Australia is very popular destination for backpackers and mid-high end travellers. However, it can be costly depending on a few factors including; where you visit, how you travel and where you stay.
I have written this blog to give you a general idea of how much it will cost to travel around Australia for 1 week in a campervan. I have chosen to do a breakdown of this method of travel as it is usually the most popular! One of my recent trips will be used as an example.
Please keep in mind this is just an example to give you an idea of how much to expect to pay. The total cost is not exact and will vary for each traveller. This example is based off the cost for 1 person – realistically you can half the end total cost as most accommodation prices are for 2 people.
Want the breakdown and no other information? Click here.
Campervan Costs – Which Campervan to choose?
If you decide to travel around Australia in a campervan – which I highly recommend as you will see so much more of the country! The price you pay will depend on which campervan type you choose; basic, van, luxury, etc. You can read my full comparison of several campervan companies here.
TIP: If you are travelling around Australia for several months – I would highly recommend looking on Facebook marketplace and buying a campervan instead of renting one.
For this example I am going to use a premium campervan from Spaceship Rentals, which are one of the more basic, budget campervan companies. This price has been set without using any special promos or deals – if you book during these you can save a significant amount.
A weeks rental of the premium campervan with the all inclusive insurance option costs $1593 AUD.
Accommodation Costs
As in this example, there has been a campervan rented – the accommodation choice will be campsites at caravan parks, national parks or free camps. To give a more realistic cost, for this week we will be mainly staying at caravan parks.
The average cost for 1 night stay in a caravan park in Australia is about A$25-40 for a powered or unpowered campsites. The average cost for 1 night stay in a national park campsite is about A$15. You can significantly reduce the price of your accommodation by staying at rest stops or in national parks.
PRO TIP: If you plan on staying at unpowered campsites or free camps, make sure your campervan or rental has a dual battery system or solar panels.
Here’s is a simple cost breakdown of how much it would cost for accommodation for a week.
| DAY | ACCOMMODATION | TYPE | COST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Caravan Park | Powered | $35 AUD |
| Day 2 | Caravan Park | Powered | $35 AUD |
| Day 3 | National Park | Unpowered | $15 AUD |
| Day 4 | National Park | Unpowered | $15 AUD |
| Day 5 | Caravan Park | Powered | $35 AUD |
| Day 6 | Caravan Park | Powered | $35 AUD |
| Day 7 | *Fly out day* | *Fly out day* | nil |
| TOTAL COST | $138 AUD |
Total Cost for 1 weeks accommodation: $138 AUD
Food and Fuel Costs
For food expenses, I will use my average cost for 1 person when I travel. This includes a full shop from Coles or Woolworths, including 2 meals a day, snacks and also a few meals brought from takeaway shops. Alcohol will also be included in the price (because who doesn’t like a bevy).
| FOOD TYPE | FROM | COST |
|---|---|---|
| Groceries | Coles | $100 AUD |
| Takeaway | Coffee, service station, takeaway | $50 AUD |
| Alcohol | Dan Murphys | $20 |
| TOTAL COST | $170 AUD |
For fuel prices, we are going to go off the cost to travel for about 1000kms. The campervan rented above has a 60L tank and has a fuel consumption of about 9-10L per 100Km. I will be using the current cost of fuel as an example (as of writing this article, the price of fuel is a lot higher than usual).
Please remember that Australia is a big country and usually requires lots of driving. If you plan to visit lots of locations or travel for a long time – this will increase your total cost to travel around Australia.
| FUEL | AMOUNT | COST |
|---|---|---|
| Unleaded | 2 Tank refills – 120 L total | $192 AUD |
Total Cost for food and fuel for 1 week for 1 person: $362
Cost for Activities
Luckily for this section, a lot of Australia’s attractions are actually free! Beaches, parks, hiking etc are all free activities. There may be a small price to pay for National Park Pass’s. The price for activities can go up drastically, depending on what activities you decide to do. For example, swimming with whale sharks will cost you A$400 per person, or a snorkelling tour can cost you A$80.
Definitely not suggesting don’t do these activities because they are well worth it! Just something to keep in mind as on this example there will be no major activities listed. This is mainly because this example is off my travel costs and I trend to only do free activities while I travel.
Total Cost of Activities – 1 Park Pass: $15
Total Costs for 1 week
This is a breakdown of a realistic budget for a traveller travelling to Australia. This price can either decrease or increase depending on plenty of factors I’ve previous mentioned. Please make sure you also read the next section which discloses other costs you need to think about when travelling to Australia which have not been included.
Here is the total cost to travel in Australia for 1 week.
| ITEM | COST |
|---|---|
| Campervan | $1593 AUD |
| Accommodation | $138 AUD |
| Fuel | $170 AUD |
| Food | $192 AUD |
| Activities | $15 AUD |
| TOTAL COST | $2108 AUD or $1443.77 USD (conversion rate the the time) |
Things not included in this breakdown
- Price for flights/travel to Australia
- Taxi or Uber from/to Airport
- Visa’s
- Travel Insurance
- Gifts or shopping purchases
- International License costs
- Return Flights
Like this post? Pin it and share it with others!
