Essentials
- City
- Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Population
- 5,200,000
- Internet Speed
- Average 100 Mbps (NBN Fiber), 5G widely available
- Currency & Banking
- Australian Dollar (AUD). 1 AUD ≈ 0.65 USD. Major banks: Commonwealth (CBA), ANZ, NAB, Westpac
- Tap Water
- Drinkable, high quality (sourced from protected bushland catchments)
- Power
- 230V, 50Hz, 🔌 Type I sockets (three-flat-pin plug)
- SIM Card
- Telstra (best coverage), Optus, or Boost Mobile (prepaid $35/30GB)
- Banking for Expats
- Up (digital bank), Wise, Revolut, or CBA Everyday Account
- Accommodation
- Realestate.com.au, Domain, Flatmates.com.au for shared housing
- Cashless Friendly
- Yes, nearly 100% contactless (EFTPOS/Apple Pay) even for small coffee
- Short Term Rentals
- Airbnb, Stayz, or Punthill Apartment Hotels (Approx. $180/night)
- Budget Accommodation
- The Victoria Hotel (CBD), Space Hotel (approx. $45/dorm, $120/private)
- Best Area to Stay for Tourists
- CBD (Central Business District) for shopping or Southbank for riverside dining
- Best Area to Stay for Digital Nomads
- Fitzroy (creative hub), South Yarra (upscale/amenities), or Collingwood
Working and Networking
- Best Coworking Space
- Commons (Gipps St, Collingwood) - Approx. $450/month hot desk; Hub Australia (Collins St/Southern Cross)
- Best Cafe for Work
- Auction Rooms (North Melbourne) or Mr. Tulk (State Library Victoria)
- Networking Events
- Startup Victoria monthly pitch nights; Silicon Beach Melbourne Meetup groups
- Social Events for Expats
- Melbourne Expat Meetup (Meetup.com), Newcomers Network, and numerous FB groups
Transportation
- Best Taxi/Ride App
- Uber, DiDi, and 13CABS
- Bike/Scooter Rental
- Lime and Neuron e-scooters (per minute rates), Melbourne Bike Share
- Best Beach Nearby
- St Kilda Beach (15 mins from CBD) or Brighton Beach (famous bathing boxes)
- Top Regional Airline
- Rex (Regional Express) and QantasLink
- Top International Airline
- Qantas, Emirates, Singapore Airlines
- Highway Access
- Monash Freeway (M1), CityLink (Toll), and Eastern Freeway
- Main Train/Transit Hub
- Flinders Street Station (Metro) and Southern Cross Station (Regional V/Line)
- Public Transport Passes
- Myki Card ($6 fee) - $10.60 daily cap for travel across trains, trams, and buses
- Regional Travel
- V/Line trains to Geelong, Bendigo, or Ballarat (capped at $10.60 per day)
Health and Wellness
- Best Hospital
- The Royal Melbourne Hospital (Public) or Epworth Richmond (Private)
- Yoga & Wellness Centers
- Humming Puppy (Prahran) or Good Vibes Yoga (Collingwood)
- Gyms & Fitness Centers
- Anytime Fitness (multiple locations), Virgin Active (Collins St) - Approx. $30/week
- Laundry Services
- WasherWorld (Fitzroy) or Laundry 24 (self-service laundromats)
Food and Drink
- Best Food Delivery App
- UberEats, DoorDash, and Menulog
- Best Local Dish to Try
- Chicken Parma (Parmigiana) at a local pub or a 'Flat White' coffee
- Vegan/Vegetarian Options
- Smith & Daughters (Fitzroy) or Vegie Bar (Brunswick St)
- Best Dessert Spots
- Lune Croissanterie (Fitzroy/CBD) or Brunetti Classico (Carlton)
- Affordable Shopping Spots
- Queen Victoria Market (Mondays/Wednesdays closed)
- E-commerce/Online Store
- Amazon.com.au, Kogan, and Catch.com.au
- Grocery Delivery
- Woolworths Online, Coles Online, and Milkrun (rapid delivery)
- Bar/Nightlife Area
- Chapel Street (Prahran) and Gertrude Street (Fitzroy)
- Local Brewery
- Mountain Goat Beer (Richmond) or Stomping Ground (Collingwood)
- Wine Bars
- City Wine Shop (Spring St) or Gerald’s Bar (Carlton North)
- Street Food Stalls
- Grazeland (Spotswood) or Night Market at Queen Vic Market
- Popular International Cuisine
