# 1 Month Cost of Living in Sydney - $1,500 for one person per month is possible?



## kidstyx (Sep 14, 2013)

Hi,

Please kindly let me know if living in Sydney for $1,500 is possible with regard to my points below:


1. Rent - Will look for a place around 30min from Sydney CBD via public transport via subway, bus, etc. I'm hoping for a one-bedroom flat if I can fit it into the budget but not sure if it will be possible?


2. Food - Will probably only eat out twice or three times a month... Other than that, just at home. I have no idea how much this will cost?


3. Car - No car but only use public transport. So maybe will purchase a monthly-pass, if there exists such a thing in Sydney.


4. Utility bills - not sure how much this will be..


5. Clothing, etc - Will probably look to import clothes and other goods from overseas in bulk - e.g. buy bulk stuff for $500-600 to last say 6 months.. So expecting to spend $100 per month here.


6. Medical aid and superannuation will be paid from my gross salary, so this is already taken into account before receiving net salary.


7. Cellphone + internet - Will use the phone I currently have, but will need a decent uncapped ADSL 2+. So this will cost around maybe $50 per month?


8. No TV is needed.


9. No additional family members who need support from me.


Please let me know if this would be possible for $1,500 per month. Thanks!!


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## Redtape (Jun 25, 2013)

1. Rent - Will look for a place around 30min from Sydney CBD via public transport via subway, bus, etc. I'm hoping for a one-bedroom flat if I can fit it into the budget but not sure if it will be possible?

*I Live close to Parramatta and I'm paying $200 per week in sharing (2bed room, 2bath room) and you can catch a fast train from there and the journey is around 30 to 40 mins. Before deciding the place to live I would recommend take some time and explore various renting options available on Domain.com.au, Realestate.com.au not sure Gumtree.com.au would work offshore.*

*You can find our Asian community around Auburn, Strathfield along this route.*

*Rent is the major component in Sydney.*

2. Food - Will probably only eat out twice or three times a month... Other than that, just at home. I have no idea how much this will cost?

*If you are cooking yourself (best thing) it would cost you around $50-75 per week maximum (this is the maximum unless if you want something specials) including groceries.
P.s. I haven't included any drinks + eating out option ( I'm not aware how much your local food cost coz I never tried it  ).*

3. Car - No car but only use public transport. So maybe will purchase a monthly-pass, if there exists such a thing in Sydney.

*From Parramatta to City monthly would cost you around $146. I work in city so I know this. If you want to check the price info between different stations check this under tickets/ fare_calculator @ cityrail.com.au. 
Whilst you are there try to get the route map(under stations and maps) from city to Parramatta and search for rental properties along that way . This would give you a fair bit of idea about house rental prices.*

4. Utility bills - not sure how much this will be..

*Power - Would be little expensive I pay around 300 to 350 for 3 months(maximum).
Internet - Depends on the service provider- please go through the link that I've provided.*

5. Clothing, etc - Will probably look to import clothes and other goods from overseas in bulk - e.g. buy bulk stuff for $500-600 to last say 6 months.. So expecting to spend $100 per month here.

*Do you mean dry cleaning? Depends on your usage other wise coin laundry concept is there and you can find one around the place you live.
If you are looking to buy office wear then you can always pop into Big W, Kmart, Target which are reasonable prices. 
Myer, David Jones are also available in various Westfields shopping center but of course you have to pay for the Brand name.  *

6. Medical aid and superannuation will be paid from my gross salary, so this is already taken into account before receiving net salary.



7. Cellphone + internet - Will use the phone I currently have, but will need a decent uncapped ADSL 2+. So this will cost around maybe $50 per month?

*TPG give unlimited monthly plan please check this link below for details:
TPG ADSL2+ Standalone Plans - Unlimited Broadband Internet*

8. No TV is needed.


9. No additional family members who need support from me.


Please let me know if this would be possible for $1,500 per month. Thanks!![/QUOTE]
*You Should be alright with this budget.*


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## espresso (Nov 2, 2012)

Hi kidstyx, 

is that your "all-in" (rent, food, public transport, phone etc.) budget or just the initial budget for the first couple of weeks/months? If it's you net salary it will be a tight fit.

You can sometimes get a *studio or granny flat* for around 300+AUD/week. Try domain.com.au, Gumtree and various flat share websites. If you go for a flatshare, utility costs and internet will sometimes be included, but going back to dorm style student living is not for everyone . The utility costs can vary a lot, depending - among other things - whether you have air conditioning and how much you use it. You can get rough estimates from EnergyAustralia - according to them the average electricity usage (for a 1-person household with minimum usage) is around 55AUD/month. 

*Clothing* is pretty expensive in Sydney (compared to Europe and even more so for Asia), so it's a good idea to bring stuff. Ditto *eating* out, going to the hairdresser etc. A large coffee can easily set you back 3-5AUD. You can save money by mostly shopping at Coles, Kmart and Target. If you want organic food the expenses can skyrocket pretty quickly. 

A monthly *bus ticket* out to Parramatta (= 3/4hr away from the CBD) will cost you AUD146. One-off trips are expensive (a return ticket is 10AUD). Where is your workplace? We got cheap *bikes* from REID cycles for the daily trip to work and signed up for one of the *car share* services (such as GoGet) for days when we really need a car (e.g. shopping at IKEA). Works pretty well for us. 

Recommended reading: 
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...ial-setup-cost-budget-sydney-please-help.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...rbs-rental-accomodation-pakistani-family.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...ts-living-australia/157068-moving-sydney.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...tralia/132337-current-cost-living-sydney.html

Cheers, 
Monika


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## surya2089 (Jan 24, 2017)

any recent updates on prices. as i am also planning to come still no job offers and no visa.
thought let know the maximum before to move in


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## NB (Mar 29, 2017)

surya2089 said:


> any recent updates on prices. as i am also planning to come still no job offers and no visa.
> thought let know the maximum before to move in


You should be mentally and financially prepared for 35,000 to 40,000 AUD which includes the 
visa processing costs 10,0000 end to end
Relocations costs 5,000
Loss of salary for 6 -12 months . ( you may get low paying temporary jobs in the meantime)
Living expenses for 6-12 months 

If you don’t plan for it, then you may end up asking on the forum on what assistance you can get from the government to survive after you land in Australia 

Cheers


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## surya2089 (Jan 24, 2017)

what if agency will offer job and flat set up (and i will pay him before i come for house)


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## NB (Mar 29, 2017)

surya2089 said:


> what if agency will offer job and flat set up (and i will pay him before i come for house)


If he is asking for payment before hand for house , make sure it is not a scam

Cheers


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