The essentials at a glance
You can plan the total cost to study in Australia from Nepal once you know your course, level and university, because fees differ a lot between them. For most Nepali students, the first year of a bachelor's or master's costs about AUD 71,000 to 83,000, which is about Rs 64 to 75 lakh. That covers tuition of about AUD 36,000 to 48,000, living costs of AUD 29,710, health insurance, the visa fee and your flight. Diplomas and regional universities cost less, while big-city universities such as UNSW cost more. Your offer letter shows your exact tuition, so use it to check your budget.
Main points from this page
For most Nepali students, the first year of a bachelor’s or master’s in Australia costs about AUD 71,000 to 83,000, or about Rs 64 to 75 lakh.
That figure adds five things together: one year of tuition, living costs, health insurance, the visa fee and your flight. Tuition is the biggest part and the one that changes most. That is why the total moves up or down with your course and your university.
The amounts on this page are in Australian dollars (AUD), because that is how universities and the Australian government charge them. Rupee figures are rounded and change with the exchange rate, so check today’s rate with our AUD to Rs forex converter before you plan with your bank. This page is part of our guide to study in Australia from Nepal, which covers every step from choosing a course to landing.
Keep in mind that this is a planning figure, not a quote. Your offer letter shows your exact tuition, and the city you live in decides much of your living cost. A student sharing a room in Adelaide will spend less than one living alone in Sydney.
Every budget for Australia is built from these three parts.
Usually the biggest cost. Your university and course set it, and you pay it each semester.
Rent, food, transport and phone. These depend mostly on your city and how you live.
Visa fee, health insurance, English test, medical and flight, mostly paid in Nepal before you fly.
Before you leave Nepal, plan for about Rs 21 to 29 lakh, because most universities ask for the first semester’s tuition before they send your Confirmation of Enrolment.
The biggest payment is the tuition deposit. Most universities ask for one semester’s fee before they issue your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE), and you need the CoE to apply for the visa. One semester is usually about AUD 17,500 to 24,000 at the universities on this page. Read the refund terms in your offer letter before you pay, so you know what comes back if the visa is refused.
| Cost | Amount | About Rs | When you pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| English test (IELTS fee at IDP Nepal) | IELTS on computer | about Rs 33 thousand | Before you apply to universities |
| Tuition deposit (first semester) | about AUD 17,500 to 24,000 | about Rs 16 to 22 lakh | After you accept the offer |
| Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) | from AUD 643 a year, for your whole stay | about Rs 1.2 lakh for 2 years | Before you apply for the visa |
| Student visa fee | from AUD 2,500 | about Rs 2.3 lakh | When you apply for the visa |
| Medical exam | set by the panel clinic | ask the clinic when you book | When Home Affairs asks, or before |
| Biometrics | VFS Global service fee | small fee | Within 14 days of the request |
| Police report, notary, translation | small fees in Nepal | a few thousand rupees | Before you apply for the visa |
| Flight to Australia | Home Affairs counts AUD 2,000 for travel | about Rs 1.8 lakh | After the visa is granted |
You pay the visa fee online when you apply, and the Visa Pricing Estimator from Home Affairs shows the exact charge. Our post on the Australia student visa fee explains what is included. You book the medical at one of the panel clinics listed by the Australian Embassy in Nepal. You give fingerprints and a photo at VFS Global in Kathmandu, as our biometrics guide explains.
You will also need a police report from Nepal Police. If your first score is low, you may have to pay for an IELTS test in Nepal a second time. Set aside a little extra for courier, notary and translation fees, because these small costs add up.
In 2026, a year of tuition usually costs AUD 27,000 to 35,000 for a diploma, AUD 35,000 to 47,000 for a bachelor’s and AUD 38,000 to 48,000 for a master’s.
