Living costs

To help you plan and prepare your budget, these tables provide estimated costs of living and studying at each campus. The costs will vary depending on your accommodation type, lifestyle and other factors.

The estimated costs are based on average annual costs for a single student for the duration of 37 weeks (of the academic year) only. Please note that we have not included the cost of clothing or travel expenses for leisure purposes.

Important table key

  1. Assumes shared with two others.
  2. For Albury-Wodonga campus, 18-week rent in advance is required.
  3. Bond is usually refunded at the end of your stay provided no money is owing (and that you have given the required period of notice), and that you have caused no damage to property. Note that some private student accommodation providers will deduct a A$50 cleaning charge at the end of your stay.
  4. Transport for education and work purposes.
  5. Includes a placement fee of A$230 for Homestay service.
  6. Includes non-refundable costs of social and transition programs and other miscellaneous fees. This cost may be lesser for students who are only in residence for one semester or commence at mid-year intake.
  7. There is currently no on-campus accommodation available at Shepparton campus.
  8. If you sign a lease for one year, you are legally liable to pay for 52 weeks.

Average living costs for one student (A$)

Melbourne
Accommodation
Homestay (fully catered meals)
Homestay (shared room no meals)
Renting (shared house or flat)1
One bedroom flat or apartment8
Chisholm College (non-catered)
Establishment costs
Bond3 0 0 520 1083 500
Rent in advance 1060 600 520 1083 747
Telephone, internet and utilities connection 0 0 40 120 150
Establishment costs (household items, furniture 3505 3505 500 900 7156
Total 1410 950 1580 3186 1215
Annual costs
Books, stationery, photocopying, etc. 800 800 800 800 800
Weekly costs
Weekly rent/board 265 150 120 250 168
Food, groceries and personal items 30 100 100 120 100
Utilities (gas, electricity, mobile phone, internet) 15 15 35 60 15
Travel4 (public transport, fuel) 35 35 35 35 20
Spending money 80 80 80 80 80
Average weekly costs 425 380 370 545 383
Estimated for academic year (37 weeks) 16 875 15 210 15 550 23 068 16 336
Bendigo
Accommodation
Homestay (fully catered meals)
Homestay (shared room no meals)
Renting (shared house or flat)1
One bedroom flat or apartment8
Campus (non-catered)9
Establishment costs
Bond 0 0 5368 932 500
Rent in advance 960 620 568 932 700
Telephone, internet and utilities connection 0 0 40 120 150
Establishment costs (household items, furniture 3505 3505 500 900 5806
Total 1310 970 1276 2884 1780
Annual costs
Books, stationery, photocopying, etc. 800 800 800 800 800
Weekly costs
Weekly rent/board 240 155 120 215 175
Food, groceries and personal items 30 100 100 120 100
Utilities (gas, electricity, mobile phone, internet) 15 15 35 60 15
Travel (public transport, fuel) 30 30 30 30 20
Spending money 80 80 80 80 80
Average weekly costs 395 380 365 505 390
Estimate for one academic year (37 weeks) 15 765 15 210 15 213 21 437 16 310
Albury-Wodonga
Accommodation
Renting (shared house or flat)1
Homestay (fully catered all meals)
Campus (non-catered)
Establishment costs
Bond 520 693 300
Rent in advance 520 693 21782
Telephone, internet and utilities connection 40 0 0
Establishment costs (household items, furniture 500 3505 3506
Total 1580 1736 2828
Annual costs
Books, stationery, photocopying, etc. 800 800 800
Weekly costs
Weekly rent/board 95 160 115
Food, groceries and personal items 100 30 100
Utilities (gas, electricity, mobile phone, internet) 35 15 15
Travel (public transport, fuel) 30 30 20
Spending money 80 80 80
Average weekly costs 340 315 330
Estimate for one academic year (37 weeks) 14 440 13 498 13 660
Mildura
Accommodation
Renting (shared house or flat)
One bedroom flat or apartment8
Campus (non-catered)
Establishment costs
Bond 290 520 350
Rent in advance 290 520 260
Telephone, internet and utilities connection 40 120 0
Establishment costs (household items, furniture 500 900 250
Total 1120 2060 860
Annual costs
Books, stationery, photocopying, etc. 800 800 800
Weekly costs
Weekly rent/board 70 120 130
Food, groceries and personal items 100 120 100
Utilities (gas, electricity, mobile phone, internet) 35 60 N/A
Travel (public transport, fuel) 30 30 20
Spending money 80 80 80
Average weekly costs 315 3410 330
Estimate for one academic year (37 weeks) 13 285 17 510 13 610
Shepparton
Accommodation
Renting (shared house or flat)1
One bedroom (flat or apartment)8
Establishment costs
Bond 290 520
Rent in advance 290 520
Telephone, internet and utilities connection 40 120
Establishment costs (household items, furniture 500 900
Total 1120 2060
Annual costs
Books, stationery, photocopying, etc. 800 800
Weekly costs
Weekly rent/board 70 120
Food, groceries and personal items 100 120
Utilities (gas, electricity, mobile phone, internet) 35 60
Travel (public transport, fuel) 30 30
Spending money 80 80
Average weekly costs 315 410
Estimate for one academic year (37 weeks) 13 285 17 510

Average living costs for families (all campuses) (A$)

The following table shows estimated average costs for a couple with one child, living in a two-bedroom unit/house and a child to study at government school.

Establishment costs
Couple with pre-school aged child (0-5)
Couple with primary school aged child (5-11)
Couple with secondary school aged child (12-18)
Establishment costs
Bond 1360 1360 1360
Rent in advance 1360 1360 1360
Telephone, internet and utilities connection 59 59 59
Establishment costs (household items, furniture 1500 1500 1500
Total 4279 4279 4279
Annual family costs
Books, stationery, photocopying, etc. 800 800 800
Health insurance 840 840 840
Clothing 850 850 1000
School/Kindergarten fees (incl. application fees) 1220 7590 11 130
School uniform N/A 250 500
Miscellaneous school costs (incursions, excusrions, etc.) N/A 150 500
Total 3710 10 480 14 770
Weekly costs
Weekly rent/board 340 340 347
Food, groceries and personal items 170 200 250
Utilities (gas, electricity, mobile phone, internet) 80 80 80
Travel (public transport, fuel) 75 94 94
Spending money 150 200 200
Average weekly costs 815 914 964
Estimate for one academic year (37 weeks) 38 144 48 577 54 717

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