What is the cheapest city in Australia for students?

A practical low-cost answer is: Adelaide is often the cheapest major Australian city for students, with typical student living costs around A$350–A$550 per week depending on housing and lifestyle. If you’re open to smaller cities or regional university towns, you can sometimes get A$280–A$450 per week. By comparison, Sydney is usually the most expensive and Melbourne is also high-cost.

Typical student cost ranges (per week, all-in rough guide):

• Adelaide: about A$350–A$550
• Brisbane / Perth / Hobart: about A$380–A$600
• Regional university cities: about A$280–A$450
• Sydney: about A$500–A$750+
• Melbourne: about A$450–A$700+

So if you mean a major city, Adelaide is usually the best budget pick. If you mean absolute cheapest overall, a regional university city can be cheaper than any capital city.

Prices change a lot by suburb, room type, and distance from campus, so it’s worth checking current rents and completed/active listings before deciding.