These study in Australia fees come from the 2026 fee schedules that universities publish for international students. Fees differ by university, course and city, so the same degree can cost very different amounts. Courses with labs and placements, such as engineering, nursing and medicine, cost more than business or arts. That is why the average cost to study in Australia for international students tells you less than the fee for your own course.
| Level | Usual yearly fee (2026) | About Rs a year | Examples from 2026 fee schedules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diploma (1 year) | AUD 27,000 to 35,000 | about Rs 24 to 32 lakh | TAFE NSW Diploma of IT AUD 26,720 to 30,160; Federation Diploma of Business AUD 35,000 |
| Bachelor’s (3 to 4 years) | AUD 35,000 to 47,000 | about Rs 32 to 43 lakh | CQUniversity IT AUD 36,720; Federation Business AUD 39,600; Flinders Engineering AUD 47,300 |
| Master’s (1.5 to 2 years) | AUD 38,000 to 48,000 | about Rs 34 to 43 lakh | CQUniversity Accounting AUD 38,640; Flinders MBA AUD 44,200; Flinders Engineering AUD 47,800 |
| PhD (3 to 4 years) | AUD 29,000 to 45,000 | about Rs 26 to 41 lakh | Federation AUD 29,500 to 36,000; Flinders AUD 37,600 to 44,800 |
| Group of Eight, e.g. UNSW | AUD 47,000 to 63,000 | about Rs 43 to 57 lakh | UNSW arts about AUD 47,300 and business about AUD 56,600 (bachelor’s) |
| Medicine | AUD 90,000 or more | about Rs 82 lakh or more | Flinders Doctor of Medicine AUD 91,200 |
Each figure is a yearly fee for full-time study in 2026. They come from Federation University’s 2026 fee schedule, Flinders University’s 2026 fee schedule, CQUniversity’s 2026 courses and fees list and UNSW’s international tuition fees. UNSW lists a price per unit of credit, so we multiplied it by 48, which is one full-time year; that sum is ours, not UNSW’s.
Use the table to shortlist, then open the course page, because the fee in your offer letter is the one you pay. Fees for students who start in 2027 will be a little higher.
A bachelor’s in Australia usually takes 3 years, or 4 years for engineering. At regional and newer universities, business and IT cost about AUD 35,000 to 44,000 a year in 2026. Nursing costs about AUD 38,000 to 44,000 at the same places. Engineering is the dearest of the common choices, at up to AUD 47,300.
After +2, most Nepali students choose business, IT or nursing. So plan for about AUD 38,000 to 44,000 a year, unless you aim for a big-city university. Our list of universities in Australia for international students helps you compare them.
A coursework master’s usually takes 1.5 to 2 years. In 2026, accounting, IT and business master’s cost about AUD 38,600 to 44,200 a year at CQUniversity, Federation and Flinders. Engineering master’s and the Group of Eight cost more: UNSW postgraduate computer science works out at about AUD 62,900 for a full-time year.
Look at the length as well as the yearly fee. A 2-year master’s costs more in total than a 1.5-year one. However, only study of at least 92 weeks counts toward the 485 post-study work visa, so check the weeks before you pick the shorter course.
A diploma is a cheaper first year for many Nepali students after +2. The TAFE NSW Diploma of Information Technology costs AUD 26,720 to 30,160 for one year, while a university diploma such as Federation’s Diploma of Business costs AUD 35,000. Some diplomas give credit into the second year of a bachelor’s, which can save a year of fees. Our guide to diploma courses in Australia explains how.
A PhD costs about AUD 29,500 to 44,800 a year on paper. In practice, most international PhD students apply for a scholarship that pays the tuition, and some also get a living allowance. Our guide to a PhD in Australia explains how the funding works.
The total cost to study in Australia from Nepal is about Rs 56 to 89 lakh for the first year, and Rs 1.35 to 2 crore for a whole degree.
