Backpacking Australia: a budget travel guide

Traveling cheaply in Australia might feel like an impossible task. It's well-known, and I won't deny it, that this is an expensive country, especially if your budget is that of a backpacker who's been wandering freely through Latin America and Southeast Asia. Still, I want you to know that backpacking Australia on a budget is possible.

You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars per week, I promise. The only thing I ask in return—besides having a notebook nearby to jot down tips that will blow your mind—is for you to embrace flexibility. Traveling around Australia can be affordable as long as you're willing to stay in less luxurious places and adjust to those situations, which are the ones that truly make trips interesting.

And if you're planning to spend several weeks or months in Australia, don't forget to check out the opportunities available on Worldpackers for volunteering in exchange for accommodation and other benefits (such as meals, tours, etc.). Click here to learn how it works.

You might also like to read:

• Your dream Australia vacation: a complete guide
• 15 interesting facts about Australia you never knew
• Ultimate guide to farm work in Australia for backpackers

Backpacking Australia: how to plan your itinerary

Considering it's a massive island, planning which places to visit while backpacking Australia depends a lot on how much time you can dedicate to your trip. How long are you planning to stay in the country? 10 days, 2 weeks, a month, 3 months? The possibilities change dramatically depending on the amount of time you have. I’ll give you some examples below.

Backpacking Australia for 10 days or Less

If that’s all the time you can (or want to) spend backpacking Australia, then my humble advice is to visit two cities at most.

Australia has low-cost airlines that frequently travel within the country. They’re affordable (as long as you don’t have much luggage), and you’ll definitely need them if you don’t want to lose days traveling.

The distances in Australia are enormous. For example, going from Sydney to Brisbane by train takes 13 hours, and that’s not even considering traveling from one end of the country to the other. Not even from “halfway to halfway.” If you only have 10 days, select your destinations in advance and plan your transportation accordingly so you can make the most of your time.

Back to giving humble advice, which you may not want to hear: the only situation where I find it reasonable to make a 10-day or one-week trip to Australia is if you’re living in New Zealand or any neighboring country and can make a quick getaway. Otherwise, with the high cost of flights to this country, I suggest that if you only have 10 days, consider another destination and visit Australia when you can allocate at least 15 days.

Backpacking Australia for 2 weeks

Here, we can be a bit more flexible since we have a few extra days to move around.

Backpacking Australia on the cheap is possible, but we will definitely need to set aside some money for transportation. It's easy to hitchhike there, but if you only have two weeks, I don’t recommend it.

My advice to save money during your trip through Australia, if you have two weeks, is the same as if you had ten days. Don't go to too many places, and take advantage of low-cost flights to save money or take overnight trains to save on accommodation.

If you want to see some of the country’s highlights, see this suggested itinerary:

• Days 1-4: Start in Sydney, exploring its landmarks and coastal scenery.
• Days 5-8: Head to Cairns to enjoy the natural wonders of the Great Barrier Reef and surrounding rainforests.
• Days 9-14: Fly to Melbourne, using it as a base to explore the city and nearby scenic areas.

Backpacking Australia for 1, 2, or 3 months

Now we’re talking! I know not everyone has an entire month of freedom, but Australia is so vast and so far away from most of the world that if you’re going to spend the money to get there, you should dedicate as much time as possible to exploring it.

Here’s an example of a 3-month itinerary for backpacking Australia:

• Month 1: East Coast (Sydney to Cairns)
• Month 2: Outback and Northern Territory (Cairns to Darwin)
• Month 3: Southern Coast (Darwin to Melbourne)

Now let’s move on to the practical tips for backpacking Australia on the cheap.

How to travel cheaply in Australia

How to save on food

The "good" thing about Australia (well, it depends on how you look at it) is that its "typical food" basically doesn’t exist. I’m talking about colonial Australia, not the Indigenous culture, which is incredibly rich. Unfortunately, if you stay in the big cities or more popular destinations, you won’t encounter the true natives of the country (unless you decide to take a special trip to explore those areas, but that would be an article for another time).

Australia’s "typical food" could be said to be, if we stretch it a bit, fish and chips (just like in New Zealand and England). They’re good, but not exotic enough to make you want to eat them over and over again. Don’t be surprised when walking through Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane and realizing that most of the restaurants are Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Mexican, Taiwanese, Japanese, or whatever you can think of.

Eating out in Australia won’t cost you less than 10 Australian dollars per dish. But are you traveling to Australia to eat ramen, fajitas, and sushi? No. So if instead of dining out, you buy your food at the supermarket and cook it yourself, not only will you save a lot of money, but you won’t be missing out on any culinary rarities.

Let’s dive a bit deeper into this because it’s not like you can go to just any supermarket and stay under a tight budget. Backpacking Australia on the cheap is possible, but you have to be mindful of your choices.

Supermarkets

Say yes to ALDI. This German supermarket chain is a lifesaver and has the cheapest prices. Other two well-known supermarkets in Australia are Coles and Woolworths. Both are more expensive than ALDI, but sometimes they have good offers.

