Two months before your move

Set a budget

One of the best ways to narrow down which types of accommodation to investigate further is to work out what you can afford. Your income sources may include allowances, loans, government grants, scholarships and part-time work while you study.

Remember to make sure your budget also covers your non-accommodation expenses like healthcare, education, and hobbies and entertainment.

Tips: check if you are eligible for financial assistance, such as:
Rent Assistance: a regular extra payment if you receive certain types of payments from Centrelink and pay rent.
University’s scholarships: there is a wide range of scholarships and student support programs available to current and commencing students.

Work out the TOTAL costs for different renting options

Melbourne offers many accommodation options to fit many budgets. You could live in the inner suburbs, and walk or cycle to class. Some students save on rental costs by living further out, in which case they need to think about public transport costs or a car. You could also live alone in a studio apartment and have an exclusive space to study and unwind or save accommodation costs by sharing with others.

Your cost of renting is actually going to be a few different costs put together. A total list of all your renting costs will include items like:

Rent
Utility costs (water, gas, electricity, internet)
Commuting costs (see PTV journey planner; student myki concessions)

You may also face a few initial one-off costs of getting set up, such as purchasing furniture and paying your bond or security deposit.

For more information, visit the University's cost of living page.

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 - getting the best possible academic results will mean you have to commit to attending all your lectures and tutorials during 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., Woolworth, 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 be an extra cost on top of the rent.
Things to do - all of Melbourne’s suburbs and Victoria’s regional centres have their own unique attributes. 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 huge variety of restaurants and eateries. To find out about 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 regularly appears on lists of the safest cities in the world, and laws in Victoria protect your rights, including 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

You are spoilt for choice when it comes to accommodation types in Melbourne. No matter your needs, lifestyle preferences or budget, there is an accommodation type suited to you.

Student accommodation

If you are interested in living on or near campus with like-minded people, then managed student accommodation may be for you. This type of accommodation lets you live independently, but with the support services of the accommodation provider to help you manage. You also won’t need to purchase any furniture as the managed student accommodation is fully furnished, and your utility bills such as electricity, gas, water and internet are usually included in your rent.

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 within mid-high density buildings (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).

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 by yourself and budget conscious, you could use hostel-like services such as YHA Australia. If your parents are accompanying you for a short while, you may need to search for a hotel room which you can find on hotel aggregators like booking.com, agoda.com and quickbeds.com, or a short-term private rental via Airbnb.

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 (i.e. electricals only or furniture only) or fully furnished, and weekly rents can be inclusive or exclusive of utilities (be sure to check which one applies).

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 are included in the homestay fee and in certain arrangements, meals are also provided. Homestays can be located in suburbs that are some distance away from 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 remember 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.