Australia Budget Guide: What To Budget For a 4 Week Road Trip
Planning a budget trip to Australia and wondering how much money you need to save to afford your backpacking trip to Australia? We got you covered!
We knew that visiting Australia will have an unfavorable impact on a state of our bank account and it turned out to be the truth.
Australia is known as a rather expensive destination, but we believe that with careful planning, and when you tighten your belts a little bit, it is still possible to enjoy it on a budget. We blame our last minute road trip idea that we spent more than we wanted and what is our standard.
On the other hand, the enjoyment of this country was worth every single cent we paid.
We spent a few days in Sydney and then flew to Melbourne, where we rented a car and drove more than 4000 km north to Darwin.
This plan inevitably required to rent a car which was the most pricey item on our Australia travel budget.
COST OF TRAVEL
The cost of travel is affected by the fact that we drove one way only from Melbourne to Darwin and we had to pay the extra one-way fee. We don't assume you would be driving back the same way, but if you would, deduct the extras.
Generally speaking, Australia turned out to be expensive even though we slept in free camps as much as we could and cooked almost every day.
Overall we spent in Australia 24 days and ended up with budget 89 USD per person per day.
TOTAL: 4270 USD
FLIGHT TICKETS
For most travelers to get to Australia means to undertake a very long journey by plane. We traveled from Auckland, New Zealand so it wasn't bad at all and the flight ticket cost us AUD 225 per person.
Then we took another domestic flight from Sydney to Melbourne for AUD 115 per person, and to get from the country, we flew from Darwin to Kuala Lumpur via Singapore for AUD 470 per person.
TOTAL: 1230 USD
VISA AND PERMITS
Have a look at Australian government website here if you're required to have a visa to Australia.
For almost 40 countries including the Czech Republic is enough to apply online for eVisitor subclass 651 which allows you to stay in the country up to three months and getting this visa is free of charge.
TOTAL: 0 USD
ACCOMMODATION
Hostels in Australia were not exactly what we imagined under the word budget-friendly, so we were grateful, that in Sydney, we could've stayed in my cousin’s flat which helped us a lot. On the road, most of the time, we slept in our rented car in free designated areas.
We found these camps by using the app WikiCamps Australia. In Yulara, we stayed three nights in a campground for AUD 43 (non-powered site) and two nights up the north in campgrounds for AUD 30.
The only place where we slept in the hostel was in Darwin, private room with shared bathroom cost us AUD 55.
TOTAL: 270 USD
WHERE TO STAY IN SYDNEY
There is a high chance that Sydney will be your first stop on your road trip around Australia.We've handpicked three hotels for every type of traveler.
Budget | Base Sydney - Great location at Sydney central business district, clean rooms, and helpful staff.
Mid-range | Meriton Suites Coward Street, Mascot - Convenient location to Sydney Airport, new hotel, nice clean rooms.
Luxury | Hyatt Regency Sydney - Fantastic location at CBD, great views of the Darling Harbour, large rooms, comfortable rooms.
RENTAL CAR
Transport cost was a major item on our spending list. We rented a car last minute and moreover during the holiday season.
17 days cost us AUD 2886, and it was a mini camper where we fit only with difficulties, but at the time we were happy it was available.
We drove 4400 km, and the cost of fuel fluctuated from AUD 1.5 per liter in cities to AUD 2.5 per liter in remote areas.
Said that when you don't travel around Australia around the holidays, you can find some great deals, and we highly recommend you to rent a car.
TOTAL: 2700 USD
EATING OUT
Restaurants and cafes in Australia are rather expensive. The average cost for a lunch menu was AUD 16 and dinner price around AUD 25 - 40.
We ate out a few times in Sydney, and it was not the most budget-friendly activity to do. Though the food was excellent.
TOTAL: 120 USD
GROCERY
Because of the incredible heat along the road and no refrigerator in our car, we always bought durable food such as bread and vegetable, fruit (apples were great, watermelon was not a good idea), canned tuna fish, rice or pasta.
If we knew it is possible to cook right after the shopping, we solemnly bought a meat (you can find barbecue stations in parks or kitchens are available at campsites).
One with another we spent around AUD 25 per day for food for two.
TOTAL: 340 USD
ACTIVITIES
We visited Scenic World in the Blue Mountains, and it cost AUD 40 per person. Other fees we paid were along the road in Breakaways AUD 8 per car, Old Timers Mine in Coober Pedy AUD 15 per person and Serbian Orthodox Church AUD 5.
To visit Uluru, you must purchase a three-day visitor pass for AUD 25 per person.
We took only one tour near Darwin to see crocodiles in their natural habitat, and the one-hour boat ride was AUD 45 per person.
TOTAL: 202 USD
GEAR
Don't forget to buy strong insect repellent with Deet and highly protective sunscreen. These items cost us around AUD 70.
TOTAL: 53 USD
EXTRA COSTS
Insurance is a must, this time we didn't pay it separately as we bought one-year insurance.
Because we drove the car only one way from Melbourne to Darwin, we had to pay AUD 600 as a one-way fee and additional AUD 170 ( AUD 10 per day) for driving the car in so-called outback areas.
TOTAL: 585 USD
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
