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Featuring high on the list of the world’s most liveable cities and bursting at its seams with art, fashion, culture, and incredible dining, it’s no wonder most of us love Melbourne.
However, its position on that ‘other’ list — as one of Australia’s most expensive cities to visit — may have you worried. According to Finder’s cost of living comparison, Melbourne is the second priciest place to live in Oz — on par with Brisbane and topped only by Sydney (which is 15% more expensive again!). Finder’s comparison focuses on factors like the cost of food and transport — both of which will put pressure on your holiday budget.
The good news is there are ways to minimise the fiscal fallout. Whether you’re coming for a weekend, a week, or like many you’ve decided to immigrate to Melbourne permanently, here are ten practical tips for exploring the Victorian capital on a budget.
Watch our video of ten top things to do in Melbourne:
Top 10 Things to Do in MELBOURNE, Australia in 2025 (Cheap to Chic!) | Ultimate Travel Guide
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1. Travel for free in the CBD
Let’s start with getting around. Melbourne’s transport network is ticketed using the Myki system (a touch on/off rechargeable card), but you’ll be overjoyed to hear that riding the trams within the CBD is absolutely free! One of the best ways to get the lay of the land is on the (again, free) City Circle tram — a beautiful old-style tramcar, which does a loop of the city grid and features audio commentary. Tip: Make sure you keep an eye on where the Free Tram Zone finishes. A hefty fine can apply if you travel beyond it without paying.
2. Save on sleep
Melbourne has hundreds of hotels and you’ll generally find the cost of getting a bed for the night pretty competitive. However, if the apple cart gets upset by a major event or holiday, it can lead to price carnage. So, do your research before locking in travel dates. The best bet for those visiting on a super tight budget is the city’s hostel scene. Dorm beds average from $30 to $60 a night, but many properties also offer private rooms — often with ensuite bathrooms. Browse the options listed on the Hostelworld website; you’ll often find a room of your own, close to the city centre, for around $100 a night.
3. See high culture for nix
Alongside the many high-profile ticketed exhibitions that come to Melbourne, the city is tipping over with free opportunities to enjoy priceless works of art. The preeminent permanent collections of the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) and the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia can be viewed free of charge, as can smaller exhibitions at independent facilities like Flinders Lane Gallery and the Stephen McLaughlan Gallery. The State Library Victoria on Swanston Street is one of the city’s most beautiful buildings and has a gallery space that’s free to access (along with a display of Ned Kelly’s famous armour!). You can also visit the Koorie Heritage Trust in Federation Square and view a cache of Aboriginal art and cultural artefacts at no charge.
4. Do a DIY laneway tour…
Melbourne is famous for its European-style laneways, and getting lost in this network of characterful thoroughfares is fun and free. There are plenty of excellent laneway walking tours on offer — each with their own special focus (think street art, cafes, food, shopping, and architecture). However, if the purse strings are drawn seriously tight and you’re feeling adventurous, it’s not hard to create your own itinerary. Start by heading for the better known Hardware Lane, Degraves Street, and the fabulously historic Block Arcade and Royal Arcade. From there, seek out Tattersalls Lane, Meyers Place, Postal Lane, and the list goes on.
This is also as opportunity dive headfirst into the city’s fierce street art scene. The City of Melbourne positively embraces the work of street (graffiti) artists, and you’ll see their vibrant and often subversive creations in laneways and back alleys across the CBD. If you have the budget, book a guided walking tour with a working artist; if not, spend a day getting down and arty on your own. For a bit of a head start, use Google Maps to find Hosier Lane, Rankins Lane, Centre Place, AC/DC Lane, and Caledonian Lane.
