Two months before your move

Understanding the costs of living

Information about the costs of living in Melbourne is available in our website, visit the University's cost of living page. The costs mentioned on that page are general advice, the real costs will vary depending on your lifestyle.

On top of the costs mentioned in our webpage, you may also incur one-off costs, such as purchasing furniture and paying for your bond or security deposit.

Tips: apply for discounted public transport fares.
You may be eligible for a student public transport concession, which means you can travel at discounted prices. Check the eligibility requirements via our public transports webpage to see if you qualify for a concession.

Set a budget

One of the best ways to narrow down what types of accommodation to investigate further is to work out what you can afford. Your income sources may include:

Allowances
Loans
Government grants
Scholarships
Part-time work

Remember to make sure your budget also covers expenses like food, healthcare, education, hobbies and entertainment. See above costs of living in Melbourne for more information.

You may use the tools below created by the Australian Government to help you budgeting.

Tips: check if you are eligible for financial assistance, such as:
Rent Assistance: a regular extra payment if you pay rent and get certain payments from Centrelink.
University’s scholarships and grants: there is a wide range of scholarships and student support programs available to current and commencing students.
Interest-free student loans: available to assist with living expenses such as bond and rent.

Select a location

Many students like to live near where they study. You can use Google maps to see which suburbs are near the campus you want to enroll in.

Things to consider:

Total travel time to and from the campus - to achieve the best possible academic results will mean you have to commit to attending all your lectures and tutorials throughout the semester. Having a realistic expectation of commute time is vital to ensure you can meet that commitment.
Amenities - there are some essential services you need to take into consideration for the convenience of day-to-day life, such as supermarkets (e.g., Woolworths, Coles, IGA, Aldi), local grocery stores, department stores for shopping (e.g., Kmart, Target, Big W, Myer, David Jones), gyms, sporting grounds, parks and more. If you own a car, you will also need a car parking space, which may incur additional costs on top of the rent.
Things to do - Every suburb in Melbourne and regional centres in Victoria has its own unique attractions. If you decide to live in the inner suburbs, you will have easy access to the festivals, free events, live music, theatre, as well as a wide variety of restaurants and eateries. To discover what there is to see and do in Victoria, you can go to the Visit Victoria and the What’s on Melbourne websites.
Safety - Melbourne is regularly listed as one of the safest cities in the world, and Victoria’s laws protect the rights of international students. However, crime can occur anywhere, and you should always research the area to assess whether it is safe and inspect the building to make sure it is secure.

Check out different accommodation types

There is plenty of accommodation types to suit your need, knowing what you can afford and where you would like to live will narrow down your options and focus on what it suited to your lifestyle.

Student accommodation

If you are interested in living on or near the campus with other students, then managed student accommodation may be for you. You can live independently, with the support services of the accommodation provider to assist you. Student accommodations are fully furnished, and include your utility bills such as electricity, gas, water and internet.

The student accommodation types are:

University Accommodation - on-campus accommodation that is provided directly by the University of Melbourne exclusively for University of Melbourne students. University Accommodation features fully-furnished apartments of various sizes and levels of sharing (known as halls of residence) that contain numerous student amenities such as study rooms, gyms, cinema rooms, lounges and outdoor courtyards and rooftops.
Purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) - dedicated student accommodation buildings containing fully-furnished apartments of various sizes and levels of sharing that are managed by commercial operators. If you are considering this type of student accommodation, make sure to select a commercial operator that is a member of peak industry associations such as the Asia Pacific Student Accommodation Association (APSAA).
Residential colleges - student accommodation that is affiliated with a university and usually includes meals on top of the usual student accommodation inclusions. As a result, fees are usually higher than other types of student accommodation, although financial aid is readily available on merit and/or needs basis. Full participation in college community events is expected, and entry is selective via a competitive process (take note of application closing dates as these can be several months before move-in). The University of Melbourne owns and operate two residential colleges: Wilam Hall and International House.

Temporary accommodation

If you wish to spend some time exploring living options in person before you commit to something long-term, you can book temporary accommodation before you arrive in Melbourne. If you are travelling by yourself and budget conscious, you could book a hostel. If your parents are accompanying you, you can search for a hotel room. Please see below some websites to help you research some options for you.

Hostelworld (for hostels)
booking.com
agoda.com
expedia.com
Airbnb (for short-term private rental)

Private rental

A private rental is an apartment or house that you rent by yourself or with others. Private rentals can be advertised as unfurnished, partly furnished, or fully furnished. Rental fees are usually paid monthly and are exclusive of utilities, however always check the terms and conditions as this may differ on the actual listing.

Private rentals managed by a real estate agent/property manager are typically advertised and leased as an entire property. These properties can be found on websites like domain.com.au and realestate.com.au or by contacting your local real estate agent.

Private rentals managed directly by the owner of the property can either be leased by the bedroom or as an entire property. These properties can be found on websites like The Off-Campus Housing Network, flatmates.com.au and gumtree.com.au. Please note: people looking for flatmates, either in a sub-tenancy or co-tenancy arrangement, can also be found advertising on these websites. Make sure you read our guide on sub-tenancy vs co-tenancy to understand your rights and responsibilities under each.

Please be cautious when you use rental websites to secure your accommodation as all accommodation options other than University Accommodation are not affiliated with the University of Melbourne and as such, are outside of our control.

Homestay

In a homestay arrangement, you’ll live with an Australian family in their home. Utilities and internet may be included in the homestay fee, and in certain arrangements, meals are also provided. Homestays can be in suburbs that are away from the campus, so make sure you look up public transport options to see what your journey to campus will be like.

Research your daily commuting options

If you choose to live away from the campus and you are planning on using Melbourne’s public transport network to get around, remember to check if there is regular transport to campus and amenities like shops and supermarkets, and work out how much it will cost per week. Also keep in mind that public transport reduces in frequency on the weekends and during public holidays.

Find out about public transport in your preferred suburb with the Melbourne local area maps on the Public Transport Victoria (PTV) website.

If you plan to drive to and from the campus, you can research the costs of parking on campus on the University website.