Digital Nomad Guide for Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne is an eclectic city and is know for it’s amazing food and coffee scene. It’s a multicultural melting pot, with so many different cultures living in one, sprawling city on the southern coast of Australia.
Granted, it is quite far from the rest of the world, but I think it’s an inspiring place to visit, especially as a Digital Nomad.
Here’s my Digital Nomad Guide for Melbourne, Australia!
Quick links:
Things To Do
Actually, Melbourne is less know for it’s landmarks (as there are not many) but more known for it’s vibe and overall atmosphere. I would recommend you to visit different areas of the city and just walk around and soak up the vibe.
Here are a few ideas for things to do in Melbourne:
Stroll around different neighbourhoods
Melbourne has some great neighbourhoods and they are all a little bit different. Collingwood is a more grungy, up-and-coming neighbourhood where you can find boutique stores and hipster cafes, while the CBD features skyscrapers, mainstream shops and malls. In Carlton, you will find the Italian neighbourhood with loads of amazing Italian restaurants and cafes and in Richmond you will find the more residential neighbourhood, which is a slightly more relaxed place, but you can still find cafes and restaurants here and there.
Eat amazing food and drink specialty coffee
Melbourne is known to be THE foodie destination as well as a specialty coffee capital. So, it goes without saying that you should try as many restaurants and coffee shops as possible. See the “Things to eat” section below for some tips on where and what to eat.
Visit the different markets
There are a few lovely markets in Melbourne, and I loved visiting them and strolling around; tasting different foods and shopping for trinkets and souvenirs.
The biggest market is the Queen Victoria Market, where you can find all sorts of souvenirs, fresh foods, and things to eat.
A short tram ride away from the CBD lies another market, called the South Melbourne market, which is slightly more upscale and also features food and shops. I think this market was my favourite as it was a bit smaller, but still had a lot of cool stores and yummy food. It is know for it’s fresh seafood selection, such as the Oyster bar, which is quite popular.
Visit St. Kilda and the beach area
St Kilda is the neighbourhood close to the beach and it’s a really relaxing place to take a stroll.
Take a walk along the beach promenade and watch the skyline from Melbourne from the shores. If it’s your thing, you can also visit the Luna Park, which is an amusement park, modelled after the one in Coney Islands, New York.
You can also check out the Penguins that can be spotted at the beach in Melbourne.
Visit the Botanical Gardens
The Melbourne Royal Botanical Gardens are located in the south of the CBD, and they are one of the most beautiful gardens I’ve ever seen. They are also free to visit! On a sunny day, take an afternoon and stroll through this beautiful strip of garden and soak in the lush greenery.
Visit the National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria is a public art gallery where you can see many artworks of both Australian and International artists.
The best thing about visiting this gallery is that most of the main exhibitions are free! It’s definitely a fun activity to do on a rainy day in Melbourne.
Drive the Great Ocean Road
If you’ve got more time in Melbourne, another great thing to do is rent a car and do a road trip on the Great Ocean Road, which spans 240 km all along the coast of Southern Australia, with many sights to see along the way, including national parks, coastal towns and stunning beaches.
You can visit the Twelve Apostles along the way and see plenty of wildlife, such as Koalas and Kangaroos.
Things To Eat
It would be impossible for me to list all the great restaurants and cafes that you can find in Melbourne because there are so many!
I’ll list some of the places I tried and loved below:
Brunch & Specialty Coffee
Proud Mary, Brunch & Specialty coffee, Located in Collingwood, this cafe serves amazing brunch and excellent specialty coffee. Try to come early, especially in weekends because it is very popular.
Aunty Peg’s, Specialty Coffee, This place is a must-visit for die hard specialty coffee fans. They only serve Espresso and Filter coffees and no coffees with milk.
Market Lane, Specialty Coffee, Even though this is a chain with multiple locations, they serve really great coffee.
Lune Croissanterie, Pastries & Coffee, Lune has some of the best croissants and pastries I’ve ever tried in my life. Go early to skip the queue and make sure that the pastries aren’t sold out already.