- Chin Chin (Thai/Asian fusion), Tipico (Italian), or Supernormal (Japanese fusion)
Culture and Attractions
- Must-See Landmarks
- Federation Square, Royal Botanic Gardens, and Shrine of Remembrance
- Museums & Art Venues
- NGV International (St Kilda Rd) and Melbourne Museum (Carlton)
- Historical Sites
- Old Melbourne Gaol and Royal Exhibition Building
- Religious Sites
- St Paul's Cathedral and St Patrick's Cathedral
- Annual Events
- Australian Open (January), Melbourne Cup (November), Moomba Festival
- Cultural Districts
- Lygon Street (Little Italy) and Footscray (Vietnamese hub)
- Theater Venues
- Princess Theatre and Regent Theatre (Collins St)
- Local Markets
- South Melbourne Market (Dim Sims are a must) and Camberwell Sunday Market
- Music Scene
- The Forum (CBD), The Night Cat (Fitzroy), and Corner Hotel (Richmond)
- Street Art
- Hosier Lane and AC/DC Lane (CBD)
- Cooking Classes
- Free to Feed (Thornbury) or Otao Kitchen (Richmond)
- Art Galleries
- Ian Potter Centre (NGV Australia) and Gertrude Contemporary
- Historic Buildings
- Flinders Street Station and Manchester Unity Building
- Local Heritage
- Wurundjeri indigenous heritage tours and the Melbourne Tram network
Nature and Outdoor Activities
- Nearby Nature Escapes
- Dandenong Ranges (1hr drive) for lush forests and Thousand Steps
- National Parks Nearby
- Wilsons Promontory (3hrs) or Grampians (3.5hrs)
- Cycling/Walking Paths
- Capital City Trail (30km loop surrounding the city)
- Scenic Viewpoints
- Eureka Skydeck (CBD) or SkyHigh Mount Dandenong
- Birdwatching Locations
- Jells Park or Werribee Western Treatment Plant
- Bonfire-Friendly Spots
- Generally restricted; allowed in specific campsites like Cumberland River
Other Services and Amenities
- Parcel Delivery Service
- Australia Post, StarTrack, and Sendle
- Tech Repair Services
- Apple Store (Chadstone/Doncaster) or Dr Boom Communications
- Table Tennis Spots
- PONG (Fitzroy) or local community centers
- Language Classes
- Alliance Française (French) or CAE Melbourne
- Libraries & Study Spots
- State Library Victoria (La Trobe Reading Room) or City Library (Flinders Ln)
- Community Centers
- Melbourne City Conference Centre (MCCC) or Abbotsford Convent
- Gaming Lounges
- Fortress Melbourne (Emporium CBD) - Gaming PCs and bars
- Casino & Gaming Halls
- Crown Casino Melbourne (Southbank)
Business
- Studio Purchase Price (City Center)
- Approx. $10,500 per m² (e.g., 40 m² = $420,000)
- Studio Purchase Price (Outside City)
- Approx. $8,200 per m² (e.g., 40 m² = $328,000)
- 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center)
- Approx. $9,800 per m² (e.g., 60 m² = $588,000)
- 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City)
- Approx. $7,500 per m² (e.g., 60 m² = $450,000)
- 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center)
- Approx. $9,200 per m² (e.g., 80 m² = $736,000)
- 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City)
- Approx. $7,000 per m² (e.g., 80 m² = $560,000)
- Corporate Tax
- 25% for small/medium businesses (base rate entities), 30% otherwise
- Dividend Withholding Tax
- 30% (reducible to 0% - 15% via tax treaties; franking credits apply)
- Tax System
- Worldwide income basis for tax residents
- Highest Income Tax Bracket
- 45% plus 2% Medicare Levy (for income over $190,000 AUD)
- VAT
- 10% GST (Goods and Services Tax)
- Controlled Foreign Company (CFC) Rules
- Yes, complex and strictly enforced by the ATO
- Property Tax
- Annual Land Tax (if value exceeds $50,000 for non-primary residence) and local council rates
- Property Transaction Tax
- Stamp Duty (Approx. 5.5% of purchase price, varies by property value)
- Attractive Tax System for Digital Nomads
- No specific nomad visa; standard residency rules apply (183-day test)