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About Brisbane

Whether you are travelling from overseas or between states, moving to Brisbane is an exciting opportunity to get to know a new city.

We recommend arriving a few weeks before the semester starts so you have time to get settled into your new home, explore the city, organise your GoCard (for public transport), and adjust to Brisbane’s mild, subtropical climate.

Orientation week, held one week before formal classes start, is a great way to get to know your campus, meet new people from all over the world, get involved in social activities and clubs and chat to current QUT students.

No matter where you’re coming from, we look forward to welcoming you to Brisbane.

Olympic host city

2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games

280 sunny days per year

No. 22 student city in the world

QS Best Student Cities 2024

Accommodation

Within walking distance from each campus you’ll find a wide range of accommodation options to suit all budgets.

We have a dedicated accommodation support service to help you with applications and get you settled into a home in Brisbane.

Explore accommodation options

Things to do

Brisbane has a vibrant arts and entertainment scene with festivals, exhibitions and performances happening frequently.

A third of Brisbane's population was born overseas, and more than 25% of our households have a language other than English as their first language.

Brisbane has cultural hotspots like Fortitude Valley and Sunnybank for authentic Asian markets and restaurants, as well as vibrant international communities from all over the world.

Brisbane is ranked no. 21 globally in the Institute for Quality of Life's 2024 Happy City Index, making us the happiest city in Australia.

Discover what's on in Brisbane

South Bank

Just a short walk over the Goodwill Bridge from QUT Gardens Point campus is South Bank, one of the city’s most popular attractions featuring restaurants, parklands, regular markets, and festivals. South Bank is home to:

  • Queensland Performing Arts Centre
  • Queensland Museum
  • Queensland Art Gallery
  • Gallery of Modern Art
  • State Library of Queensland.

Venues

If you’re a fan of music and theatre, you’ll enjoy Brisbane’s iconic venues including:

  • The Tivoli
  • Princess Theatre
  • Fortitude Music Hall
  • The Triffid
  • Brisbane Entertainment Centre
  • Roma St Parklands.

If you're a sports fan, you'll love the atmosphere at Brisbane's stadiums including:

  • Suncorp Stadium
  • The Gabba.

Festivals

We celebrate dozens of international traditions and festivals each year, including:

  • Chinese New Year
  • New Year Water Festival
  • Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
  • Le Festival (French)
  • The Paniyiri Greek festival
  • Italian Week
  • The Queensland Multicultural festival
  • Buddha's Birthday festival
  • Brisbane Festival
  • French, German, Italian and Spanish film festivals.

Food

Supermarkets are open seven days a week, and you can explore weekend farmers' markets for fresh produce.

Brisbane is a multicultural city, and you'll be able to find specialty supermarkets with all the ingredients you're familiar with.

There are hundreds of restaurants in Brisbane, with diverse options from dozens of countries.

Transport

Both our campuses are in the city and easy to get to. Gardens Point is in Brisbane's CBD and Kelvin Grove is two kilometres north of the city centre, easily accessed by public transport or the free QUT shuttle bus.

To use public transport in Brisbane, you’ll need a Go Card, which you can buy from transport stations or postal offices in Brisbane.

Maps and getting here

Airport reception

If you're an international student, we can meet you at the domestic or international airport when you first arrive and take you to your accommodation.

This service is free and available 24/7. Just make sure you book in advance before you get to Brisbane.

Our airport reception service

Hear from our students

Explore Brisbane and surrounds

'I love the fact that Brisbane is a developed CBD but with peaceful and beautiful places to enjoy. It’s also close to mountains, rivers and wonderful scenery surrounding the city. I use public transportation on a daily basis such as the ferry and bus. I found other students and peers were very helpful to help me adjust to a new culture and lifestyle, and HiQ and Student Support services were of great assistance when I needed it.'

Devansh Singh, India
Master of Information Technology (Cyber and Security Networks) student

Step out of your comfort zone

'Moving to a new country was both an exciting and daunting experience. I’ve learned to take care of myself, be self-motivated, explore a different culture, and find my purpose and direction in life. These valuable lessons all came from the decision to step out of my comfort zone, so I’m grateful that I made up my mind to take this challenge. The airport pickup service took me safely from the airport to my student accommodation, making my transition to life abroad much smoother and less stressful.'

Fiona Wu, Taiwan
Bachelor of Information Technology student

Meet people from around the world

'I really enjoy living in Brisbane because of its wonderful weather, nice balance of nature and city living. It’s a very multicultural city, which I love, as I used to live in Singapore and it’s very similar to that. You meet people from all over the world and it’s easy to strike a conversation with people on the street if you need to ask for directions, everyone is so friendly and welcoming.'

