10 Things to Pack from India for Australia (with AUD Prices)

I landed in Melbourne in 2024 with two suitcases and a budget I thought was generous.

Three months later I had a Coles receipts pile, a Kmart bag in every corner of my room, and roughly $1,200 in spending I didn't need to do. Pressure cooker. Bedsheets. Spices. Adapters. Random kitchen things. Every weekend was another "oh I forgot this" trip and another tap of the card. None of it was unaffordable on its own. All of it added up. This post is the 10-item list I'd fly with today, what each one costs in India versus Australia, and what to leave behind.

Mobile readers can scan the 🎯 callouts to get the gist.

Why this matters

The first three months in Australia are when unplanned spending stacks up fastest. I burned roughly $1,200 on items I already owned in India, simply because nobody warned me about the Australian price tag. Pack the right list before you board and you save about $1,000, close to a month of rent in Melbourne or Sydney. Leave it to weekend Kmart runs and the card taps add up before you have even found a job.

Who this is for

This is for you if:

• You are moving to Australia from India for study and packing your first two suitcases.
• You cook Indian food and don't want to pay $200 for a spice set you already own at home.
• You want to avoid the weekend Kmart and Indian-grocery runs that drained my first three months.
• You are helping a sibling, partner, or child pack for their first Australian intake.

1. Pressure cooker (small, 3L)

India: ₹2,000 (~$36 AUD) Australia: ~$70 at Kmart for a basic one, $120+ for the proper Indian-style ones at an Indian grocery.

If you cook dal, rice, or anything that needs pressure, the Hawkins or Prestige cooker from home pays for itself in week one.

🎯 Best for: anyone planning to cook Indian food more than twice a week.

2. Indian spices starter pack

India: ₹1,500 (~$27 AUD) for a full base set Australia: $200+ at an Indian grocery for the same set

The price gap is real, and so are the biosecurity rules, so be careful what form you bring it in.

Powdered spices in sealed, labelled commercial packaging are usually the safest bet: haldi, dhania powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, tea masala. Whole seeds are a different category. Cumin (jeera), coriander seed, and fennel seeds are restricted at the Australian border because of khapra beetle controls. Dried whole chillies are restricted too. Homemade zip-lock blends often get pulled aside or destroyed.

Always declare on your incoming passenger card. Check every item against the Australian biosecurity rules and the BICON import database before you fly. The rules change. What was fine last year may not be fine this year.

🎯 Best for: powders in original sealed packaging. Skip whole seeds and dried chillies. Pick those up at an Indian grocery in Australia instead.

3. Indian-style tawa or frypan

India: ₹800 (~$15 AUD) Australia: $60 for non-stick, $100+ for cast iron

Cast iron lasts decades. Non-stick wears out in a year. The cast iron tawa from home is a one-time pack instead of a yearly replacement.

🛠️ Pack: one cast iron tawa, one small kadhai if there's room.

4. Cotton bedsheets and pillow covers

India: ₹2,000 (~$36 AUD) for two full sets Australia: $100+ for synthetic at Target or Kmart, $200+ for cotton

Australian winters in Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra are dry and surprisingly cold inside the apartment. Two cotton sets from home cover you for years.

📋 Pack: 2 fitted sheets, 2 flat sheets, 4 pillow covers.

5. Ethnic clothing for events

India: already owned Australia: importing kurtas or sarees costs 3-5x retail

You'll get invited to at least one Diwali night, one wedding, and one cultural event in your first year. Pack two outfits each and skip paying shipping later.

🎯 Best for: anyone with active community ties or a cousin who's getting married this year.

6. Indian medications

India: ₹500 (~$9 AUD) for a 3-month supply of basics Australia: GP visit + prescription = $80-150 for an international student without Medicare reciprocal cover

I packed paracetamol, ORS, Eno, and my own multivitamins. For anything prescription, antibiotic, or codeine-based, the rules are stricter. The TGA Personal Importation Scheme generally caps personal supply at 3 months and requires a valid prescription in original packaging.

⚡ Watch out: some Ayurvedic and OTC Indian medications contain ingredients banned in Australia. Don't assume "available in India" means "allowed at the border". Check the TGA site or ask a pharmacist before you fly.

7. Power adapters

India: ₹500 (~$9 AUD) total for 3-4 adapters Australia: $20-30 each

You will need at least three on day one: phone, laptop, kitchen appliance. The airport shops don't sell them.

🛠️ Pack: 3 universal-to-AU adapters, 1 spare.

8. Printed documents folder

India: ₹0 (already at home) Australia: library reprints + scanning + binding = $50-100 in fees plus a wasted afternoon

Pack a thin A4 folder with passport copies, visa grant letter, CoE, transcripts, mark sheets, character certificate, vaccination records, and any reference letters from past jobs. You will need these for renting, opening a bank account, applying for a TFN, and your first job application. Digital covers most things, but a rental agent at an inspection often wants a hard copy and you won't have 10 minutes to find a printer.

✅ Goal: every key document in physical and digital form before you board.

9. Laptop backpack and duffel

India: ₹2,000 (~$36 AUD) combined if you're starting fresh Australia: $150 each at Kmart for the equivalent

You'll use both from day one: backpack for uni, library, and interviews, duffel for laundry runs, weekend trips, and gym kit. The Kmart versions don't last as long as a decent Indian-bought one.

🎯 Best for: if you don't already own a sturdy laptop bag, buy one in India before you fly.

10. Blanket or razai

India: ₹1,500 (~$27 AUD) for a thick one Australia: $80-150 for the same warmth

Vacuum-pack it flat to fit in your suitcase. The Aussie equivalents cost more and don't last as long.

⚡ Watch out: vacuum bags save 60% of the volume. Buy one for ₹100 before you pack.

What to actually leave behind

The other half of saving money is not packing things you don't need.

• ❌ Heavy textbooks. Everything is online or in the uni library.
• ❌ Heavy ethnic furniture or decor. Won't fit, won't ship cheap.
• ❌ Indian electrical appliances above 1kW. The voltage and plug differences make most of them unusable.
• ❌ More than two weeks of snacks. Indian groceries are in every major suburb of every capital city.

What changed when I started telling people this

Every Indian student I've met since tells a version of the same story: they overspent on the same five categories in the first three months, pressure cooker, spices, sheets, ethnic clothes, adapters. The list above isn't exotic. It's just what nobody hands you on a checklist before you board.

Heads up: this is what worked for me as a student in 2024. It's not migration, medical, or legal advice. Always check current biosecurity (agriculture.gov.au) and TGA rules for your own situation before you fly.