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Students have to sleep well, eat well, and have a healthy lifestyle so that they can concentrate in school, get good marks, and be someone in life.. well that’s what my mother used to tell me. Well that’s all good in theory, but what the reality is that a student doesn’t earn enough money to have the best things in life, well not yet anyway. Students have to pay for their study, fees, accommodation, food, petrol, random bills etc..etc.Lets have a look at some accommodation options for the student who is always scrapping each week just to make ends meet.

Note: We will not be discussing Homestay, Hostels  or Au Pairs in this section as these topics have their own pages.

The broke student is always in the mud, just trying to do well in school, living life day by day and have some fun. He/she works hard, and doesn’t give to much importance to the luxuries or unnecessary things in life, as they know that one day they will get there. For these people the best option without a doubt is to share a apartment or house with the greatest number of people possible. This is the cheapest option, and is not too hard to find people in a similar situation to you who is more than willing to go into this arrangement. Good places to look is on university and schools notice boards or in newspapers. But of course its not all a bed of roses, especially if you a sharing with people who you do not like, or if you don’t establish some basic house rules. Fights can develop over silly things such as not washing the dishes after you use them, pissing on the toilet seat, playing music too loud,  and the list can go on and on. How much you spend depends on the location and the city, as well as the type of house and how may people to share it with. You also have other expenses that you have to consider such as electricity, cleaning products, bond….. For a 3 bedroom apartment in Auckland the average price is around NZ$ 300 a week. The great thing about sharing accommodation is not only you sharing the costs, making it a cheaper for you, but you can also choose the people who you share it with. You may share it with people from China, Japan, Europe, Brazil, Australian, so you get to learn more about different types of people.

For those students that want a little more privacy, there are many options as well. The first would be to rent an apartment for yourself. But in this option you would probably be looking to spend around nz$250 to nz$300, including all costs of food and other expenses. It is more or less the same cost which you would find by staying in an accommodation specifically made for students such as the one on the photo above. Remember that if you are a bit tight for cash you can always split between another person, while still keeping some of your privacy. In the larger cities with a large number of students, hotels, motels, and even cabins in caravan parks accept students for longer term stays, with reasonable discounts. In Auckland for example, especially close to Universities, older hotels have a number  of rooms which they reserve specifically for students. Many unit blocks, and town houses located close to the university have been transformed in student accommodation, with prices varying depending on location. Location is an important factor when deciding where to live, as it sometimes places may appear to be cheaper, but it in fact you end up spending more, as for example you have to catch public transport everyday to get to the places you need.

If you are going to study in an University, you may choose to stay in a Student accommodation in the campus. Most Universities offer this option, but competition for rooms are as strong as a rugby match between New Zealand and Australia. If you are interested in this type of accommodation, it would be wise to reserve a room as soon as you have enrolled into your course. They are a little more expensive for the size of the room that you get. Not only Universities gives you this option, English courses also have a department or person who is responsible for helping students to find suitable accommodation.

Note: I know that most people would like to know the exact prices for different forms of accommodation options so that they can plan and financially prepare for their expenses. But it is simply impossible to generalise as prices depend on many factors. Each city, and location in the city, have different prices. The only thing that we can do is to provide you with a minimum which you would be looking in spending - around NZ$ 150 per week. Some people may even be able to live for less, but frankly I don’t really consider that living.