Where you live as an international student shapes your budget, your commute and how quickly you settle in. Here''s a clear guide to the main options and how to avoid the traps.

Your main options

On-campus / purpose-built student accommodation. Convenient, social, and usually all-inclusive (bills, furniture), but often the most expensive per week. Great for your first year while you find your feet. Private rentals and sharehouses. The most common longer-term option. Renting a room in a sharehouse is far cheaper than renting alone, but you''ll usually need a bond, references and sometimes furniture. Sharing also means picking housemates carefully. Homestay. Living with a local family, often with meals included. Good for arriving students who want support and a soft landing, and to practise everyday English — less independence, but a gentle start.

Sort the first few weeks before you fly

Don''t land with nowhere to stay. Book at least your first few weeks — student accommodation, a homestay, or short-term rental — before you arrive, then find something longer-term once you''re on the ground and can inspect places in person.

Budget realistically by city

Rent varies enormously between and within cities — inner Sydney and Melbourne are dearest, regional areas much cheaper. Look up realistic weekly rents for your specific area, and remember to add bills, bond (often 4 weeks'' rent up front) and transport to the sticker price.

Avoid the rental scams

International students are prime targets for rental fraud. The classic scam: a too-good-to-be-true listing, a "landlord" who''s conveniently overseas, and a demand to transfer a bond or rent before you''ve seen the place. Rules to live by:

  • Never pay a bond or rent for a property you (or someone you trust) haven''t inspected.
  • Be wary of any landlord who can''t meet you or show the property.
  • Use reputable platforms and pay bonds through the proper state bond authority, not by direct transfer to a stranger.

The bottom line

Line up your first few weeks before you arrive, choose the option that fits your budget and how much support you want, research real local rents, and never send money for a place you haven''t seen. Get that right and the rest of settling in is far easier.