Jason Hartley is lecturer in criminology at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. He is a former police officer with 23 years of experience, and has trained personnel for deployment in Timor Leste, the Solomon Islands, Iraq and Afghanistan. Jason specializes in, and has published on engagement with Muslim communities, Indigenous Polynesian approaches to rehabilitation and reducing recidivism, and Asian Organised Crime. Jason also completed a community internship in Hebron on the West Bank.
Cost of Living
The cost of living in Australia will vary depending on your lifestyle and personal requirements The Australian government requires student visa applicants to show they have a minimum of AUD$24,505 in savings to cover annual living costs.
The average cost of a student living in Brisbane is around $1,800 – $3,500 a month (not including tuition fees). To help provide some insight to the living cost in Australia, here are some examples of expenses:
- Milk (1 Litre) – $2.30
- Loaf of white bread (500g) – $3.63
- Chicken fillets (1kg) – $12.85
- Average meal from McDonalds – $15.00
- One way bus fare (avg) – $4.88
- Petrol (1 Litre) – $1.95
- Mobile phone and data plan (monthly) – $45-$125
- Cinema ticket – $22
These prices are estimations only and may vary in price.
Accommodation
A student living off-campus in a private rental close to GLI and the inner city can expect to pay:
- from $530 per week for an entire one-bedroom apartment;
- from $330 per person, per week sharing a two-bedroom apartment;
- from $250 per person, per week sharing a three-bedroom house or apartment.
Monthly Cost of Living
To help you estimate a monthly budget, here are some approximate costs of common expenses:
Single student
- Rent – $968-$2280
- Utilities (gas, electricity, water) – $170-$215
- Food – $475-$1380
- Mobile phone / internet – $45-$125
- Public transport – $90-$120
- Total -$1705-$4060
Family (two adults, one child) living off-campus*
- Rent – $2640-$3000
- Utilities (gas, electricity, water) – $200-$415
- Food – $1300-$1600
- Mobile phone / internet – $90-$320
- Public transport – $270-$360
- Total – $4500-$5695
*These costs assume that the dependent child is not of school age and does not factor in childcare
costs. View fees for school-aged dependents.
This table should be taken as a guide only. Study Australia provides an online cost of living calculator to estimate your weekly, monthly, and yearly living costs.
Study Costs
GLI features a fully online digital library, as well as providing required readings in Moodle. However, there may be other related study costs from $500 to $1000 on average per year, depending on the course.
You will need access to a computer and the internet during your time at GLI. Although computers are available on campus, we suggest owning one if possible.
Public Transport
GLI recommends using Brisbane’s Translink public transport services to get to and from GLI.
The campus is serviced by extensive public transport networks, offering congestion-free, fast and reliable transportation. For the safety and security of students, no classes or activities are scheduled on campus after 5pm.
Concessions and Student Discounts
The Queensland government provides some concessions and student discounts at participating retailers and institutions. You’ll usually need to show a valid student ID card to access student discounts. This can help you minimise your expenses on some products and services, including:
- software and technology;
- public transport;
- entertainment (such as cinema tickets, museums);
- select retailers;
- select food and drink venues;
- select hairdressers.
