Cost of living

Queensland offers an outstanding student experience, combining excellent value with a high quality of life.

Accommodation

You can find accommodation on or off campus. We can help you find somewhere to live that meets your requirements and budget.

Costs will depend on the property you choose. The information below provides approximate monthly costs for accommodation.

Both on-campus and off-campus accommodation is generally cheaper in Gatton.

On-campus accommodation

UQ Residential Colleges

Fully catered accommodation, including utilities (gas, electricity, water) and meals:

From A$633 to A$958 per week at St Lucia

Additional costs may apply, such as application fees, student club and association fees, social activity fees and car parking.

UQ RES

Independent student accommodation exclusively for UQ students, including utilities (gas, electricity, water):

From A$414 per week at Kev Carmody House, St Lucia*
From A$439 per week at Walcott Street, St Lucia
From A$401 per week at Gatton Halls of Residence**

Additional costs may apply, such as application fees, social activity fees, linen and kitchen utensils, use of laundry facilities, building maintenance and development fees, and car parking.

*Kev Carmody does not include catered options.
**Gatton Halls offers fully catered and partially catered options. The cost shown is for a partially catered standard room.

Off-campus accommodation

Off-campus costs vary depending on your suburb and lifestyle.

Purpose-built student accommodation

A single student living off campus in purpose-built student accommodation can expect to pay:

From A$359 per week for a shared room
From A$480 per week for an entire apartment

Most purpose-built student accommodation includes the cost of utilities such as electricity, gas and internet in the rent but does not include catering. Check with your provider to be sure.

Private housing

A student living off-campus in a private rental close to UQ and the inner city can expect to pay:

From A$564 per week for an entire 1-bedroom apartment
From A$540 per person, per week sharing a 2-bedroom house, flat or townhouse
From A$345 per person, per week sharing a 3-bedroom house, flat or townhouse
From A$170 per week, per person in a bigger share house

Other monthly expenses

How much you spend on living expenses depends on your needs and lifestyle.

This list can give you a better understanding of everyday costs in Brisbane:

Loaf of white bread: $3.57
12 large eggs: $5.95
1 litre of milk: $2.14
1 kilogram of white rice: $3.38
Regular cup of coffee: $5.35
Fast food burger meal with large fries and drink: $18.05
Cinema ticket (concession rate): $20:00

To help you estimate a monthly budget, here are some approximate costs of common expenses:

Monthly cost of living
	Student living in on-campus college	Student living off-campus / student accommodation	Family (2 adults, 1 child) living off-campus
Rent	$2,745–$4, 154	$736–$2,946	$2,838–$3,683
Utilities (gas, electricity, water)	Included in rent	$282–$350	$564–$700
Food	Included in rent	$268–$606	$706–$1, 083
Mobile phone / internet	$15–$150	$15–$150	$30–$300
Public transport	From $23	From $23	From $71
Total	$2,784–$4,327	$1,326–$3,739	$3,755–$5,461

More about the data in this table:

On-campus and off-campus accommodation costs are usually lower in Gatton. The cost for a standard resident room in the Halls of Residence in Gatton is from $401 per week.
Many student accommodation providers include electricity, gas and internet costs in rent. Check with your provider to be sure.
Family costs assume that the dependant child is not of school age and does not factor in childcare costs. View fees for school-aged dependents.
Catered meals are included at UQ Residential Colleges. UQ RES (Kev Carmody House and Walcott Street) does not include catered meals.

This table should be taken as a guide only. Study Australia provides a helpful online cost of living calculator to estimate your weekly, monthly, and yearly living costs in greater detail.

Public transport

If you own a car, the cost of driving and parking can be upwards of $150 per week. We recommend using Brisbane's Translink public transport services to get to and from UQ.

Queensland is the only state with public transport fares capped at 50 cents per trip on all Translink services. This applies to buses, ferries, and trains.

The St Lucia and Herston campuses are both serviced by extensive public transport networks, offering congestion-free, fast and reliable transportation.

If you need to travel between campuses, UQ offers a free shuttle bus service that connects our St Lucia and Gatton campuses.

Books and study costs

Depending on what you study, books and supplies can cost around $1,212 on average per year. To bring down the cost, you can explore digital or second-hand options.

The UQ Library has compiled a guide for purchasing textbooks and course materials and has copies of many suggested reading materials. The university noticeboards are also a great resource for finding second-hand equipment.

You will need access to a computer and the internet during your time at UQ. Although computers are available on campus, we suggest owning one if possible.

Concessions and student discounts

As a UQ student, you can take advantage of concessions and student discounts of up to 50% at participating retailers and institutions.

You'll usually need to show a valid student ID card to access student discounts. This can help you minimise your expenses on a number of products and services, including:

software and technology
entertainment (such as cinema tickets, museums)
select retailers
select food and drink venues
select hairdressers and barbers.

The Ultimate List of 35+ Student Discounts in Australia

Help and advice

If you need help with your expenses while studying, Student Central and the UQ Union offer guides, workshops and advisers to help.

You can also book an appointment with a Student Advocacy and Support Adviser for free one-on-one help and advice.