Top Paddock Cafe, Brunch & Specialty coffee, an amazing and beautiful brunch spot located in Richmond.
Brother Baba Budan, Specialty Coffee, Another amazing specialty coffee spot located in the city centre of Melbourne.
Bakemono, Coffee & pastries, For amazing takeaway pastries an coffee, visit this little Japanese pastry shop in the CBD area.
Asian Cuisine
Supernormal, Asian Fusion, One of my favourite dinners in Melbourne was at this restaurant which serves perfect Asian fusion food. Definitely try the
Hawker Hall, Singaporean/South East Asian food, A cool market hall with many South East Asian food options to choose from.
Bowl Bowl Sichuan, Sichuan food, This restaurant located in Collingwood serves amazing dumplings with their home made chilli sauce.
Kenangan, Indonesian, This Indonesian bistro is located close to the Queen Victoria and serves some exceptional Indonesian food.
Ca Com Bánh Mì Bar, Vietnamese, Nice Vietnamese restaurant that serve some of the best Banh Mi in town.
Western Cuisine
Johnny, Vince and Sam’s Ristorante, Italian, This restaurant has some serious Italian Nonna vibes and the food they serve is based on their Italian grandmother’s recipe’s. Super authentic food, so definitely try this one!
Naked for Satan, Cocktails and finger food, For the best skyline view of Melbourne, check out this bar. Go to the top floor and order your food and drinks at the bar. Then find yourself a seat outside to soak in the gorgeous views on the city.
Easey’s, Burgers, For some delish burgers and cool views from suspended train wagons (yes you read that correctly;)
Fishbowl, Health food, If you’re craving some veggies and some healthy bowls, then this chain is something for you. They have multiple locations in Melbourne.
Hector’s Deli, Sandwiches, This deli has some amazing sandwiches that you need to try!
Dessert (mostly Ice cream)
Fluffy Torpedo, Ice cream, This is some of the best gelato we’ve ever tasted and they’ve got really funky flavours such as Buttered Baguette and
Messina, Ice cream, Another great ice cream parlour with multiple locations in the city; my favourite flavour was the pandan and coconut sorbet!
Beku Gelato, Ice cream, This ice cream shop located in Carlton has some more Asian flavours. I loved the Cendol Ice cream!
Yo-Chi, Frozen Yoghurt, This self-serve frozen yoghurt shop is amazing! You can make your own frozen yoghurt cup or cone and choose as many toppings as you like from the toppings bar. And then they weigh your cup and you pay for how much you put in your cup. Best thing ever!
Kumo Desserts Melbourne, Dessert, Sadly, I wasn’t able to try their pancakes, but they look amazing!
Where To Stay
If you are staying for a few weeks or months in Melbourne, I would recommend staying a bit closer to the city centre (the “CBD” area) or even in the CBD itself.
Here are some great areas to stay in:
Collingwood & Fitzroy
This grungy and artsy neighbourhood has a lot to offer: great cafes, cool boutique stores and amazing restaurants. You’re also close to the CBD and other areas of Melbourne, that are just a quick ride away by tram.
Richmond
If you want to stay in a more residential and quiet area, then Richmond might be the place to be. Even though it is fairly residential, there are still plenty of restaurants and cafes as well, and you are just a train ride away from the CBD.
Prahran
Another great neighbourhood to stay in is Prahran; you have some great options for food as well as a lovely indoor market. You’re also fairly close to St Kilda and the beach of Melbourne.
South Melbourne
South Melbourne lies just underneath the CBD area and it’s where you can also find the famous South Melbourne market. It’s a cool area to base yourself in because you’re close to many things, such as the city centre, the market and the river promenade.
Where To Work From
Co-Working Spaces
There are a few co-working spaces in Melbourne, across various price ranges. Here are a few options:
The Commons, this is a very luxurious co-working space with offices all around Melbourne. Open desk membership starts from AU$400+GST per month. They also have a new “On demand” membership which is sort of pay as you go, which is AU$80+GST per month. The exact pricing depends on the location you want to work from. Contact them for the latest pricing.