Kat Lising, Philippines
Master of Education (Educational Leadership) student

International Insights

Discover more student stories on what it's like to study at QUT and live in Brisbane, at our International Insights blog.

Read the blog

The QUTube

Discover more videos about studying at QUT and living in Brisbane on our YouTube channel.

Visit the QUTube

Explore Queensland

Brisbane is a gateway to Queensland, a state of stunning and diverse natural beauty.

We have hundreds of kilometres of beaches, tropical rainforests, islands, beautiful national parks and the Great Barrier Reef. Just an hour south of Brisbane is the famous Gold Coast with amazing beaches, amusement parks, and shopping. Just 1.5 hours north of Brisbane are the beautiful, quiet beaches of the Sunshine Coast.

There are endless things to explore in Queensland. You can use public transport to get to most beaches and attractions on the coast.

Joining a QUT student club is also a fantastic way to broaden your experience of Queensland and meet like-minded people to go exploring with.

Brisbane is within easy travel distance of Australia's other major cities and attractions, as well as only being a short flight from international travel destinations like New Zealand, Bali, and South-East Asia.

Explore Queensland tourism

Explore reef

Explore reef

Explore beach

Explore beach

Explore koala

Explore koala

Cost of living

Study Australia provides a helpful online cost-of-living calculator to estimate your weekly, monthly, and yearly living costs.

You’ll need to consider your type of accommodation as a major expense alongside your tuition fees. As a student, there are plenty of ways to save money, such as using student discounts, planning your meals, using public transport and choosing from the range of free entertainment options in Brisbane.

Watch our video for information about living in Brisbane on a budget.

This table estimates your monthly expenses while studying at QUT. These are a guide only: costs may vary according to your lifestyle and the current cost of living. All prices are in Australian dollars.

Expense Student apartment complex Catered student accommodation Private share house accommodation
Rent $1600-$2200 $2400-$2650 $800-$1600
Utilities (gas, electricity, water) $150-$175* $150-$175* $150-$175*
Food $560-$1500 included $560-$1500
Mobile phone/internet $50-$120 $50-$120 $50-$120
Public transport $100-$150 $100-$150 $100-$150
Total $2460-$2795 $2700-$3095 $1660-$3545

* Some student accommodation providers include electricity, gas and internet costs in your rent payments. However, check with your provider to be sure.

Student visa

For your student visa, you will also need to meet financial requirements set by the Department of Home Affairs. If you intend to bring your family with you, you’ll need to make sure your family members apply for the right visa and that you’ve considered the extra cost.

Learn more

Working while studying

Most students on international student visas can find part-time work while studying. Check your visa conditions via the Department of Home Affairs to ensure your student visa allows you to work while studying here in Australia.

QUT has resources to help you with writing a resume and searching for jobs. There are also job opportunities within QUT.

Learn more about working while studying

Paying taxes

If you work and earn money in Australia, you must pay taxes. When you're working, your employer will take money from your wages to pay tax.

You'll need to apply for a tax file number from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). If you're studying in Australia for less than six months, you might not be eligible for a tax file number.

Apply for a tax file number

Health cover

If you're an international student with an Australian student visa, you must have valid Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) with an approved provider for the duration of your visa. You need to organise your OSHC before you come to Australia. OSHC gives you access to health care while you're here. If your family is coming to Australia with you, they must also have OSHC cover.

Students from some countries may be exempt from purchasing OSHC due to their own national schemes.

Learn more

Our preferred provider

Our preferred OSHC provider is Medibank. We organise a Medibank Comprehensive OSHC policy for international students. We'll arrange cover for the length of your visa with Medibank Private. You'll need to pay for this cover when you accept your offer.

Benefits of the Medibank Comprehensive OSHC policy include:

  • access to a 24/7 student health and support line
  • memberships for singles, couples, and families
  • increased pharmacy (prescription medicine) inclusions
  • private psychology
  • repatriation
  • student visa compliance.

If you’d rather use a different provider, the Australian Government private health website has information about which health funds offer OSHC. You’ll need to provide us with proof of your policy.

If you have not arrived in Australia and no longer require OSHC, you'll need to cancel your existing policy.

Support while you study

Adjusting to university life can be difficult, and we want to see you thrive.

We’re here to help you with learning and language support, study skills, health services, financial advice, LGBTIQA+ support, spirituality and disability services, and much more.

How we support you

Connect with us

Call us and chat with an adviser

+617 3138 8339
(outside Australia)

07 3138 8339
(within Australia)

Ask us a question

We are here to help with every step of your journey to studying at QUT.

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