Cost per day · Australia
Melbourne on $55, $130 or $350 a day
How much does Melbourne cost per day? Budget travellers get by on about $55 a day, mid-range trips run around $130, and luxury starts near $350 — accommodation, food, transport and activities included.
That makes Melbourne the 28th most expensive of 82 cities for a mid-range trip — see all 82 ranked.
Australia's culture capital — a grid of laneway coffee bars, street art and rooftop wine, wrapped around the Yarra and the sporting precinct that hosts the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park each March. Beyond the CBD lie bayside St Kilda, the beach-box coast, and day trips to the Great Ocean Road and Yarra Valley wineries.
Budget Melbourne runs on free trams, $4 laneway coffee and cheap, brilliant multicultural food — Vietnamese on Victoria St, dumplings in Chinatown, Middle Eastern in Brunswick. Hostels cluster in the CBD and St Kilda.
✈️ How to Get There
🗺️ What to Do
Australia's most-visited gallery, permanent collection always free
Get tickets on Tiqets →Free 38-hectare gardens along the Yarra, perfect picnic escape
Get tickets on Tiqets →Bayside promenade with a free little-penguin colony on the breakwater at dusk
Get tickets on Tiqets →🏨 Where to Stay
Clean CBD hostel-hotel with rooftop hot tub, private and dorm rooms
Check prices on Klook →Hostel accommodation with dorm beds and, usually, a few private rooms.
Check prices on Klook →Beachside St Kilda hostel steps from the bay and Acland St cafés
Stay inside the Free Tram Zone and you never pay for CBD transport. Queen Victoria Market late-afternoon markdowns, and the NGV International is always free. Grand Prix general-admission is the cheapest way into Albert Park.
Mid-range is boutique CBD hotels or bayside apartments, degustation lunches, and rooftop bars. This is the sweet spot for Melbourne — the laneway dining scene peaks in the $40–70 range.
✈️ How to Get There
🗺️ What to Do
Twelve Apostles, rainforest and surf coast on a full-day coach trip
Get tickets on Tiqets →Behind-the-scenes tour of the mighty Melbourne Cricket Ground
Get tickets on Tiqets →Evening trip to the world's largest little-penguin colony
Get tickets on Tiqets →🏨 Where to Stay
Playful design hotel with free minibar and drinks hour, tram to CBD
Check prices on Klook →Grand 1883 heritage hotel opposite Parliament, classic high tea
Check prices on Klook →Modern Docklands waterfront hotel, quick tram into the CBD grid
Book a Southbank or CBD-fringe hotel for walkable race access via tram. A myki Money top-up beats daily caps only if you stray out of the free zone. Yarra Valley wine tours run ~$120 for the day.
Luxury Melbourne is the Crown riverfront towers, heritage-grand suites, chef's-table tasting menus and Grand Prix corporate suites overlooking the Albert Park lake circuit.
✈️ How to Get There
🗺️ What to Do
Private guide and vehicle to the Twelve Apostles with scenic flight option
Get tickets on Tiqets →Twelve Apostles, rainforest and surf coast on a full-day coach trip
Get tickets on Tiqets →Behind-the-scenes tour of the mighty Melbourne Cricket Ground
Get tickets on Tiqets →🏨 Where to Stay
Southbank riverfront flagship with casino, spa and marquee restaurants
Check prices on Klook →Understated luxury by Fitzroy Gardens and the Cathedral, huge rooms
Check prices on Klook →Five-star international hotel with a full spa, notable restaurants and the service standard the brand implies.
Check prices on Klook →The Crown Towers and Ritz-Carlton (Australia's highest hotel) are the marquee addresses. For race weekend, the Paddock Club at Albert Park is the top hospitality tier. Helicopter transfers to the Mornington Peninsula wineries are bookable.
About Melbourne
Temperate and famously changeable — "four seasons in one day". Warm dry summers (Dec–Feb), crisp autumns, cool wet winters (Jun–Aug, 6–14°C).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21° | 21° | 19° | 16° | 13° | 10° | 9° | 11° | 13° | 15° | 17° | 19° |
| 8d | 7d | 9d | 10d | 12d | 13d | 14d | 14d | 12d | 12d | 10d | 9d |
| high | high | high | mid | mid | low | low | low | mid | mid | high | high |
Free Tram Zone covers the whole CBD; myki card for trams, trains and buses beyond it. Trams are the icon; the airport is SkyBus or taxi (no train link yet). Very walkable core.
The station and the square, the street-art alleys, the Victorian arcades and the market at the top of town.
The war shrine, the botanic gardens, the tram down to the bay and the penguins on the breakwater.
A travel eSIM gets you online the moment you land in Australia — data plans start at $4 — no roaming bill, no queue for a local SIM, and nothing to swap in and out of your phone. Install it before you fly.
Travel Insurance for Melbourne
Travel insurance is strongly recommended for any trip to Melbourne. Safety is rated Very safe; standard big-city awareness after dark around King St nightlife strip. — even in safe destinations, unexpected medical emergencies or trip cancellations can be costly. Make sure your policy covers emergency medical treatment, hospitalisation, trip cancellation, and emergency evacuation.
Visa note: ETA/eVisitor required for most Western passports — quick online approval before travel.. Some countries require proof of travel insurance as part of the visa application.
Get travel insurance for Melbourne →FAQ: Melbourne Travel Questions
Is Melbourne safe to visit? ▾
Very safe; standard big-city awareness after dark around King St nightlife strip.
When is the best time to visit Melbourne? ▾
March–May (autumn) and September–November (spring); Grand Prix weekend is mid-March. Summer Dec–Feb can hit 40°C spikes. Temperate and famously changeable — "four seasons in one day". Warm dry summers (Dec–Feb), crisp autumns, cool wet winters (Jun–Aug, 6–14°C).
How much does a trip to Melbourne cost per day? ▾
- budget: $55–$100/day
- midrange: $130–$260/day
- luxury: $350–$900/day
Do I need a visa to visit Australia? ▾
ETA/eVisitor required for most Western passports — quick online approval before travel.
How do I get around Melbourne? ▾
Free Tram Zone covers the whole CBD; myki card for trams, trains and buses beyond it. Trams are the icon; the airport is SkyBus or taxi (no train link yet). Very walkable core. Melbourne has a metro system. Taxi base fare ~$50. Day pass ~$10.
Is tipping expected in Melbourne? ▾
Round up or 10% for good table service; not obligatory. Tip optional in cafés.
What currency is used in Australia? ▾
The local currency is AUD, and the official language is English.