Canberra is Australia’s capital and largest inland city, sitting between Sydney and Melbourne, roughly three hours’ drive from each. The city is best known internationally for the Australian National University and as the seat of the federal government, both of which shape the local economy and student experience more than in most other Australian cities.

Universities and major institutes

Australian National University (ANU), Group of Eight
University of Canberra (UC)
Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT)

Cost of living

Cheaper than Sydney or Melbourne. Share-house rent typically runs $230–$400 a week, with proximity to ANU and the city centre the main price driver. Groceries for one person cooking at home tend to cost $75–$140 a week. A flat white usually runs $4.50–$5.50, and a casual lunch in Civic or Braddon costs $15–$21. Canberra’s design as a series of separate town centres rather than one dense CBD means costs vary noticeably between suburbs; Gungahlin and Tuggeranong tend to run cheaper than Civic or the inner north.

What it’s like for international students

Canberra is small by Australian standards, under 500,000 people, but the concentration of students, public servants and researchers packed into it is unusually high for its size. Public transport doesn’t run with the density you’d find in Sydney or Melbourne, but distances are shorter too, and cycling and walking cover most of daily life without much trouble.

Getting around

Canberra’s buses and light rail run on the MyWay card. The light rail line connects Gungahlin to the city centre, and buses cover the rest of the network, including routes out to ANU and the University of Canberra. Because Canberra was designed around cars and separated town centres rather than a single dense core, public transport frequency can feel sparser than students expect coming from Sydney or Melbourne, and a lot of students end up cycling or walking for shorter trips instead. A weekly MyWay spend for a typical student commute usually sits around $20–$35, with concession fares for eligible students.

Weather and lifestyle

Canberra has a distinct four-season climate, unusual for Australia, with cold winters (June to August) that regularly drop below freezing overnight, and warm, dry summers that can also produce very hot days. Autumn is genuinely spectacular here: the tree-lined avenues around the city turn shades of red and gold that draw visitors from Sydney and Melbourne just to see them. Winter calls for proper warm clothing in a way that Sydney or Brisbane rarely do. Life outside study tends to centre on the lake, museums and galleries (many free), and short trips into the surrounding countryside and the Snowy Mountains ski fields during winter.

Working while you study

The 48-hours-per-fortnight cap applies to Subclass 500 visa holders during term, with no cap during breaks. Canberra’s job market leans heavily on hospitality, retail and administrative work tied to the public sector, and the sheer number of government agencies and their contractors in the city creates part-time and internship opportunities that are harder to find elsewhere. Competition for casual roles is generally lighter than in Sydney or Melbourne simply because the city and its workforce are smaller, though the overall pool of available jobs is smaller too.

Studying in Canberra