Best Cheap Accommodation Options in Melbourne
Guide to Hostels and House-sharing for Budget Visitors to Melbourne
Oct 28, 2009
Australia's capital for shopping, festivals, wining and dining, Melbourne is easily the country's most vibrant city but as such, it can also be one of the most expensive. Budget travellers fear not however, as there are a number of things to do to keep costs down and nabbing some cheap accommodation is one of them. Below we explore where to stay in Melbourne on a budget, from short-term hostels to long-term house sharing.
Stay at one of Melbourne's Many Hostels for Cheap Accomodation, Thrifty Food & Free Stuff Aplenty
Melbourne’s hostels are invariably the cheapest form of visitor accommodation going, with dorm rooms available from an average of $25 per night. Most hostels offer 4, 6, ,8, 10 and occasionally 12-bed dorm rooms, with the more densely populated rooms being the cheapest. Most Melbourne hostels also give guests the option of mixed or female dorm rooms, generally with no price difference between the two.
While traditionally the bunking ground of young backpackers, hostels are starting to see an increase in the number of older guests thanks to the recession, meaning hostels are now a viable option for budget visitors of all ages. Private rooms are available for guests which are especially popular with older people and families. Double rooms, ideal for a couple or single guests seeking privacy, cost around $80-90 while family rooms are slightly dearer at approx. $120-30.
Not only do hostels put guests up for a thrifty price, they can also facilitate money-saving indirectly. The only type of accommodation with self-catering facilities, hostels give guests the opportunity to save money on lunch/dinner by cooking for themselves, with fully-equipped kitchens on-site in most hostels. What’s more, good Melbourne hostels often provide free food with which to do so. While free breakfasts are a given in good hostels, some hostels go as far as providing free rice/pasta for lunch/dinner, offer free or cheap meals on various days of the week and all hostels provide a free food shelf where guests can leave their leftovers for their comrades upon departure.
Melbourne’s Best & Most Popular Hostels
While the majority is not always right, it is in the case of Melbourne hostels with most budget visitors choosing to stay in one of the three best hostels available in the city. Self-proclaimed as clean, fun and super-friendly, ‘Urban Central’ is one of the most frequented hostels in Melbourne and with its endless attributes, it‘s certainly one of the best. Boasting large spacious rooms, daily room-cleaning and a lift/elevator for self-labelled ‘suitcasers’, the hostel is a pleasant surprise for hardened backpackers.
Modern and minimalist, it’s one of the newest and cleanest hostels in the city and with frequent events organised for guests plus its cheap and cheerful on-site bar, Eve bar, it’s also the place for some good, clean fun. The biggest draw however is the impressive list of free stuff on offer. From free breakfasts daily and a free Monday meal to the free rice/pasta available for cooking ones own stuff, ‘Urban Central’ makes for a veritable freebie frenzy. Located at 334 City Road, Southbank, it is right on the city centre’s doorstep making it the ideal base from which to explore Melbourne’s sights and attractions. Dorm rooms start at $32.
Bridging the gap between budget backpackers and boutique hotel, ‘Base’ hostel in the vibrant seaside suburb of St Kilda is another hugely popular stomping ground for thrifty travellers. With clean rooms starting at just $20, it’s one of the cheapest decent hostels going. Again, it’s freebie central here with a free barbecues and free Ladies Night an ongoing feature of this hot spot. Located at 17 Carlisle St, it’s just 400m from St Kilda beach and its surrounding shops, bars and cafes.
Base's rival, HQ Habitat is the newest Melbourne hostel and is also located in trendy St Kilda. From free daily breakfast to free pancake mornings, it's the latest quality hostel in the Victorian capital.
Nab a House Share for Cheap Long-term Accomodation
While hostels are the best bet for cheap short-term accommodation, sharing a house is the way to go for visitors planning a longer stay. The most popular form of long-term accommodation (a month minimum), house sharing is often more flexible in terms of dates and lease agreements than private rented accommodation and invariably works out cheaper than hostels/motels.
While available rooms are still advertised in the classified section of Melbourne newspapers (e.g. The Age), the internet is fast becoming the place of choice for finding house-shares and housemates. Entering ‘house share’ followed by the preferred location into a search engine will produce the most popular sites for private ads.
While many rooms advertised are fully-furnished, there are a number which are not. Don’t rule out ‘buy your own mattress’ ads however, as cheap mattresses are easy to find online. In addition, they can be resold once more at the end of the holiday, potentially at a profit.
Readers may also be interested in Melbourne's Best Vegetarian Cheap Eats and also Cheap Entertainment in Melbourne.
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