Work Commission, and casual loading often lifts the real hourly rate higher.
At 48 hours a fortnight on minimum wage, a student earns roughly A$2,595 (about Rs 1.77 lakh) a month gross. But read “gross” carefully: that figure is before income tax and superannuation, and it assumes you actually secure the full roster. Many students do not get 48 hours every fortnight, especially in their first months, and tax takes a further bite. The official living benchmark works out to about A$2,476 (Rs 1.69 lakh) a month, so in a good month term-time work can broadly cover living costs – but notice what it never touches: tuition. Anyone telling you part-time work pays for an Australian degree is selling a fantasy. Research-degree students (a master’s by research or doctorate) are exempt from the 48-hour cap once their course starts.
| Item | Monthly (AUD) | Monthly (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Gross earnings at 48 hrs/fortnight, min wage | ~A$2,595 | ~Rs 1.77L |
| Living-cost benchmark (per visa) | ~A$2,476 | ~Rs 1.69L |
| Gap before tax and missed shifts | ~A$119 | ~Rs 8,000 |
| Tuition covered by work | A$0 | Rs 0 |
Scholarships that genuinely lower an Indian student’s bill
Australian scholarships for international students range from partial tuition discounts to fully funded government awards. The University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarships Scheme offers tiers from A$5,000 to A$60,000 for commencing students, according to the University of Sydney scholarships page. Eligibility and deadlines differ sharply by award, so target the ones an Indian student can actually win.
Not every famous scholarship is one you can use, so here is the honest sort. For 2026 entry, the University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarships Scheme pays in five tiers, from A$5,000 to A$60,000 (Rs 3.41 lakh to Rs 40.96 lakh), for commencing undergraduate and coursework master’s students, with rounds closing through to 4 May 2026. That is a genuine, merit-based option a strong Indian applicant can win.
A second easy win at the same university: the Sydney International Student Award gives a 20% tuition reduction for the full course, which on a A$49,200 undergraduate fee saves about Rs 6.72 lakh a year. For research students, the Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) stipend – A$39,069 (about Rs 26.67 lakh) a year tax-free at ANU in 2026, plus a fee offset covering tuition – is the most generous route of all.
Read the fine print before you bank on these. The fully funded Australia Awards close 30 April 2026 and are open to Indians through the South Asia program, but they carry a mandatory return-to-India obligation and target development-sector candidates - not the typical fee-paying student. And the regional Destination Australia award has had no new national funding rounds since July 2024. Plan around the scholarships you can actually use.
Your first-year Australia budget, added up in rupees
A realistic first-year budget for an Indian student in Australia combines tuition, the AUD 29,710 living amount, the AUD 2,000 visa charge, and OSHC. Gross first-year funds range from about Rs 42 lakh at a budget university to about Rs 66 lakh at a Group of Eight university, before part-time work and scholarships. Tuition is the variable that sets the band.
The cost of studying in Australia for Indian students really comes down to this one worksheet, so it is time to stack everything into a single figure your family can plan around. It uses verified 2026 numbers for two profiles: a budget-conscious student at a lower-fee university, and a Go8 student in Sydney. Both pay the same visa charge and living benchmark; the gap between them is almost entirely tuition. Read these as gross funds to arrange before any part-time earnings or scholarship come in (travel and setup are illustrative estimates).
| First-year cost line | Budget profile (INR) | Go8 / Sydney profile (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | ~Rs 17L (A$25,000) | ~Rs 41.4L (A$60,600) |
| Living costs (visa benchmark) | Rs 20.28L | Rs 20.28L |
| Student visa (subclass 500) | Rs 1.37L | Rs 1.37L |
| OSHC (1 year) | ~Rs 0.55L | ~Rs 0.55L |
| Travel + setup | ~Rs 3L | ~Rs 3L |
| First-year funds to arrange (gross) | ~Rs 42L | ~Rs 66L |
Two honest caveats so the numbers stay real. First, part-time work can claw back much of the living-cost line over the year, which is why the cash burden falls below the gross figure. Second, a competitive scholarship of Rs 6-40 lakh moves the Go8 column down sharply for the students who win one. In our counselling experience, many Indian families end up targeting a net burden in the Rs 35-50 lakh range for year one once realistic work earnings and a partial scholarship are factored in – well below the gross figure they first feared. Your own number depends on the offers and awards you actually secure.
One thing the cost guides get wrong: document rules can change
Australia's Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF) sets how much financial and English documentation a student from each country must submit, and the settings are reviewed and can change mid-cycle. The headline cost does not move, but the paperwork burden can. Published cost guides often quote outdated document settings, so confirm the current requirement before you assemble your file.
Here is a detail the aggregator cost guides keep getting wrong. Under the Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF), the documentation Indian applicants must front-load is set by a country-and-provider risk rating that the Department of Home Affairs reviews periodically, and it can tighten or ease within a single intake year. Many guides you will read this week quote a setting that is already out of date.
So what do you actually do? Do not rely on a blog (including this one) for your document list. Run the official Department of Home Affairs Document Checklist Tool for your nationality and course before you lodge, and budget time for the tighter end: more upfront financial evidence and closer scrutiny of your Genuine Student requirement (the test that replaced the old Genuine Temporary Entrant rule). If you are the parent assembling bank statements and loan sanction letters, that checklist decides how thick the file needs to be. We re-run the checklist for every Australia file we open, and you should too before you pay a rupee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is studying in Australia cheaper than the UK or Canada for Indian students?
Australia sits in the same band as the UK and usually runs higher than Canada on tuition. But the 48-hour-per-fortnight work cap and strong post-study work rights help families recover part of the living cost. Gross first-year funds are typically Rs 42-66 lakh depending on the university tier you choose.
How much money do I need to show for an Australian student visa in 2026?
As of the 2026 intake, the primary applicant must show AUD 29,710 (about Rs 20.28 lakh) for 12 months of living costs, plus first-year tuition and travel money, under Study Australia’s financial capacity requirement. This is proof of funds, not a cap on what you can spend.
Can part-time work cover the cost of studying in Australia?
Work at the AUD 24.95 minimum wage and the 48-hour-per-fortnight cap can broadly cover living costs, around Rs 1.77 lakh a month gross before tax and only if you secure the shifts. It will not cover tuition. Treat part-time work as a living-cost buffer, never as a tuition fund.
Which is the cheapest city to study in Australia?
Adelaide and most regional cities have the lowest student rents (from about A$150 a week shared), while Sydney and Melbourne are the priciest. Choosing Adelaide over Sydney can save an Indian family a few lakh rupees a year on accommodation alone, for the same level of degree.
Does the AUD 2,000 visa fee include health cover and tuition?
No. The AUD 2,000 (Rs 1.37 lakh) subclass 500 charge is a standalone government fee. OSHC health cover (single cover from about AUD 806 a year) and your tuition deposit are separate bills, all typically due before you fly. Budget for all three in the same pre-departure month.