LIVING IN AUSTRALIA
Please note the information supplied on this page is for the benefit of Fulbright Scholars travelling in Australia. to assist with travel preparations and also to support Scholars in their transition to life in Australia. The information has been extracted from recent Fulbright Scholar Final Reports and does not necessarily reflect the views or recommendations of the Fulbright Commission. The information is from American Scholars who have travelled to Australia within the last four years.
Obviously, things like housing, food, and transportation vary from city to city in Australia. In Brisbane, I found rent to be quite reasonable, and lived in a fully furnished3-bedroom house in the West End. This location was ideal, since it was close to the city, and only a short 10-minute bike ride from the UQ campus. I would not suggest living on campus in St. Lucia, as there are very few restaurants/shops available. Living within commuting distance (bus, ferry, or bike) is easy and allows one to see more of Brisbane culture. Male PGS 2007
Housing in Sydney is a headache. Nearly everyone I know has trouble finding cheap housing. I spent over 2 weeks searching, staying in hostels the whole time. Getting an early start and some knowledgeable local to help you is a must. The prices have also been rising steadily even during this year. I pay $220 per week for a share house near the campus. Male PGS 2007
Clothing, banking, furnishings are easy in a big city like Sydney. Food is kind of expensive, but if you’re diligent and cook for yourself, you can be healthy without spending too much money. The cheapest restaurants with acceptable food charge about $10 for a main course (excluding Hungry Jacks and the like). Male PGS 2007
Housing: On campus housing can be difficult to acquire, but probably the least expensive option (If at the ANU contact Fenner Hall or one of the colleges). Off campus, share housing is about the only affordable way to go unless you want to subsidize your rent. Rents are charged weekly and in Brisbane you will not get a flat anywhere near the city without spending $300+ a week.
Food: Learn to cook. Food prices at the market are often quite affordable, but restaurants can be relatively expensive.
Clothing: Bring it with you, but leave room to take home distinctive Australian items of clothing whether it is a Driz-A-Bone jacket or a rugby jumper. Otherwise, clothing is quite expensive.
Furnishing: Find an Op Shop (Thrift Store) Male PGS, 2007
Housing can be difficult to find in larger cities such as Melbourne, so it helps to have a temporary place to live and then to be patient while searching for a more permanent one. Food is definitely more expensive than in the U.S., but there is a much greater array of Asian ingredients available. Female PGS 2007
Two good resources for booking cheap international flights for students are STA Travel and Studentuniverse.com. I have used both before and have been satisfied with the discount. For cheapest domestic flights, definitely do your research online. I usually bounced between STA Travel, Flight Centre, or Student Flights. Male PGS 2007
Housing in Sydney is a headache. Nearly everyone I know has trouble finding cheap housing. I spent over 2 weeks searching, staying in hostels the whole time. Getting an early start and some knowledgeable local to help you is a must. Male PGS 2007
I would highly recommend forwarding important mail like bills to your address in Australia, once you find a permanent one. I was very surprised by how fast mail traveled between Australia and the U.S., it usually took no more than a week. Female PGS 2007
Taxes can be a bit of a dilemma. It may be good to get tax advice from an expert before you leave the U.S. You will be taxed on the Fulbright grant, even though it is a grant. So, do not assume it is exempt. Male PGS 2007
I would suggest that scholars open a commonwealth bank account in the states before leaving so that they can use their credit card here to buy airline tickets or rent cars online in Australian currency with no foreign fees. Female PGS 2007
Skype was a great resource for calling home. We had a video camera attached to our computer and could videoconference with friends and relatives. If the person we were calling also had skype we could talk for free. Male SS 2007
Learn at least a little bit about rugby (league and/or union), AFL, and cricket. You'll impress people in pubs that way. Female PGS 2007
Find a way to stay in the country for at least 331 days. You don't have to pay US taxes on your stipend that way - I was 15 days short Female PGS 2007
Housing, food, clothing and transportation in Melbourne are all quite expensive. I would compare prices to those in New York City. The Fulbright stipend is absolutely sufficient to live on; however, Scholars will likely need to use personal savings if they plan to travel.
I was unable to locate a place to live prior to arriving in Australia. Once I got here, the following website was very helpful in locating a suitable place to live with flatmates: http://brisbane.gumtree.com.au/ . Male 2008 PGS
In terms of furniture, we found good quality items at very reasonable rates at Suite Deals (www.suitedeals.com.au). And, there is an IKEA that delivers. Female 2008 PGS
Whether you are looking for a housemate or an apartment (furnished or not), both www.domain.com.au and www.rent.com.au were good sites and easy to navigate. I would also encourage you to look at www.sabbaticalhomes.com as this site offers both short and long term homes and the people are often eager to work with Fulbrighters. Female 2008 PGS
Clothes, linens, etc. are MUCH more expensive in Australia, so it is worth spending the money to ship/carry these things from the US so that you don't have to buy them in Australia. There are heaps of thrift shops where you can buy used furnishings. The "tip" shop is worth a visit - that's where they recycle and refurbish things from the garbage, and you can get almost anything for almost nothing! Female 2009 PGS
For those who live in Adelaide, the Central Market is excellent for food, and has much cheaper produce than grocery stores. Female 2009 PGS
Living is expensive in Sydney. I highly recommend living in the Eastern Suburbs, as close to the beach as you can get—if you’re a beach junkie like me--but just be aware that housing is pricey and so is food, particularly in restaurants. When in doubt, eat Thai or other Asian food, or eat in a pub if you can stand it (tend to smell like beer, but usually serve good chips) Female 2009 PGS
FOOD is RIDICULOUSLY expensive here. As is clothing/shoes. I would advise scholars to pack clothes for a variety of events because you will likely be going to more varied functions here than you did as a student and be warned of the attitude that you’ll just by something here if you need it (it will cost 3x as much.) Female 2009 PGS