Deakin Burwood campus sits 14km east of the CBD on the Burwood Highway, surrounded by middle-east suburbs that are mostly residential and family-oriented rather than student-dense. The cheap-suburbs question for Deakin students is more about which middle-east suburbs offer the best rent-to-commute ratio - this is the 2026 honest breakdown.
Burwood: The Walking-Distance Default
Burwood itself: 2-bed share house $440-$540/week. Studio apartment $310-$400/week. Walking distance (5-15 minutes) to most Deakin buildings. Mix of 1960s walk-ups, 1980s townhouses, newer apartments. Tends to be quieter than Clayton or Carlton - Deakin Burwood has fewer students living off-campus than other Melbourne universities.
Box Hill South: 5-Minute Bus
Box Hill South ($380-$480/room/week share, 5-minute bus from Deakin): direct bus 281/284. Largely Greek-Italian-Chinese heritage. Quiet residential, good housing stock. Trade-off: limited cafe culture nearby; the proper Box Hill restaurant strip is 15-20 minutes away.
Mount Waverley: Quiet and Green
Mount Waverley ($380-$480/room/week, 10-minute bus or 15-minute drive): residential family-style. The Mount Waverley shopping centre is utility-grade. Suits: postgrads, mature students. Quiet and green; very limited student culture.
Glen Iris: Slightly Premium
Glen Iris ($440-$540/room/week, 15-minute drive or train + walk = 25 minutes): more established residential, better-quality housing. The Glenferrie Road shopping strip has cafes and restaurants. Trade-off: above the average Deakin Burwood price band; appeals to mature-age students or postgrads.
Camberwell and Camberwell Junction: Inner-East Edge
Camberwell ($420-$520/room/week, 10-minute bus or 8-minute drive): well-served by tram (route 75) and train, more cafes and restaurants than Burwood. Junction is the historic shopping precinct. Less ‘student’ feel; more middle-class. Suits: students wanting better off-campus life.
Box Hill: 10-Minute Train + Walk
Box Hill ($400-$500/room/week, 10-minute train + 5-minute walk = 15 minutes from Burwood): the Box Hill Central food court ($8-$14 across multiple Asian cuisines), Asian groceries, dense Chinese restaurant culture. Better food than Burwood. Suits: international students wanting cheap eats nearby.
What This Costs Per Year
Annual rent at $480/room/week (Burwood mid-range): $24,960. Annual Myki at student concession: $480. Total: $25,440. Box Hill South at $430/room: $22,360 + $480 = $22,840. The Box Hill South-vs-Burwood gap is $2,500-$3,000/year.
What This Means for You
For walking distance: Burwood. For middle-ground value: Box Hill South or Mount Waverley. For better cafe/food culture: Box Hill or Camberwell. For quiet family stock: Glen Iris. International students typically settle in Box Hill or Burwood; domestic students spread across Box Hill South and Mount Waverley. For commute specifics, see commute time to Deakin Burwood; for daily food, cheap eats near Deakin Burwood.
Tom Hartigan writes regional and outer-suburb stories for MELBZ.
