Skip to content
Australia Study logoAustralia Studyan Edumapple guide +91 62385 03277

Studying in Sydney as an Indian Student: Universities, Rent, Transport and the Parramatta Community

Sydney is Australia's largest city, with 5.6 million people in 2025, and its largest job market for finance, technology and professional services. It is a Category 1 city, so study here brings no regional points or second 485, and most international students pay full public transport fares.

Leonid Kurza, co-founder of EdumappleBy Leonid Kurza · co-founder of Edumapple · checked

Ferry at Circular Quay with the Sydney skyline
Ferry at Circular Quay with the Sydney skyline. Photo: Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand, CC0
  • 5,638,830people, June 2025
  • 185,340India-born residents, 2021
  • 75,724speak Hindi at home
  • Category 1no regional 485 benefits

Universities

University of Sydney (Camperdown, next to the city centre), UNSW (Kensington, on the light rail), UTS (Broadway, beside Central station) and Western Sydney University (Parramatta and other western campuses). Fees run from A$34,125 a year at Western Sydney to more than A$60,000 at Sydney and UNSW.

Free counselling

Not sure which city in Australia suits you? Ask us

Expect a call or a WhatsApp message from an Edumapple adviser within one working day. You pay nothing for that first consultation.

  • Courses your marks and degree qualify for
  • Tuition and the visa living funds, counted in rupees
  • GS answers, visa timing and your 485 plan
WhatsApp +91 62385 03277

Rent

Sydney is the most expensive city on this site. University residences cost ₹22,400 (A$335)–515 a week at the University of Sydney and A$353–562 at UNSW's University Terraces in 2027; a room in a share house near UNSW runs about A$290. Students on a budget live in the west, near Parramatta, and commute.

The Indian community

Greater Sydney had 185,340 India-born residents at the 2021 census, 233,616 people of Indian ancestry, 75,724 Hindi speakers and 250,902 Hindus. Parramatta and Blacktown hold the largest concentrations; Harris Park, a small suburb of 5,043 people, is close to half India-born.

Regional status

Category 1: no five regional points and no second 485. Indian graduates get the standard AI-ECTA stay: two years after a bachelor's, three after a master's, four after a PhD.

Around the city

Walkway at Circular Quay, Sydney
Walkway at Circular Quay, Sydney. Photo: Maksym Kozlenko, CC BY-SA 4.0

Questions from Indian students: Australia

Which universities are in Sydney?
On this site: the University of Sydney, UNSW, UTS and Western Sydney University. Macquarie is also in Sydney.
How much is rent in Sydney for students?
University housing starts around A$335 a week at the University of Sydney and A$365 at UNSW; UNSW quotes about A$290 a week for a room in a share house nearby. The 2021 Census median rent for Greater Sydney was A$470 a week for a whole dwelling.
Where do Indians live in Sydney?
In the west: Parramatta (29,100 India-born residents in 2021, 11.3% of the area), Harris Park, Westmead, Wentworthville and Blacktown (47,090). Harris Park is the restaurant and shopping hub next to Parramatta station.
Do international students get cheaper transport in Sydney?
Generally no. The New South Wales tertiary concession is for Australian citizens and permanent residents, plus international students on Australia Awards, Endeavour or Research Training Program scholarships.
Where is the Indian consulate in Sydney?
The Consulate General of India is at Level 1, 265 Castlereagh Street. It serves New South Wales and South Australia; passport and visa services run through VFS Global at 189 Kent Street.

Sources we checked