5. …and a DIY day tour
Next to exploring the city’s galleries and laneways, most visitors to Melbourne want to see nearby natural attractions like the Great Ocean Road and Phillip Island Penguin Parade. Joining a guided tour is the most convenient option, but you’ll pay anywhere from $150 to $250 per person, per throw. If you’re travelling with a small group, consider hiring a car for a couple of days and doing it DIY. Avoid the major hire companies and check out smaller outfits like Jucy and Wicked. They often have vehicle rental rates as low as $50 a day.
6. Make for the markets
Fresh food markets are generally the heart and soul of a city, and that’s certainly the case in Melbs. The Queen Victoria Market is a buzzing, authentic slice of local life, while just beyond the CBD is the famous South Melbourne Market and wonderful Prahran Market. Shop for fresh produce at the best possible prices, or take advantage of the cheap and tasty street eats on offer.
7. Eat cheap in the suburbs
In additions to its markets Melbourne has some of the best restaurants in the world, and there are literally thousands of places to eat. But if you really want to save some moolah, steer clear of the CBD and head out to the fabulously multi-cultural fringe suburbs of Abbotsford, Brunswick, Footscray, and Carlton. There you’ll find the most authentic Vietnamese, Turkish, Lebanese, Italian, and African cuisine this side of, well, the other side of the world. Tip: If you’re tramming it, make sure your Myki card is topped up and tapped on/off. A fine could well and truly wipe out that meal saving!
8. Scoop discount theatre tickets
Melbourne’s live theatre scene offers everything from lavish large scale musicals to experimental fringe productions, and there are ways to save on the advertised ticket prices. Flexibility is the key here. Enter Today Tix’s popular ‘Friday Forty’ lottery for the chance to score premium seats for, you guessed it, $40, or drop by Halftix in Little Collins Street on the day you have a free night. A cut-price curtain up could be yours!
9. Get connected for free
They’ve been dragged kicking and screaming to the table, but many Melbourne accommodation options are now offering at least an allowance of complimentary Wi-Fi. That said, it can be arduously slow, so here are some other options if you’re down on data.
Vic Free Wi-Fi is the largest scheme of its kind in Australia and offers five gigabytes (GB) of free data daily for users in the Bourke Street Mall, Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne Museum, and on platforms at CBD train stations. If you want to sit and surf the net in glorious silence, pull up a pew in the State Library Victoria’s incredible La Trobe domed reading room. The free Wi-Fi on offer here is super fast. If all else fails, head to the nearest Maccas.
10. Bag a bargain
Yes, yes, Melbourne is Australia’s fashion capital (especially if you like black!). But the abundance of high-end shopping malls and glitzy boutiques along the so-called ‘Paris end’ of Collins Street doesn’t mean you can’t find a bargain. You can — and how! Shop for vintage in Brunswick Street, Smith Street, the eastern end of Chapel Street, Sydney Road, and at the popular Camberwell Sunday Market. Find labels for less at the Spencer Outlet Centre, DFO South Wharf, or DFO Essendon. If you’re a serious shopper, an outlet factory tour will pay for itself in terms of the savings you’ll make.
This post was published thanks to Immagine Immigration Specialists.
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Additional images: Bigstock
About the writer
Julietta Henderson is a Melbourne-based travel writer and author. Originally planning to visit London for six months, she ended up staying for ten years and now divides her time between her home in Australia and several months of the year in the UK, Italy, and France. Julietta has travelled extensively through Europe, North America, Indonesia, New Zealand, Australia, and Russia, and believes the keys to a great travel experience are an open heart, an open mind, and an open-ended ticket. Her first two novels — The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman and Sincerely, Me — are now available in bookstores.
About the writer
Adam Ford is editor of Top Oz Tours & Travel Ideas, and a travel TV presenter, writer, blogger, and photographer. He has travelled extensively through Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, and the Middle East. Adam worked as a travel consultant for a number of years with Flight Centre before taking up the opportunity to travel the world himself as host of the TV series Tour the World on Network Ten. He loves to experience everything a new destination has to offer and is equally at home in a five-star Palazzo in Pisa or a home-stay in Hanoi.
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