Public Transport Across Each State
Whether you are new to Australia for your studies, or you've lived here your entire life - it can be handy to know what discounts you will get on public transport now that you're a student.
Queensland
As a Queensland-er myself, life has been much easier since the 50-cent fare which was introduced in 2024. Put to the test in 2024, the fare was finalised in 2025, allowing commuting using public transport anywhere in Queensland for just 50-cents.
The fare covers every major mode of public transport: the Brisbane CityFerry, trams, trains, and buses, which even go up to Cairns, areas of Sunshine Coast, and Mackay.
Student concession was present before the 50-cent fare came into effect, but now the concept of a “student discount” is not present in Queensland, as everyone here pays the same fare.
The only exception to all these will be the airport service. A trip via train or bus to the airport will be much higher than the usual ticket fare of 50 cents. Students (and adults too) working in these airports will be available to get a concession on these tickets, for which there will be a weekly payment.
Queensland’s public transport also offers lots of flexibility in terms of payment methods. The more common and traditional payment method is the GoCard.
In fact, GoCard was the only way of payment until very recently. The GoCard is split into four categories: Adult GoCard (Blue), Child GoCard (Orange), Concession GoCard (Green) and Seniors GoCard (Maroon). It is only very recently that other contactless modes of payment have been made available for public transport, such as debit or credit cards, including Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Wallet.
So, in order to get the 50 cent fare, don’t forget to tap in when you enter, and tap out when you exit.
New South Wales
Unlike Queensland, public transport fares using the Opal card (and other contactless method, along with debit and credit cards) in New South Wales vary by the distance travelled, and there will be a daily cap where you stop spending when you hit the limit.
Sundays are the cheapest at $2.50 (excluding airport commutes).
In order to get student concessions, one must be a full-time student (and either an Australian citizen or a permanent resident.)
For International Students, concessions will only be available if your study is fully funded by the government via scholarships.
Victoria
Public transport in Victoria is fully cashless, as the myki card is all one needs. A full-fare myki card costs $6, whereas a concession card costs $3. The fare increases only as more Zones are passed.
Victoria is split into Zone 1 and Zone 2, with the former covering the inner city, whereas the latter covers the outer city. Currently, all modes of public transport in Victoria, from 1st June 2026 to 1st January 2027, are half price.
Also, the City Trams in Melbourne are free.
Just like NSW, Victoria offers 50% concession travel to domestic students, but eligibility depends on the university.
International students, on the other hand, are not subject to myki concessions, but undergraduates are eligible to buy an iUSE pass, which gives 50% off travel.
The bottom line - which city gives you the best deal?
Queensland indeed comes off as the winner with the 50-cent fares, followed by Victoria with the half-price fares and concessions. NSW takes the final spot here since student concessions are only limited to domestic students.
Getting through public transport with a student budget could be hectic, but Australia offers different methods to plan your journey to be cost-efficient, which could be using the app limited for public transport to that state or the website for it. So, just as much as the journey, a simple research of the transport in the area also matters.
