Living in Australia with 200 dollars per month
Essential to remember
Living in Australia with 200 AUD per month: extreme challenge possible only with WWOOFing, couchsurfing or wild camping. Realistic in survival mode. More realistic: 1,500-2,500 AUD for a minimum comfortable living.
I will give you little tips and things to know to live with a minimum while experiencing a maximum.
What you need to know is that you should not limit yourself, all means are good and it is not absolutely necessary to earn money to be able to live, I will list the little tricks to work and have free time to enjoy or spend as little as possible before finding something better or the job of your dreams.
Do not believe it, but there are no miracle solutions, but all the paths I will give you are quite achievable and simple! You have to be motivated and move a little.
  ;– Living in Australia and Working for free accommodation,
Did you know?
The living minimum in Australia according to the Henderson Poverty Line is 850 AUD/week for a single adult (4,000 AUD/month). 200 AUD/month does not cover rent or decent food: pure survival challenge.
Several positions are available in youth hostels, each youth hostel needs at least 2 to 3 cleaners (cleaning) for small hostels or more for larger ones, or receptionists to welcome arrivals and departures!
Count on 2 to 3 hours per day to have your free accommodation (it will likely be a bed), knowing that this allows you to save money and meet people. You can then go to the beach, take your time to look for another job (part-time). You will not have to pay the 150 dollars per week and with your part-time job, you will be able to save.
The turnover is quite high in cities like Sydney, Melbourne, so it may be that from one week to another, they are looking for other people, spread the word or walk around and visit backpackers. It is especially very easy to find this type of job.
My experience
I knew a traveler who lived with 300 AUD/month doing WWOOFing + hitchhiking. No rent, no transport, few social expenses. But it is a spartan life that does not last more than 3-6 months.
– Living in Australia and Doing Woofing or HelpX,
Woofing and HelpX (website: Helpx.net) is an exchange service where accommodation and food are offered for a few hours of work, on average 3 to 6 hours per day. Woofing and HelpX offer quite a few different activities, I will talk about them a bit more in another article. However, you have to pay a small membership fee to join, nothing too expensive (30 dollars for one year, I think). It can be an opportunity to find a job because word of mouth spreads quickly in small towns if you do a good job!
Advantages
- Challenge that encourages creativity
- Maximum savings
- Discovery of a different lifestyle
- WWOOFing network utilized
- Pure adventure
Weak points
- Very limited comfort
- No costly social life
- Health risks if saving on food
- No possible medical care
- Sometimes isolation
| Position | Minimum cost |
|---|---|
| Rent (shared flatmate) | 700 AUD |
| Groceries (minimum) | 200 AUD |
| Transport | 100 AUD |
| Total minimum | 1,000 AUD |
– Living in Australia and Being an au pair,
 The purpose of an au pair is to take care of children. The advantages are numerous, you have your free time in the afternoon, your own room, depending on the families, you will have 150 to 250 dollars per week or even better, also a car at your disposal. Some families ask to speak French to their child. It can be a good way to improve your English.
The disadvantages are that you have to get up early and you have to like children.
The classic trap to avoid
Do not try the “200 AUD/month” experience without having health insurance. The slightest medical problem will cost you several thousand AUD not covered by Medicare if you do not have a valid work visa.
– Living in Australia and Working for a funfair,
 A bit harder to find than the previous examples, during certain periods, there are funfairs such as: Cairns Festival or the Brisbane Festival! You work for a certain time for the festival, helping them set up or take down the stands. You move from city to city, and have a few days off or even up to a week maximum before the festival starts, accommodation and food are provided but you only earn 200 dollars per week but it allows you to earn a fixed salary even when there is no festival and you change location all the time! You can also work only a few days and be paid hourly!
Some additional resources if the topic speaks to you: 10 questions to lay the groundwork, become a real for practical aspects, and food, drinks, and to go further.
If you like this article: info on working in Australia
Some additional resources if the topic speaks to you: adventure in san to lay the groundwork, my fruit salary for practical aspects, and food, drinks, and to go further.
Can you live in Australia with 200 AUD/month?
Very difficult. Only with WWOOFing + camping. For minimal comfort, count on 1,500-2,500 AUD/month.
How to reduce expenses to a minimum?
Shared room flatshare, WWOOFing, shopping at Aldi, BYO (Bring Your Own bottle).
What minimum salary to live comfortably?
2,500-3,500 AUD/month to live simply in Sydney or Melbourne in a flatshare.