The Hive Collingwood, a hot desk starts at AU$150 a month.
The Loft Workspaces, Flexible desk from AU$300 a month.
The Cluster, Full time hot desk from AU$500 a month.
Cafe’s to work from
Tone coffee, This specialty coffee place located in Prahran is also a great spot to do some work.
Nigel, A specialty coffee cafe in Cremone that has plenty of space.
Two Birds, a cafe located in Collingwood
Accommodation
Australia is not the cheapest place for digital nomads, and even though Melbourne is quite an affordable city to live in compared to European and American cities, it is nowhere as affordable as South East Asian digital nomad hotspots or South American places.
Nevertheless, you can definitely find some monthly accommodations for around 1800-2500 euros a month, for example on Airbnb or Booking.com.
We stayed for a few weeks in the Lyf Hotel in Collingwood, which features a co-living/co-working area where you can do some work (or just chillax), a shared kitchen, laundry facilities and is also very well and centrally located. It’s a cool hotel concept and I would definitely recommend staying there!
Also have a look at the hotel review I wrote about the lyf Hotel in Collingwood.
Sim Cards & Internet
Internet speed across the city is pretty decent and most cafes have wifi. However, we did notice that the wifi speed is not as fast as in Europe or digital nomad hotspots like Thailand.
Regarding Sim Cards, the easiest nowadays is getting en E-sim. Check if your phone is compatible first. The easiest way is using Saily, which is an app that lets you purchase and download various E-Sim cards from around the world.
When To Go
Melbourne weather is know to fluctuate quite a lot - it can be a scorching 35C on one day in the summer, and the next it can be 17C and rainy!
However, the climate is moderate all year round, and in the winter it never gets super cold. The lowest in winter time is around 8C.
I think Melbourne is great to visit all year round, but the cheaper times to go would be between March and May and September and November.
How To Get Around
Melbourne has a tram system that works pretty well, especially if you go to and from the CBD. You can use the myki card right from your phone and charge it directly on your phone. One trip is AUD$5.
Good to know: the trams within the CBD area are free, so if you take the tram within that area, you won’t have to pay anything!
Uber is also present in Melbourne and it’s actually quite easy and affordable to use. A 15-minute trip would cost you around AUD$15, which is about 8 euros.
Getting to and from the airport
The easiest way from the main Melbourne airport (Tullamarine) to the city would be to go with Uber, which costs around 50-70 AUD (around 30 euros), depending on the time of the day. It takes about 30 minutes to get to the city centre from the airport.
Uber works really easy too: Just request the ride from the app and it will give you a PIN code, which you can give to the first driver at the Uber line outside the airport.
If you want to have a slightly cheaper option, there is also a Sky bus from the airport that costs AUD$20.
Visa for Australia
Visa on arrival for many nationalities is 3 months. You need to obtain a e-visa before arrival, which is easily done online.
There is also a “Working Holiday Visa” that allows you to work in Australia for 12 months. This is for anyone under the age of 30 (for some countries, up to 35 years old). The only limitation is that you can’t work for an employer for more than 6 months. This type of visa is also extendible.
Travel Insurance
Going on your digital nomad adventure, it's important to get a good travel insurance. Safety wing is always my go to choice as it's the best value for money (here’s a link to my travel insurance comparison blog post) and it's super easy to buy and use.
The insurance is specifically designed for digital Nomads and longer term travellers.
On top of the standard health insurance, Safety Wing also covers other travel related aspects such as technology coverage, travel delays & lost luggage.
Final Thoughts
Melbourne is a cool, multicultural and fun city to visit. And especially for digital nomads and remote workers, I think it’s a great city to explore over a longer period of time, because it’s more about experiencing the city vibes and exploring different areas and neighbourhoods. Additionally, there is a lot of nature as well if you go just a bit outside of the city.
There’s so much good food and coffee, it’s relatively affordable and people are super friendly. What’s not to like?
I hope you liked this blog post about digital nomads in Melbourne! If you have any questions, just comment below and I’ll get back to you :)
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