Moving To Australia
First Month in Australia Cost Estimator
Estimate the main costs you may need to cover when you first move to Australia.
Last reviewed: July 2026
Planning estimates are reviewed against source material, but costs can change frequently and may vary from live listings, official pages, providers, and personal choices. Use this as a starting point and edit any amount to suit your situation.
Choose a starter scenario
Choose your destination first, then pick the closest starter scenario and adjust any amount to match your plans.
Current estimate
Typical first-month estimate
Ongoing estimate
Estimated ongoing monthly cost
Excludes one-off first-month costs such as bond, rent in advance, first rent payment timing, furniture/setup, and emergency buffer.
Editable cost breakdown
Change any amount. Rental setup costs are grouped together, and emergency buffer is calculated automatically.
Some costs vary too much for this tool to estimate safely. If you already know the amount, tick the item and enter it manually.
Manual costs entered here are added to the first-month estimate only. They are not included in the ongoing monthly estimate.
Estimate notes
Included
- Tier 1 Australian city starter scenarios for shared accommodation, couple rentals, and family rentals.
- Bond, rent in advance, first rent payment timing, groceries, transport, phone/internet, utilities where relevant, setup basics, and an automatic emergency buffer.
- Optional manual costs for known amounts such as flights, visa fees, private health cover, car setup, school fees, and childcare.
- Ongoing monthly estimate for rent and recurring monthly costs only.
- Editable values so the tool can work as a planning guide, not a fixed quote.
Not included automatically
- Temporary accommodation before moving into a rental.
- Automatic estimates for flights, visa fees, migration/legal advice, private health cover, car purchase, school fees, childcare, or other personal costs.
- Suburb-by-suburb pricing and detailed lifestyle spending.
Important note
This estimator is for general planning only. It is not financial, tenancy, legal, migration, tax, healthcare, education, transport, employment, or property advice.
Source material is reviewed regularly, but costs may change without notice and can vary by suburb, provider, season, household needs, eligibility, lease terms, and personal choices. Moving To Australia does not guarantee that any estimate will match your actual costs. Check current official sources, listings, providers, and professional advice where relevant before making decisions.