Read this before you plan your budget. The cost guide below is a rough guide only. It is based on Census data for this suburb, scaled to today's state rents. Each property is different. It does not tell you the price of any room, studio or apartment.
Get the real number for your postcode. Use the official rent data before you agree to anything: Rental report — Victorian Government. This is real data from your state government. It is free. It shows the rent for the exact postcode you enter.
Studying in Melbourne, VIC
4,374 courses are taught here by 304 registered schools, across postcodes 3000, 3004, 3005, 3207.
Rent here was above the VIC middle at the last Census. Expect to share. Look one or two stations further out for cheaper rooms.
Census 2021 middle rent for Melbourne was $381 a week. VIC rents have risen about 41% since then, so expect about $540 a week now. Check the exact postcode before you sign anything.
The scale compares this suburb with its state: $ cheaper, $$ medium, $$$ expensive, $$$$ most expensive. Checked ABS Census 2021, scaled to the VIC median (April 2025).
Living in Melbourne
People: 54,941 residents, median age 29, 64% born overseas, 54.6% speak a language other than English at home.
Languages spoken: Mandarin 20.1%, Cantonese 3.9%, Indonesian 3.1%, Spanish 2.5%, Hindi 2.5%.
Where people were born: China 15.1%, India 7%, Malaysia 6.2%, Indonesia 3.7%, Thailand 2.6%.
Income: median household income $1,448 a week; 1.7 people per home on average.
Where residents work: Accommodation and Food Services, Professional Scientific and Technical Services, Health Care and Social Assistance, Retail Trade.
Source: ABS Census 2021, CC BY 4.0.
449 campuses in Melbourne. Tap a pin for the provider.
Getting around Melbourne: Nearest station is Elizabeth St/Bourke St #5 (light rail 86, 96), 19 m away. Also Bourke Street Mall/Elizabeth St #3 (light rail 19, 57, 59), 42 m away, Collins St/Elizabeth St #2 (light rail 19, 57, 59), 146 m away, Elizabeth St/Collins St #5 (light rail 11, 12, 48, 109), 229 m away. Buses within 800 m: 200, 207, 216, 220, 232, 234, 236, 250, 251, 302, 303, 304 and 11 more (closest stop: Bourke St/Queen St, 223 m). Plan a trip (PTV journey planner).
Transport data: PTV GTFS, Department of Transport and Planning Victoria (CC BY 4.0). Routes change; check the trip planner before you rely on one.
Weekly budget in Melbourne
About $452–$702 a week for one student sharing a house. The visa living-cost benchmark is $571 a week ($29,710 a year).
| Room in a shared house | $215–$325 | Whole homes here rent for about $540 a week; a room is usually 40–60% of that. |
|---|---|---|
| Public transport | $57 | Myki, $11.40 daily cap. Undergraduate international students can buy the International Student Travel Pass (concession); postgraduates pay full fare. |
| Groceries and eating | $110–$170 | |
| Phone and internet | $15–$30 | |
| Power, gas and water (your share) | $15–$30 | |
| Everything else (clothes, going out, medicine) | $40–$90 |
Rent: ABS Census 2021 for Melbourne, scaled to the current VIC median. Transport: state operator fares. Other lines are typical ranges for a single student; your own spending will differ. Tuition and health cover (OSHC) are extra. Full cost guide.
Melbourne is in the Melbourne City area
149,601 people across 10+ suburbs. Median rent $396 a week. Languages: Mandarin 14.3%, Cantonese 3.4%, Spanish 2.7%, Hindi 2.4%.
Nearby suburbs in the same area: Southbank, Carlton, Docklands, North Melbourne, Kensington, West Melbourne, Parkville, Flemington, East Melbourne.
All courses and suburbs in Melbourne City · Melbourne Council
What this place is like to study in
Melbourne is a study area with many schools, not one large campus. 304 schools teach here. Most are colleges inside office buildings, not universities with grounds. 59% of courses here are vocational (VET). These courses are practical and hands-on. Your classmates will be a wide range of ages. Course fees here are about 31% below the national average. Over several years, this saves a large amount.
We calculate this description from the CRICOS register: the number of schools, the course levels and the registered fees. It describes study only. To learn about rent, transport and daily life here, talk to current students and ask your school.
What level people study here
| Level | Courses | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vocational (VET) | 2,585 | 59% |
| Postgraduate | 853 | 20% |
| Undergraduate | 520 | 12% |
| Other | 408 | 9% |
| School | 8 | 0% |
Finding somewhere to live
Most international students choose one of four options. From cheapest to most expensive:
- A room in a shared house. The most common choice. In expensive cities it is often the only affordable option.
- Student accommodation. Buildings made for students, usually near campus.
- Homestay. You live with an Australian family.
- Your own studio or one-bedroom apartment. The most expensive option.
Two things to know before you sign a lease. First, the bond is usually four weeks of rent. A government office holds it, not the landlord. You get it back at the end. If someone asks you to pay a bond in cash directly to them, this is a warning sign.
Second, you usually cannot inspect a property from overseas. Book two to four weeks of temporary accommodation first. Then look at properties in person. This avoids the most common and most expensive mistake students make.
Your school's accommodation office is the best place to start. It is free. They know the area and often keep a list of checked properties.
Every course taught here
- A$3,9006 mo · A$7,800/yr
- A$3,96010 wk
- A$3,96010 wk
- A$4,0006 mo · A$7,704/yr
- A$4,0006 mo
- A$4,0006 mo
- A$4,0006 mo
- A$4,0006 mo
- A$4,0006 mo
- A$4,00010 wk
- A$4,00010 wk
- A$4,00010 wk
- A$4,00010 wk
- A$4,00010 wk
- A$4,00010 wk
- A$4,00010 wk
- A$4,00010 wk
- A$4,00010 wk
- A$4,00010 wk
- A$4,0408 mo · A$5,836/yr
- A$4,0403 mo
- A$4,1403 mo
- A$4,1403 mo
- A$4,1403 mo
- A$4,15010 wk
- A$4,2003 mo
- A$4,2003 mo
- A$4,2003 mo
- A$4,2003 mo
- A$4,2003 mo
- A$4,2003 mo
- A$4,2003 mo
- A$4,2001.9 yr · A$2,184/yr
- A$4,2002.5 yr · A$1,706/yr
- A$4,2903 mo
- A$4,2903 mo
- A$4,2903 mo
- A$4,2903 mo
- A$4,2903 mo
- A$4,2903 mo
- A$4,2903 mo
- A$4,2903 mo
- A$4,3203 mo
- A$4,4006 mo · A$8,474/yr
- A$4,4005 mo
- A$4,50010 wk
- A$4,50010 wk
- A$4,5006 mo · A$8,357/yr
- A$4,6003 mo
- A$4,6003 mo