Best Suburbs for RMIT Students

RMIT’s City campus is in one of the best locations of any university in Australia — right on Swanston Street, between Melbourne Central Station and the State Library of Victoria. You can walk from campus to Federation Square in 10 minutes. The problem isn’t access to things — it’s that living near the CBD costs a lot.

This guide covers five suburbs that work for RMIT City campus students, from the walkable (and expensive) to the commutable (and affordable).

Melbourne CBD — Walk to Campus

The zero-commute option.

Living in the CBD means your alarm goes off 20 minutes before class, not 90 minutes. The RMIT City campus is centred around the corner of Swanston Street and La Trobe Street, with buildings scattered along Swanston between Franklin Street and Bourke Street. If you live anywhere in the CBD grid, you’re walking to class.

Rent:

• Share a 2BR apartment: $200-260/pw per person
• Studio apartment: $320-380/pw
• Purpose-built student accommodation (Scape, UniLodge, Iglu): $300-420/pw

What it’s like: CBD living means high-rise apartments. Most of what’s available in this price range is in the towers built between 2010 and 2020 along Swanston Street, Elizabeth Street, and A’Beckett Street. The apartments are small (studios are often 25-30sqm), the walls are thin, and ventilation varies. Some buildings have genuine issues — blocked views, minimal natural light, and communal laundries that are always full.

That said, the convenience is real. Supermarkets (QV Woolworths, Elizabeth Street Coles), the State Library, Melbourne Central shopping, and literally hundreds of restaurants are at your doorstep. The free tram zone covers most of the CBD, so you won’t even need a Myki for daily life.

Social life: The CBD’s social life is scattered. Laneway bars (Eau de Vie, Heartbreaker, Section 8) are excellent but you’ll cycle through them quickly. Chinatown on Little Bourke Street and the laneways off Flinders Lane have great food. But the CBD can feel oddly anonymous — high population density but low community. Most people are passing through, not living there permanently.

Best for: Students who want maximum convenience and are okay with small spaces. International students who want to be central to everything. Students who don’t yet know Melbourne and want a base to explore from.

Carlton — 10 Minutes on Foot

The natural extension of campus.

Carlton starts where the RMIT campus ends. Walk north from Building 80 on Swanston Street, cross Victoria Street, and you’re in Carlton. Lygon Street runs parallel to Swanston, one block west, and it’s the suburb’s beating heart — Italian restaurants, Readings bookshop, Cinema Nova, and a strip of cafes that stay open late.

Rent:

• Share house room: $200-230/pw
• 1BR apartment: $300-340/pw

What it’s like: Carlton has actual houses — Victorian terraces with front courtyards, weatherboard cottages, and low-rise apartment blocks mixed in. The streets between Lygon and Swanston (Drummond, Rathdowne, Cardigan) are classic Melbourne residential streets. The housing stock is older and often draughty, but you get character that CBD towers lack.

Carlton is shared between University of Melbourne students and RMIT students, creating a large student population that supports the cafe culture and late-night economy. It feels more like a neighbourhood than the CBD — you’ll recognise faces at the corner cafe.

Getting to campus: Walk. It’s 10-20 minutes from most of Carlton to the RMIT City campus. If you’re in Carlton North (closer to Princes Hill), add 10 minutes or take the Route 96 tram down Nicholson Street.

Social life: Lygon Street gives you everything you need day-to-day — coffee, food, a bookshop, a cinema. For nightlife, you’re still close enough to walk to the CBD’s laneway bars or north to Fitzroy’s Brunswick Street. Carlton itself has a few bars (Jimmy Watson’s, Brunetti), but it’s more of a dinner-and-movie suburb than a going-out suburb.

Best for: Students who want the walkability of CBD living with better housing and more neighbourhood feel.

Fitzroy — 15 Minutes by Bike

Social life upgrade, slight commute trade-off.

Fitzroy is northeast of the RMIT campus — about 2km along Johnston Street or Brunswick Street. It’s not walkable for a daily commute (30 minutes on foot is doable but annoying when it’s raining), but it’s a quick cycle.

Rent:

• Share house room: $230-270/pw
• 1BR apartment: $380-450/pw

What it’s like: Fitzroy is Melbourne’s most written-about suburb, and it lives up to it. Brunswick Street and Gertrude Street are packed with bars, restaurants, galleries, and shops. The housing is a mix of Victorian terraces (many converted into share houses) and newer apartment developments. It’s dense, walkable, and has genuine street life at all hours.

Getting to campus: Cycling is the best option — 10-15 minutes down Brunswick Street or Nicholson Street. The Route 11 tram runs along Brunswick Street toward the CBD, dropping you on Collins Street — from there it’s a 10-minute walk to the RMIT campus. Alternatively, the Route 86 tram along Smith Street connects to Bourke Street. Total tram commute is about 20 minutes including the walk.

Social life: The best of any suburb on this list. Fitzroy has more bars, restaurants, and cultural venues within walking distance than anywhere else in Melbourne. If social life is your priority and you’re willing to pay a premium ($30-50/pw more than Carlton), Fitzroy delivers.

Best for: Students who want a rich social life and are happy to cycle or tram to campus. Not the cheapest option, but the lifestyle value is high.

Brunswick — 25 Minutes by Tram

The value-for-money pick.

Brunswick is about 5km north of the RMIT campus. It’s further than the other inner-suburb options, but the tram connection is direct and the rent savings are real.