To get these totals, we added one year of tuition to the costs every student pays. On its Student visa (subclass 500) page, Home Affairs asks you to show AUD 29,710 for a year of living and AUD 2,000 for travel. We used those figures. We then added the AUD 2,500 visa fee and about AUD 700 for health insurance. Together, these non-tuition costs come to about AUD 34,900, which is about Rs 32 lakh.
| Study path (2026 fee) | Tuition for 1 year | First-year total | About Rs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diploma at TAFE NSW (IT) | AUD 26,720 | AUD 61,630 | about Rs 56 lakh |
| Bachelor’s at a regional university (CQUniversity IT) | AUD 36,720 | AUD 71,630 | about Rs 65 lakh |
| Master’s at Federation (Accounting) | AUD 39,600 | AUD 74,510 | about Rs 67 lakh |
| Bachelor’s at a city university (Flinders IT) | AUD 43,600 | AUD 78,510 | about Rs 71 lakh |
| Master’s at the Group of Eight (UNSW IT) | about AUD 62,900 | about AUD 97,800 | about Rs 89 lakh |
For the whole course, multiply by the number of years and add the one-off costs once. The table below uses round yearly fees close to the middle of the 2026 range.
| Whole course | Tuition | Living, insurance, visa and travel | Total | About Rs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-year master’s at AUD 42,000 a year | AUD 84,000 | AUD 65,320 | AUD 149,320 | about Rs 1.35 crore |
| 3-year bachelor’s at AUD 40,000 a year | AUD 120,000 | AUD 95,730 | AUD 215,730 | about Rs 1.95 crore |
These are planning figures for Nepali families, not exact prices. Fees usually rise a little each year, and living in Sydney or Melbourne can cost more than the Home Affairs figure. So keep a margin of about 10 percent. Part-time work can cover part of your living costs, but it should not be counted for tuition. Our cost of living in Australia page breaks living costs down by month and city.
"Studying in Australia taught me how to budget and manage my expenses wisely, from rent to groceries and transport. Planning ahead and making smart choices made my student life much easier and stress-free."
You must show your first-year tuition, AUD 29,710 for living costs and AUD 2,000 for travel, which is about Rs 61 to 72 lakh for most students.
This is not an extra cost on top of the totals above. It is money the visa officer wants to see that you can use for your first year. Nepali families usually show it with bank savings, fixed deposits, an education loan or the parents’ income. Instead of savings, Home Affairs also accepts a parent’s or partner’s yearly income of at least AUD 87,856.
The Australia student visa requirements page explains what Home Affairs counts. Our guides to financial documents for the Australia student visa and the education loan process in Nepal show how Nepali banks prepare these documents. Each large deposit needs a clear source, so start early.
The cost drops most when you choose a regional or newer university, start with a diploma, win a scholarship and share your housing.
Choosing the university is the biggest decision. In 2026, a bachelor’s in IT costs AUD 36,720 a year at CQUniversity but about AUD 61,000 at UNSW, a difference of about Rs 22 lakh every year. Regional cities also tend to have lower rent, and our post on regional study in Australia explains the visa benefits that come with them.
Most universities give merit scholarships that take part of the tuition off, and you are often considered automatically when you apply. Our page on scholarships in Australia for Nepali students lists the ones open to you. Starting with a diploma, as explained above, can also lower your first-year bill.
You can work up to 48 hours a fortnight while your course is in session, and full time in official breaks. That helps with rent and food, but plan your tuition without it, because a first job can take weeks to find. Read more about working hours for students in Australia. Sharing a room, cooking at home and using a student transport card also save money, and our student accommodation in Australia guide compares the options.
If you want help comparing the total cost of two offers, you can get advice wherever you live in Nepal, even in Dhangadhi. Our branches are in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Chitwan, Itahari and Pokhara, so just get in touch.
Students most often forget the yearly fee rise, the fee for repeating a subject, books and equipment, and the bond and first month in Australia.
Universities review their fees every year, so your second-year fee is usually a little higher than the first. Federation University and CQUniversity both say this on their 2026 schedules. If you fail a subject, you pay for it again when you repeat it. In a course that costs AUD 40,000 a year for 8 subjects, one repeated subject costs about AUD 5,000, which is about Rs 4.5 lakh.
