G’day! Somehow, I’ve been in Australia for three whole months now?! The time is flying for my year Down Under. On this adventure, I’ve been keeping track of all my spending and expenses, to give an accurate snapshot of how much this trip is costing me.

The majority of my money goes on three main categories: accommodation, gas, and food. I do have some expenses every month that aren’t included in these, and I share those at the end of the post. These do vary, but never really make up a significant part of the budget. But overall, the three main categories make up the bulk of all my spending.

How Much I Spent in Month 3 in Australia

So, how much money did I actually spend? Here is my budget breakdown by category for my third month in Australia!

Accommodation: $76 AUD = £40 // $51 USD

Gas: $265 AUD = £139 // $177 USD

Food: $422 AUD = £222 // $283 USD

Total: $763 AUD = £402 // $512 USD 

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Australia Budget Analysis

This was my first month doing a work exchange – I spent two weeks living on K’gari (Fraser Island)! I was working for a tour company doing housekeeping, food prep, and basic grounds maintenance (about 25 hours per week) in exchange for accommodation and food. This saved me SO much money! I spent the other ~two weeks traveling, living out of my car, and road tripping!

Not only did I not spend money on accommodation and food for those two weeks, but it also meant that I wasn’t traveling and driving – so I spent less on gas. The money I did spend on accommodation was cheap campgrounds; I stayed at free camps most of the month to keep costs low. I didn’t have any hostels or bed accommodation besides my work exchange!

My food budget seems much more reasonable than previous months. Particularly because 30% (about $125 AUD) of my food budget was a big grocery shop at the end of the month. I needed lots of groceries for my next work exchange! One of my goals going forward is to reduce my food expenses – not having a fridge or a stove has meant I’m buying much more expensive food. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to invest in a fridge (I’d need to buy another battery, and set it all up, which I have no idea how to do), but I’ll be buying a stove so I can at least cook some hot food on the road.

There are some expenses that aren’t included in these three main categories. I spent approximately $115 AUD (£60 // $77 USD) on sightseeing costs this month. The bulk of this was my cruise on the Noosa Everglades! I also spent about $34 AUD (£18 // $23 USD) on random miscellaneous things – vacuuming my car, a ferry ticket, and buying some used books.

I’m really happy with my budget for June. Doing a work exchange was great – not just to save money on accommodation and food, but to just feel settled and not constantly be traveling and on the road! It’s something I plan on doing more of throughout my year in Australia – I’ve actually already started my next work exchange as this post goes live! I hope this blog post is useful for anyone else traveling Australia on a budget!

What would your budget be for a month in Australia? Let me know in the comments!

You might also like my posts:

Australia Budget: Month 1 (April 2023)

Australia Budget: Month 2 (May 2023)

Surprise – I’m Moving to Australia!

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