Rent:

• Share house room: $180-200/pw
• 1BR apartment: $290-330/pw

What it’s like: Sydney Road is Brunswick’s spine — a long, diverse strip of Middle Eastern bakeries, op shops, live music venues, Italian cafes, and everything in between. The streets east of Sydney Road (toward Lygon Street) have a dense concentration of share houses in older weatherboard homes. The area between Sydney Road and the Upfield rail line to the west has newer apartment developments.

Brunswick has a strong community identity. People here are loyal to their suburb — they eat at the local places, go to gigs at the Retreat, and shop at the Sydney Road traders. It’s less transient than the CBD or Carlton, which means it takes a bit longer to feel like you belong, but once you do, it’s a good place to be.

Getting to campus: Tram Route 19 runs down Sydney Road and Royal Parade, terminating on Elizabeth Street in the CBD. From there, walk east along La Trobe Street to the RMIT campus — total trip about 25-30 minutes. The Upfield train line (Jewell, Brunswick, Anstey stations) gets you to Melbourne Central in about 15 minutes, and the campus is a 5-minute walk from there.

Cycling is also viable — about 20 minutes down Royal Parade, which has a dedicated bike lane for most of the route.

Social life: Sydney Road has excellent nightlife for a budget — the Retreat Hotel has free live music most nights, Brunswick Ballroom books quality acts, and Howler on Dawson Street is one of Melbourne’s best bar-music-art spaces. Late-night food options include A1 Bakery (Turkish pide), Moroccan Deli-cacy, and a string of kebab shops.

Best for: Students who want to save $30-50/pw compared to Carlton or Fitzroy, and value a neighbourhood with its own social scene. The Route 19 tram and Upfield train make the commute manageable.

Footscray — 20 Minutes by Train

The budget option with serious food.

Footscray is west of the CBD — a different direction from the other suburbs on this list. It’s the cheapest option within a reasonable commute of RMIT, and the food scene justifies the trip alone.

Rent:

• Share house room: $150-180/pw
• 1BR apartment: $280-320/pw

What it’s like: Footscray is Melbourne’s most multicultural suburb in practice, not just marketing. Vietnamese, Ethiopian, South Asian, and African communities run businesses along Nicholson Street, Leeds Street, and Barkly Street. The Footscray Market is the cheapest place to buy fresh produce in inner Melbourne. The suburb has been gentrifying for a decade — new bars, coffee shops, and apartments are appearing — but it retains a gritty, working-class character.

Getting to campus: Train from Footscray Station to Melbourne Central (V/Line or Metro Trains) takes about 10-12 minutes. RMIT’s campus is a 5-minute walk from Melbourne Central Station. Total commute: 15-20 minutes. This is faster than tram commutes from Brunswick or Fitzroy during peak hour.

Alternatively, Tram Route 57 runs from Footscray along Flemington Road to the CBD — about 25-30 minutes but less reliable than the train.

Social life: Growing but still small. Footscray Milking Station, Mr West, and The Reverence Hotel form the core of the going-out scene. It’s not Fitzroy — you won’t have 30 venues to choose from — but what exists is genuine and cheaper. Most Footscray-based RMIT students train to the CBD or inner north for their social life, which is easy and fast.

Best for: Students on a tight budget who want the cheapest rent within a 20-minute commute. Students from Vietnamese, Ethiopian, Indian, or African backgrounds who want community and familiar food.

The Numbers

Practical Tips for RMIT Students

Use Melbourne Central Station as your anchor. It’s the closest station to the RMIT campus and connects to most train lines. When evaluating a suburb, check how long it takes to reach Melbourne Central by train — that plus 5 minutes of walking is your commute.

The free tram zone is your friend. If you live in the CBD or Carlton, your daily travel within the free tram zone costs nothing. This is a genuine financial benefit — $2,000+/year in saved transport costs.

RMIT buildings are scattered. Your classes might be in Building 80 (Swanston Street), Building 8 (Swanston Street), or the Brunswick campus (25 minutes north). Check your timetable before choosing a suburb. If most of your classes are at the Brunswick campus, living in Brunswick makes more sense than Carlton.

Get a bike locker. RMIT has secure bike parking at several buildings. Apply for a locker at the start of semester — they fill up fast. If you’re cycling from Fitzroy or Brunswick, secure parking at campus is essential.

FAQ

Is the RMIT Brunswick campus relevant here?

If your degree is at the Brunswick campus (mostly design and technology courses), the suburb recommendations shift. Brunswick becomes the top pick (walk to campus), and Carlton and Fitzroy become the commutable options via tram. The CBD is still reachable but less convenient for daily classes at Brunswick.

How does RMIT compare to Melbourne Uni for nearby housing?

RMIT students have it slightly easier — the City campus is right on top of Melbourne Central Station, giving you direct train access to more suburbs. Melbourne Uni’s Parkville campus is further from a train station, making it more tram-dependent. The trade-off is that Carlton and Parkville (near Unimelb) have slightly more share house stock than the CBD near RMIT.

Is it worth paying more for a CBD studio apartment?

At $320-380/pw for a studio, you’re spending a lot for convenience. Run the numbers: a $180/pw room in Brunswick plus $40/pw in transport costs totals $220/pw — $100-160/pw less than a CBD studio. You’d save $5,200-8,300 per year in Brunswick. Whether the convenience is worth that premium depends on your budget and how much you value not commuting.

What about RMIT’s Bundoora campus?

RMIT Bundoora is in Melbourne’s northeast — a completely different location from the City campus. If you study there, refer to our La Trobe students guide — the same suburbs (Bundoora, Reservoir, Preston) apply.