Australia backpacking budget & travel costs
Buddy's starting estimate for Australia is £104 a day for an independent traveller staying in budget places, eating mostly local food and doing a few paid activities each week. It's a planning figure, not a quoted price — you can change every number in the planner.
How Buddy estimates travel costs → (costs last reviewed September 2026, shown in pounds sterling)
Daily travel budget for Australia
Accommodation
£42 / day
- Hostel dorm
- £20–32
- Budget private / guesthouse
- £40–63
- 2–3 star hotel
- £81–126
- 4 star & boutique
- £151–236
- Luxury
- £302–473
Food & drink
£28 / day
- Self-catering
- £10–16
- Street food & local cafés
- £19–30
- Mix of local + restaurants
- £36–56
- Western restaurants & bars
- £72–112
Local transport
£12 / day
- Walk & public transport
- £4–6
- Scooter rental
- £9–14
- Regular taxis / ride-hailing
- £17–27
- Private drivers & domestic flights
- £38–60
Excursions & fun
£16 / day
- Free & low cost
- £3–5
- Regular paid activities
- £12–18
- Adventure heavy
- £28–44
Other (sim, laundry…)
£6 / day
- Lean
- £2–4
- Typical
- £5–8
- Comfortable
- £10–15
Buddy's daily estimate
£104 / day
How much money do I need for Australia?
These examples come straight from the same daily estimate above — nothing extra is added.
7 days
≈ £728
14 days
≈ £1,456
30 days
≈ £3,120
90 days
≈ £9,360
What the estimate excludes
- International flights to and from Australia.
- Travel between destinations, such as long-distance buses, trains and ferries.
- One-off costs like visas, travel insurance, vaccinations and gear.
- Big-ticket experiences you'd plan separately, such as a diving course or a trek.
You add those separately in the planner, so they never get hidden inside a daily figure.