Keep an eye out for "reduced to clear" items. Australia has a policy (which it implements very efficiently) for products that are nearing their expiration date: they put them on incredible sale. You might find a whole pizza for just 20 cents because it expires in two days. These deals usually pop up around 5 p.m. Stay alert!

And finally, unless you have no other option, NEVER go to an IGA. That will drain your wallet faster than you can say "overpriced."

Too Good To Go

Have you heard of the app "Too Good To Go"? It connects food venues and supermarkets with, essentially, hungry people with little money — like us.

At the end of the day, participating businesses will post the products they couldn’t sell during the workday and will sell them at half price, and some even give them away for free. I’ve gotten a sushi platter for 1 dollar.

This app is available in several countries, and the main idea behind it is to prevent food waste. So, not only would you be saving money, but you’d also be contributing to the environment.

How to save on transportation in Australia

Here we face two problems: the size of the country and the high cost of transportation. Transportation in Australia is expensive. You won’t find buses for 5 dollars like you sometimes find in Europe. However, there are several ways to save.

If you’re backpacking Australia for several months, you can hitchhike, which costs nothing. Another option, especially if you're traveling with a group or friends, is to rent a car. If you plan to travel to several places, this is the most economical choice. Not only will it cost you much less than buying several bus, train, or plane tickets, but you can also bring a tent and camp along the way, saving on accommodation.

Traveling by van is very popular among Australians, so you'll find many free campsites along the route. Gas is expensive, but if you split the costs, it will always be cheaper.

Things to keep in mind: Gas is cheaper on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Avoid refueling on weekends or holidays, as that's when the price increases significantly.

At Coles and Woolworths supermarkets, if your purchase is over 20 AUD, you often get discounts on various things, including fuel. Make sure to check that before you throw away your receipt!

If you decide to visit several places but don't have a driver’s license, the second-best option to save money is traveling by bus. They are not always direct, but they usually offer discounts and have passes for multiple destinations at a lower price.

The third option is airplanes. As I mentioned earlier, Australia has several low-cost airlines that offer domestic flights at very reasonable prices (as long as you don’t check in luggage).

And lastly, trains. This is the most expensive form of transportation (unless you find a special deal), but if you travel overnight, you save on accommodation.

Check which of these options best fit your budget and the time you have available.

Public transportation

Public transportation in Australia (trams, subways, buses, trains, and ferries like in Brisbane) is expensive. A single ride costs at least 2 dollars. However, the major cities have central areas where transportation is free. Some ferries are even free. Take advantage of this: stay within the free zone and then walk to your destination.

You’ll save a significant amount, and you’ll also get the chance to explore some places on foot that you wouldn’t be able to appreciate from a subway, for instance.

Internet in Australia

As strange as it may seem, considering Australia is a developed country, finding free Wi-Fi can be quite a challenge. The quality is often poor, and SIM cards aren’t exactly cheap. If you're staying for a short time, I wouldn’t recommend buying a SIM card. All major cities have public libraries with free Wi-Fi, and many shopping malls also offer it.

If you're staying for a month, it's advisable to buy a SIM card, as you’ll likely move away from the cities, and it will be harder to find Wi-Fi.

Australia has three major phone companies: VODAFONE, OPTUS, and TELSTRA. These companies are the most expensive, but each one has a secondary brand that focuses more on internet services, making it considerably cheaper. You can get a SIM card with 20GB from 20 Australian dollars.

How to save on accommodation

One of the main expenses when traveling is accommodation. However, there are some alternatives that will help you go backpacking Australia on a budget. Once again, the number of days you have available is a key factor.

If you can only stay in Australia for 10 days or so, your most economical option will be to stay in shared dorms in hostels. You could rent a car for 10 days and sleep on campsites, but it would be more profitable (and less tiring) to only visit two cities (and their surroundings) and explore them thoroughly.

Another way to save, if you’re staying for a short time, is by doing Couchsurfing, where you sleep on someone’s couch or any spare space in their home for a couple of nights.

If you have two weeks or more, there’s another option to help you save and make friends on your trip to Australia: volunteering. As I mentioned, Worldpackers offers many volunteering options in Australia so that not only can you save on accommodation, but you can also immerse yourself in the culture and enrich your trip in a different way.

This type of volunteering involves lending a hand to local businesses or non-profit organizations and projects that interest you for a few hours a day. In exchange, you receive free accommodation. Often, meals are included as well, along with other benefits like access to activities and tours.

These work exchanges are an excellent way to meet people with similar interests, develop new skills, and connect with locals.

On the Worldpackers platform, you can find many volunteering opportunities in Australia to apply for. Check out some examples:

• Renovate a house with a local family in Newcastle, Australia
• Explore Western Australia's Southwest farm and wine region
• Have fun while helping at a hostel next to the beach in Port Macquarie
• Volunteer with animal rescue in a sanctuary vegan farm in Moreton Bay Region

As you've seen, backpacking Australia on a tight budget is possible; it just requires a bit of planning, patience, and flexibility. Happy travels!