On its fees and costs for international students page, TAFE NSW lists AUD 300 to 1,000 per course for books, uniforms and equipment. It also charges an AUD 100 application fee. Some universities, such as UNSW, also add a Student Services and Amenities Fee on top of tuition.
When you land, you need money for a rental bond, often up to four weeks’ rent, plus the first rent, bedding, a SIM card and groceries. Our guide on how much money Nepali students should carry to Australia covers this first month. Bank charges and the exchange rate also change what you pay in rupees, so compare banks in Nepal before each semester payment.
You pay in stages over about 6 to 9 months, starting with the English test and ending with each semester’s fee in Australia.
Most Nepali students take the English test and collect their documents about 6 to 9 months before the intake. After the offer letter arrives, you pay the tuition deposit and buy health insurance, and then you receive the CoE. Next, you apply for the visa and pay the visa fee at the same time. You book your flight only after the visa is granted.
Once you start, you pay each semester’s or term’s fee before its due date, usually a few weeks into the study period. This is why families in Nepal often arrange the loan or the fixed deposit in stages too. Our page on how to apply for an Australia student visa shows the full order of steps and how long each one takes.
Dhiraj combines his leadership experience with expert study abroad guidance, helping students like you choose the right universities, scholarships, and career paths. Approachable, knowledgeable, and committed to supporting you every step of your journey.
For most bachelor’s and master’s students, the first year costs about AUD 71,000 to 83,000, which is about Rs 64 to 75 lakh. That includes tuition, living costs, health insurance, the visa fee and the flight. Later years cost less because the visa fee and the flight are paid once, but tuition usually rises a little each year.
A 2-year master’s at about AUD 42,000 a year costs about AUD 150,000 in total, which is about Rs 1.35 crore. That covers two years of tuition and living costs, plus health insurance, the visa fee and travel. A 2-year master’s at a Group of Eight university such as UNSW costs about AUD 191,000, or about Rs 1.7 crore.
A diploma at TAFE or a degree at a regional university usually costs the least. In 2026, the TAFE NSW Diploma of IT costs AUD 26,720 to 30,160 for a year, and a bachelor’s at CQUniversity starts at about AUD 35,000. Living in a smaller city and sharing a room also lowers the total. Choose the course first, though, because a cheap course that does not suit your plans costs more in the end.
You need to show your first-year tuition, AUD 29,710 for living costs and AUD 2,000 for travel. For most students, that comes to about Rs 61 to 72 lakh. You can show it with savings, fixed deposits, an education loan or a parent’s yearly income of at least AUD 87,856.
Not really. You can work up to 48 hours a fortnight during the semester, which helps with rent and food. Tuition is paid at the start of each semester, often before you have a steady job, so your family should plan to cover it.
No. Universities charge tuition by semester or term. You pay the first semester’s fee, or a deposit, before you get your CoE, and then each later semester’s fee before its due date.
The visa fee is not refunded. Under Australian law, a university that took your tuition deposit usually refunds most of it if your visa is refused, keeping only a small amount. Read the refund policy in your offer letter before you pay. Our page on the Australia visa success rate from Nepal shows how many recent applications were granted, so you can plan your payments with that in mind.
Health insurance for a single student starts at about AUD 643 a year, which is about Rs 58 thousand. You must buy it for your whole stay before you apply for the visa, so a 2-year course needs about AUD 1,300, or about Rs 1.2 lakh.
Usually not. Most universities review fees every year, so the second and third years often cost a little more than the first. When you plan the whole course, add a small margin for these rises.
Reference links
Important guidance note
Tuition figures are 2026 fees from each provider's own schedule. Rupee amounts are rounded; check the current rate before you plan.
Book Your Free Consultation
From choosing the right country to finding scholarships and housing, our counselors will guide you at every step.
Choose the right country based on your goals
Find courses that match your career plan
Get guidance on colleges and universities
Plan your finances, scholarships & part-time jobs
Plan your abroad stay & post-study plan
Schedule a free consultation with our expert counselors to discuss your study
Schedule a free consultation with our expert counselors to discuss your study
