How do students budget in New Zealand?

Add up your weekly income from a student allowance or loan living costs and any part-time work, then your weekly expenses for rent, food, transport and study. The difference shows whether your budget balances.

What is the student loan living cost?

Eligible students can borrow a weekly living cost amount through the student loan, on top of fees and course-related costs. It is repaid later, so borrowing less now means a smaller loan.

How can students make ends meet?

Flatting to share costs, part-time work, and trimming spending all help. The calculator shows your weekly surplus or shortfall so you can adjust before you fall behind.

Tertiary Study Budget Calculator

This calculator builds a weekly budget for a student, balancing student allowance or loan living costs and part-time income against rent, food, transport and study costs. It shows whether the budget balances and where the gaps are, helping students manage money through study.

Weekly income

Allowance or loan living cost

Part-time work

Other (family, savings)

Weekly expenses

Rent and power

Food

Transport

Other (phone, study, fun)

weekly surplus or shortfall

Total income$0

Total expenses$0

Borrowing the loan living cost means a bigger loan to repay later, so borrowing less where you can helps. A shortfall is a sign to trim spending or find more income before you fall behind. Estimate only, to support your budget.

How it works

The calculator adds your weekly income from an allowance or loan living costs, part-time work and any other sources, then your weekly expenses for rent, food, transport and other. The difference is your weekly surplus or shortfall. A surplus can build a buffer or reduce borrowing; a shortfall flags that you need to trim spending or lift income before debt builds up.

Worked example

Income of $300 living costs plus $150 of work is $450 a week. Expenses of $220 rent and power, $100 food, $30 transport and $80 other are $430. That leaves a $20 weekly surplus, a tight but balanced budget where any unexpected cost would need managing.

Related calculators

University Cost Calculator: total degree cost.
Student Loan Repayment Calculator: repaying the loan.
Flatmate Rent Split Calculator: split flat costs.
Budget Calculator: full budget.

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