Budget · Melbourne · Australia
Melbourne on a budget
What a trip to Melbourne really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Melbourne is expensive for most international visitors. Budget roughly $75–$120 per person per day on a tight budget, $180–$320 mid-range and $450–$1,100 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in May–August.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $75–$120 a day
- Mid-range
- $180–$320 a day
- Luxury
- $450–$1,100 a day
- Local currency
- AUD
- Free sights
- 12
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $75–$120 | $225–$360 | $375–$600 | $525–$840 |
| Mid-range | $180–$320 | $540–$960 | $900–$1,600 | $1,260–$2,240 |
| Luxury | $450–$1,100 | $1,350–$3,300 | $2,250–$5,500 | $3,150–$7,700 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Melbourne, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| myki 2-hour fare (train, tram or bus) | about A$5–A$6 |
| Tram ride inside the Free Tram Zone | free |
| Flat white | about A$5–A$6 |
| Pub chicken parma | about A$25–A$32 |
| Bowl of pho in Richmond | about A$16–A$22 |
| Pint of beer | about A$12–A$15 |
| Mid-range dinner, two courses | about A$60–A$100 per person |
| SkyBus airport coach, one way | about A$20–A$25 |
Money-saving tips
- Ride the free trams within the CBD and Docklands; you only need a fare once you leave the zone.
- The NGV collections, ACMI, the State Library, the Shrine and the Royal Botanic Gardens are all free.
- Daily myki fares are capped, with a lower cap at weekends, so pack your longer tram rides into one day.
- Chinatown, Victoria Street in Richmond and Sydney Road in Brunswick serve filling meals at modest prices.
- Hotel prices jump during the Australian Open, the Grand Prix, the AFL Grand Final and Melbourne Cup week; book early or avoid those dates.
- Weekday lunch specials and pub parma nights are good-value ways to eat well.
Free things to do
- Federation Square and Flinders Street Station — Opposite the domed 1910 entrance of Flinders Street Station, Federation Square is the city's main public meeting place.
- Hosier Lane and the CBD laneways — The CBD's lanes and arcades are Melbourne's signature.
- National Gallery of Victoria — Founded in 1861, the NGV is Australia's oldest public art museum.
- Queen Victoria Market — Trading since 1878, the Queen Victoria Market covers several city blocks of produce sheds, a deli hall of cheese, meat and smallgoods, and general merchandise stalls.
- Royal Botanic Gardens — Thirty-eight hectares of lawns, lakes and plant collections stretch along the Yarra south of the CBD, with a fern gully, an arid garden and Guilfoyle's Volcano, a restored reservoir planted with succulents.
- Shrine of Remembrance — Melbourne's war memorial, completed in 1934, is modelled on ancient Greek and Roman monuments.
Where to stay on a budget
$$ · Best for nightlife, food lovers, shopping and solo travellers
Fitzroy and Collingwood
Street art, vintage shops and bars along Brunswick, Gertrude and Smith Streets
$$ · Best for families, culture, food lovers and quiet stays
Carlton
Italian cafés on Lygon Street, the university and UNESCO-listed gardens
$$ · Best for beach, nightlife, budget and couples
St Kilda
Bayside Esplanade, Acland Street cake shops and a century-old amusement park
Eating well for less
- Melbourne brunch — Cafés in Fitzroy, Collingwood, Richmond, South Yarra and Brunswick; arrive early at weekends.
- Dim sim — South Melbourne Market, where the dim sims are a local institution, plus fish-and-chip shops and sports grounds.
- Souvlaki — The Greek precinct on Lonsdale Street in the CBD, Eaton Mall in Oakleigh, and late-night shops across the inner suburbs.
- Pide and gözleme — Sydney Road in Brunswick and Coburg; gözleme stalls are also a fixture at the Queen Victoria Market.
Getting around for less
myki
Victoria's reusable public-transport smartcard for trains, trams and buses. Fares are capped daily, with a lower cap at weekends; check the PTV site for current mobile and card payment options.
Free Tram Zone
Tram travel that begins and ends inside the CBD and Docklands is free, and signs at tram stops mark the zone's boundary.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Melbourne cost?
About $900–$1,600 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $375–$600 on a tight budget.
+Is Melbourne expensive?
It is expensive for international visitors. Ride the free trams within the CBD and Docklands; you only need a fare once you leave the zone.
+How much money do I need per day in Melbourne?
Roughly $75–$120 on a budget and $180–$320 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Melbourne?
Usually in May–August.