Australia guide · Money
How much it costs to study in Australia from Nepal
Studying in Australia from Nepal costs about Rs 66 lakh to Rs 84 lakh for the first year, all in: tuition, living costs, health cover, the visa fee and your flight. Tuition is AUD 28,000 to 45,000 a year at most universities, and living costs run AUD 1,450 to 2,600 a month depending on the city. Part-time work can cover much of your rent after the first few months, but not your tuition.
Written bySushma Karki, Senior counsellorHandles Australia and Finland files, from offer letter to visa.
Checked byRabindra Joshi, Head of complianceChecks every money and visa page against the official source.
Published · 6 min read
First-year cost at a glance
- Tuition
- AUD 28,000 to 45,000 (Rs 29.7 to 47.7 lakh)
- Living costs
- AUD 29,710 for the visa; real spend depends on the city
- Visa fee
- AUD 2,500 (Rs 2.65 lakh)
- Health cover (OSHC)
- About AUD 650 to 800 a year
- First-year total
- About Rs 66 to 84 lakh
At Rs 105.97 per AUD (Nepal Rastra Bank sell rate, 18 October 2026).
Total cost for the first year, item by item
This is the full first year for one student, before any part-time income. The living cost line uses the AUD 29,710 a year Home Affairs asks you to show, which is close to what a student sharing a room spends in Melbourne or Brisbane.
| Item | AUD | In rupees |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition, most universities | 28,000 to 45,000 | Rs 29.7 to 47.7 lakh |
| Living costs, 12 months | 29,710 | Rs 31.5 lakh |
| Overseas Student Health Cover | 650 to 800 | Rs 69,000 to 85,000 |
| Student visa (subclass 500) | 2,500 | Rs 2.65 lakh |
| Flight, one way | Rs 1 to 1.6 lakh | |
| First-year total | About Rs 66 to 84 lakh |
Year 2 costs less, about Rs 62 lakh to Rs 80 lakh at the same tuition, because there's no visa fee or flight, and most students are working by then.
Tuition fees by level
Tuition is set by each university and course. These are the ranges we see across the 94 Australian universities and colleges we work with.
| Level | AUD a year | In rupees |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma or pathway college | 15,000 to 25,000 | Rs 15.9 to 26.5 lakh |
| Bachelor's | 28,000 to 45,000 | Rs 29.7 to 47.7 lakh |
| Master's (coursework) | 30,000 to 48,000 | Rs 31.8 to 50.9 lakh |
Most universities ask for the first semester as the deposit before they issue your CoE. That is usually AUD 14,000 to 22,000, and it's sent from Nepal after your NOC.
Living costs by city
Rent decides your monthly cost more than anything else. These figures are what our students sharing a room typically spend in 2026.
| City | Rent (shared room) | Total a month | In rupees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | AUD 1,300 to 1,700 | AUD 2,000 to 2,600 | Rs 2.1 to 2.8 lakh |
| Melbourne | AUD 1,100 to 1,500 | AUD 1,800 to 2,400 | Rs 1.9 to 2.5 lakh |
| Brisbane | AUD 1,000 to 1,400 | AUD 1,650 to 2,200 | Rs 1.7 to 2.3 lakh |
| Adelaide | AUD 850 to 1,200 | AUD 1,450 to 1,950 | Rs 1.5 to 2.1 lakh |
Over a year, Adelaide is about Rs 7 lakh to Rs 8 lakh cheaper than Sydney for the same student. If your course is offered in both, that difference is bigger than most scholarships.
Bring at least 3 months of living money. Your first job usually takes 2 to 8 weeks to find, and the first rent payment comes with a bond of up to 4 weeks' rent.
Costs in Nepal before you fly
| Cost | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | Rs 36,000 | IDP or British Council |
| or PTE Academic | USD 220, about Rs 33,500 | Pearson |
| NOC | Rs 2,000 | Ministry of Education |
| Our fee, if you use us | Rs 20,000 per application file | Prasthan Education, by bank |
| Biometrics and health check | Set by VFS and the panel clinic | VFS Global, panel clinic |
| Bank letters, valuation, translations | A few thousand to Rs 25,000 | Each office |
Universities also pay us a commission when you enrol, usually 10 to 15% of first-year tuition. You don't pay it, but you should know about it, so it's written into your contract.
What part-time work really covers
You can work 48 hours a fortnight during term and unlimited hours in official breaks. The national minimum wage is AUD 26.44 an hour from 1 July 2026.
| Hours | AUD a month | In rupees |
|---|---|---|
| 15 hours a week | About 1,720 | Rs 1.8 lakh |
| 20 hours a week | About 2,290 | Rs 2.4 lakh |
| 24 hours a week (the term limit) | About 2,750 | Rs 2.9 lakh |
At 20 hours a week, part-time work covers living costs in Adelaide or Brisbane, but not in Sydney. It doesn't cover tuition. Plan to pay tuition from home, and treat part-time income as rent and food money.
How to lower the cost of studying in Australia
- Choose a smaller city. Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart or a regional campus can save several lakh a year in rent.
- Apply for the university's scholarship. 10% to 30% off tuition is common, and some are automatic for good marks. Our Australia scholarships guide covers these and Australia Awards.
- Use a diploma pathway if your +2 marks are low: about AUD 15,000 for year 1, then into year 2 of the bachelor's.
- Pick a course that's worth the debt. Nursing, engineering, IT and teaching lead to jobs Australia is short of. Jobs and Skills Australia publishes the list every year.
If the total is still out of reach, compare Australia with Finland or Germany, where the first year costs Rs 25 lakh to Rs 40 lakh. The cheapest countries guide has all 10 side by side.
Cost versus the money you must show
What you'll spend and what you must show for the visa aren't the same figure. For the visa you show first-year tuition, AUD 29,710 for living costs and travel, from a source the officer can trace. Our bank balance guide explains how Nepali families show it, and the student visa guide covers the rest of the file.
