Hobart is Australia’s southernmost capital city, located on the little island of Tasmania. Filled with great food, a fascinating arts and culture scene, beautiful landscapes and incredibly friendly locals, Hobart is a great place to study. It’s also an incredibly affordable city to live in, with reasonable accommodation both in and outside the city. To show you just how affordable it is, we’ve put together a guide to the cost of living in Hobart.
The cost of accommodation in Hobart
Hobart is quite a bit smaller than other Australian cities, so there’s not a whole lot of difference in the cost of living in the city versus the suburbs.
Inner city
In central Hobart, you’ll likely be spending $238 per week for a room in a share house (usually living with professionals and other students), $229 per week for a serviced apartment, or $375 per week for a one-bedroom unit. Additionally, there are homestay options to live with local families that cost around $320 per week.
Suburbs
In the suburbs around the city centre, a one-bedroom unit is slightly cheaper at an average of $350 per week, while a room in a share house outside the city goes for around $202 per week depending on the number of bedrooms available.
Which one to pick?
Have a think about what’s important to you, including proximity to the city centre, nightlife, restaurants and university, and public transport accessibility. It might cost a little more living in the centre of Hobart, but you’ll be able to save money on public transport by walking almost everywhere. However, you’ll get a bit more space in the suburbs.
The cost of public transport in Hobart
Tasmania has one main university campus, the University of Tasmania. It is easily accessible by the city’s bus network across a number of bus routes.
The city runs on a bus network called the Metro. You will need to purchase a GreenCard in order to use the network.
Concession rate
Because you are a student, you are entitled to a 50% discounted fare, so make sure you take advantage!
A single trip will cost you just $1.92 using your GreenCard, with free transfers between bus routes available for 90 minutes. If you require a lot of bus trips on any given day, there is a daily cap of $5.80, which is very cheap for a day’s worth of travelling around the city.
The cost of food in Hobart
Hobart is famous for its fresh produce, including world-class seafood and fruit. To take advantage of the city’s excellent food options, you will want to make sure you set aside some of your budget to go out for meals.
Eating in
If you choose to cook and eat at home, you can generally expect to spend around $2 per breakfast, $5 per lunch, and $11 per dinner. Of course, this depends on your grocery preferences.
Eating out
On average, a breakfast in Hobart is going to cost you $15. Make sure to budget a bit extra if you’re a coffee drinker! For lunch, you will likely have to spend about $16. Dinner will be slightly more expensive at around $25 a meal.
It’s important to remember that in Australia, waiters and servers get paid a liveable minimum wage. This means that your sandwich or salad may cost a little bit more than you expect, but it also means the staff are being paid fairly for their time. Unlike some other places you may have visited, such as the United States, Australia does not have a tipping culture. Places may ask if you would like to tip, but it’s not necessary.
The cost of entertainment in Hobart
Nightlife
If you head to a bar that features music, burlesque or other live entertainment, it will likely enforce a cover charge, but usually no 
more than $10.
You can expect a glass of wine, beer or cider to cost approximately $10-12 each. Spirits might be anywhere between $12-$25 depending on the venue and whether you’re ordering cocktails.
Shows
Because travelling to Australia is pretty costly, concerts in Hobart can be more expensive than you might be used to. On average,$47 or more per ticket is an expected figure to pay for live music or sporting matches. For a larger act at a stadium or arena, over $100 per ticket is typical. Other events like dance or theatre performances will usually cost $45 or more. Make sure to check out the weekly city guides, as there are plenty of regular free and cheap events taking place around Hobart.
Movies
A movie in Hobart will likely cost $20, which is in line with most Australian cities. Make sure you take advantage of any membership programs that will get you discounted tickets or free popcorn and drinks.
Fitness
If you want to hit up the gym each week, a membership at one of the more common gym franchises will set you back approximately $12 per week. Make sure to ask about any student discounts on memberships or classes.
For more information on the cost of living in Hobart, make sure to check out our Cost of Living Calculator.
