At VJ Consulting and Education, helping clients plan realistic migration budgets is one of the most consistent parts of our work.
Is $10,000 enough to move to Australia?
For a solo applicant in specific circumstances, AUD $10,000 can be a functional floor — but it leaves almost no margin for error, and the conditions have to align precisely. This figure is only realistic if the visa application fee has already been paid from separate savings, the applicant is flying from a neighbouring country in Asia (keeping flights under AUD $800–$1,200As of current · skyscanner.com.au), and they are moving to a regional city rather than Sydney or Melbourne. In VJCE's experience, applicants working with a tighter starting fund tend to underestimate incidental costs such as bond top-ups and initial utility connections, which can quietly erode what initially seemed like a sufficient buffer.
The core problem with AUD $10,000 as a total budget is the rental bond alone can consume a third of it. In Melbourne or Sydney, a median one-bedroom unit requires a bond of AUD $2,000–$3,000As of current · domain.com.au, plus first month's rent in advance of AUD $2,000–$2,800As of current · domain.com.au, plus agency fees in some states. That is up to AUD $5,800As of current · domain.com.au before the person has eaten a single meal in Australia.
In practice, applicants who arrive in a regional area — Queensland, South Australia, or regional Victoria — face meaningfully lower rental markets. A one-bedroom in a regional centre may require a bond of only AUD $1,000–$1,600As of current · domain.com.au, which changes the maths substantially. Add a SIM card, a public transport card, groceries for the first fortnight, and a health insurance gap payment, and a lean but survivable start is possible on AUD $10,000 in those locations.
The critical risk factor is time-to-income. If an applicant cannot secure paid work within three to four weeks of arrival, AUD $10,000 drains fast. That is not a pessimistic scenario — it is a common one, especially for roles requiring credential recognition or licencing. Anyone budgeting at this level should have a confirmed job offer before boarding the plane, not after landing.
Is $20,000 enough to move to Australia?
AUD $20,000 is a workable settlement fund for a single applicant moving to a major Australian city — provided this figure is treated as the cash buffer available after all visa and migration costs have been settled separately. At this level, the three-bucket framework starts to show genuine breathing room rather than just survival arithmetic.
Breaking it down practically: a solo applicant arriving in Melbourne or Sydney should allocate roughly AUD $6,000–$7,500As of current · domain.com.au for bond plus first month's rent, AUD $1,500–$2,500As of current · skyscanner.com.au for an international flight from Europe or the UK, AUD $1,500–$3,000As of current · current for shipping a modest volume of personal effects, and AUD $1,200–$2,000As of current · privatehealth.gov.au for twelve months of private health cover if not covered through an employer. That accounts for roughly AUD $10,000–$15,000 in fixed setup costs, leaving a liquidity buffer of AUD $5,000–$10,000 for the weeks before first income arrives.
For couples, AUD $20,000 total is tighter. A two-person household in a major city will face higher rental thresholds for a two-bedroom property, with bonds reaching AUD $3,500–$4,500As of current · domain.com.au in inner suburbs. It is achievable but leaves a thin margin.
The most common trap at the AUD $20,000 level is underestimating furnishing costs. Arriving without furniture and buying even modestly from secondhand markets can cost AUD $2,000–$4,000As of current · current for a one-bedroom setup — a figure that surprises many new arrivals. Planning to rent a furnished apartment for the first three months, at a rental premium of roughly AUD $200–$400 per monthAs of current · domain.com.au, can actually be cheaper than buying and later selling furniture if the applicant's first location is uncertain.
How much money do you need to move to Australia permanently?
Permanent migration adds a layer of cost that temporary or working holiday arrivals do not face: the visa application itself is a significant upfront spend before a single bag is packed. The answer for permanent migration is not a single number — it is a stacked equation where migration costs, relocation costs, and settlement costs must all be funded concurrently. VJ Consulting advisors generally recommend that clients pursuing permanent migration treat visa-related expenditure and settlement costs as two distinct budget lines, since conflating them is a common source of financial stress during the transition period.
On the migration cost side, a skilled independent visa (Subclass 189) carries a primary applicant fee of AUD $4,640 for the primary applicantAs of July 2025 · homeaffairs.gov.au, with each secondary adult applicant adding aged 18 or over adds AUD $2,320 to the 189 applicationAs of July 2025 · homeaffairs.gov.au and each child applicant adding AUD $1,160As of July 2025 · homeaffairs.gov.au. A skills assessment through a relevant assessing body typically costs AUD $500–$1,200As of current · homeaffairs.gov.au depending on the occupation. If a registered migration agent is engaged, professional fees range from AUD $3,000–$6,000As of current · mara.gov.au for a straightforward skilled visa application. A family of two adults and one child applying through the 189 pathway should budget approximately AUD $12,000–$15,000As of current · homeaffairs.gov.au in migration costs alone before the relocation and settlement buckets are considered.
For employer-sponsored permanent pathways such as the Subclass 186 visa, the primary applicant fee is AUD $4,770As of July 2025 · homeaffairs.gov.au, and the employer typically absorbs the nomination fee — though this should be confirmed in writing before assuming it.
When all three buckets are combined for a family permanently migrating to a major Australian city, a total budget of AUD $50,000–$70,000As of current · current is a realistic planning figure. Solo applicants on a tight profile — applying from a lower-cost country, moving to a regional area, with a confirmed job offer — can achieve permanent settlement for closer to AUD $20,000–$28,000As of current · current across all three buckets combined. The key discipline is funding all three buckets before departure, not assuming Australian income will cover settlement costs after arrival.
Next Step
Budgeting accurately for Australian migration requires knowing which visa pathway applies to your specific profile — because the fee structure, processing timeline, and risk profile differ substantially between a skilled independent application, an employer-sponsored route, and a regional visa. If you are at the stage of mapping out your total migration cost and want a structured assessment of which pathway minimises both financial outlay and processing risk for your situation, the team at VJ Consulting can provide a detailed review of your options.
This article is intended as general guidance only and does not constitute legal or migration advice. Visa requirements, fees, and processing times change regularly — always verify details on the relevant authority's official website before making decisions. For advice specific to your circumstances, consider consulting a MARA-registered migration agent.
References
- Department of Home Affairs — Visa application charges: homeaffairs.gov.au
- Australian Taxation Office — Tax File Number and withholding rates: ato.gov.au
- Domain.com.au — Rental market data by city and region: domain.com.au
- Australian Border Force — Vehicle import duties and compliance: abf.gov.au
- Private Health Insurance Ombudsman — Health insurance cost guidance: privatehealth.gov.au
- Migration Agents Registration Authority — Agent fee benchmarks: mara.gov.au
- Fair Work Ombudsman — Employment entitlements: fairwork.gov.au
Related reading
For the full range of questions to weigh before making your move, explore the Should I Migrate? stage; if you're still weighing up the bigger picture, Is Moving to Australia Worth It? Pros, Cons and Realistic Expectations offers an honest look at what life in Australia actually delivers.
