Moving to Brisbane

Whether you are travelling from overseas or inter-state, moving to Brisbane is an exciting opportunity to get to know a new city. Before you arrive, there are plenty of resources you can explore so you’ll feel like a local before you even touch-down.

Start exploring Brisbane:

Arriving a few weeks before the semester starts gives you time to get settled into your new home, explore the city, organise your GoCard (for transport services), and adjust to Brisbane’s 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 get advice from current students studying at QUT.

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

Cost of living

Brisbane is an affordable city, but you still need to plan to make sure you have enough money for your study and living expenses.

If you're moving to Brisbane, during your first few weeks you will need around $2,500 to get set up, including accommodation costs, money to set up your new home, and food and transport. Once you are settled, you should budget around $500 a week for rent, food, transport, bills, study costs and entertainment.

International students

For your student visa, you will also need to meet financial requirements set by the Department of Home Affairs. Find out more about visa eligibility through the Department of Home Affairs website.

Finding accommodation

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.

Airport reception service

Weather

The weather in Brisbane is fantastic, with an average of over 280 sunny days each year. We've got warm summers (up to 35 degrees celsius) and mild winters (as low as 10 degrees celsius), and a rainy season from December - April.

Transport

It's easy to access both our campuses: Gardens Point in the Brisbane CBD and Kelvin Grove 2km north of the city.

Maps and getting here

Food

Brisbane is a multicultural city, and you'll be able to find speciality supermarkets with all the ingredients you're familiar with. Supermarkets are also open 7 days a week, and you can explore weekend farmers' markets for fresh produce.

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

Culture

Brisbane has a rich and diverse cultural life, with regular festivals, exhibitions and performances.

Brisbane has great cultural hotspots, like the Fortitude Valley and Sunnybank for authentic Asian markets and restaurants, as well as vibrant international communities from all over the world. A quarter of Brisbane's population was born overseas, and almost 20% of our households have a language other than English as their first language.

We're a culturally diverse city, and 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.

Explore Queensland

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

We have beautiful national parks, hundreds of kilometres of beaches, tropical rainforests, 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.

Queensland tourism

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

Bringing your family from overseas

Moving your family overseas can be expensive, and will also be a big adjustment for your spouse and children.

You may need to provide evidence of your financial capacity with your visa application. Find out more about the documentation required through the Department of Home Affairs website.

To receive personalised support for your circumstances, you can contact an international student adviser at studentservices@qut.edu.au.

Contact us

+61 7 3138 2019