Melbourne in January
Highs around 26°C, lows 15°C, 47mm of rain; rooms at the year's high. One of the three driest months. On this month: Summer holidays, Local festival.
Peak prices: book early if your dates are fixed.
Best time to visit / Melbourne
When is it cheapest to visit Melbourne?
See how room prices move month by month, and know the cheapest window and the peak season to avoid before you book.
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Cheapest May, Jun, Jul, AugPeak Jan, Feb, Dec
Read from this city's own twelve months. The table below adds the temperature and rainfall for each one.
Melbourne is cheapest to visit in May, June, July, August.
Peak season is January, February, December, when rooms cost the most.
The month to pick is May. Rooms sit at this city's yearly low, and at an average high of 17°C and low of 9°C with 56mm of rain it asks the least of you of any of its cheap months.
The wettest month in Melbourne is October, at 67mm. It is not one of the cheap months, so dodging the rain and saving money are two separate decisions here.
Melbourne month by month: weather and room prices
One row per month. The price column is relative to this city's own year, and the temperature and rainfall are thirty-year normals.
| Month | Rooms | Temp | Rain | What is on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Peak | 26°C / 15°C | 47mm | Summer holidays, Local festival |
| February | Peak | 26°C / 15°C | 48mm | Summer holidays |
| March | Mid | 24°C / 14°C | 50mm | Local festival |
| April | Mid | 20°C / 11°C | 57mm | Easter |
| May | Cheap | 17°C / 9°C | 56mm | Nothing in particular |
| June | Cheap | 14°C / 7°C | 49mm | Quiet shoulder |
| July | Cheap | 13°C / 6°C | 48mm | Quiet shoulder |
| August | Cheap | 15°C / 7°C | 50mm | Nothing in particular |
| September | Mid | 17°C / 8°C | 59mm | Nothing in particular |
| Octobernow | Mid | 20°C / 10°C | 67mm | Nothing in particular |
| November | Mid | 22°C / 12°C | 60mm | Local festival |
| December | Peak | 24°C / 14°C | 59mm | Christmas, Summer holidays |
Temperature and rainfall are published 1991-2020 monthly normals from national meteorological agencies. The price level is Tripdify's own per-city read of peak seasons and holidays; what you actually pay varies by property and day of the week.
Melbourne month by month
Melbourne in February
Highs around 26°C, lows 15°C, 48mm of rain; rooms at the year's high. One of the three driest months. On this month: Summer holidays.
Peak prices: book early if your dates are fixed.
Melbourne in March
Highs around 24°C, lows 14°C, 50mm of rain; rooms mid-priced. On this month: Local festival.
Melbourne in April
Highs around 20°C, lows 11°C, 57mm of rain; rooms mid-priced. On this month: Easter.
Melbourne in May
Highs around 17°C, lows 9°C, 56mm of rain; rooms at the year's low.
Cheap, but wet: keep plans flexible and pack for rain.
Melbourne in June
Highs around 14°C, lows 7°C, 49mm of rain; rooms at the year's low.
Cheap and not one of the wettest months: a good time to go.
Melbourne in July
Highs around 13°C, lows 6°C, 48mm of rain; rooms at the year's low. One of the three driest months.
Cheap and not one of the wettest months: a good time to go.
Melbourne in August
Highs around 15°C, lows 7°C, 50mm of rain; rooms at the year's low.
Cheap and not one of the wettest months: a good time to go.
Melbourne in September
Highs around 17°C, lows 8°C, 59mm of rain; rooms mid-priced. One of the three wettest months.
Melbourne in October
Highs around 20°C, lows 10°C, 67mm of rain; rooms mid-priced. One of the three wettest months.
Melbourne in November
Highs around 22°C, lows 12°C, 60mm of rain; rooms mid-priced. One of the three wettest months. On this month: Local festival.
Melbourne in December
Highs around 24°C, lows 14°C, 59mm of rain; rooms at the year's high. On this month: Christmas, Summer holidays.
Peak prices: book early if your dates are fixed.
Melbourne seasons and room prices
Melbourne is in the southern hemisphere, so December to February is summer and high season. The city's prices are driven by its big events: the Australian Open tennis in the second half of January, the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park, usually in March, the AFL Grand Final in late September and Melbourne Cup week around the first Tuesday of November. The Boxing Day cricket Test at the MCG from December 26 and New Year's Eve also fill the centre. The cheapest stretch is winter from June to August, cool and famously changeable but light on events. Many long haul flights land early in the morning, so weigh an extra night against waiting for check in.
Melbourne local costs and payment
The currency is the Australian dollar, and cards and tap to pay work almost everywhere, so cash is rarely needed. Many cafes and restaurants add a card surcharge of one to two percent, and some add a weekend or public holiday surcharge, noted at the bottom of the menu. There is no tipping culture. Hotel prices are normally shown including the goods and services tax, so totals rarely diverge much between sites. Public transport runs on the myki card, which cannot be bought on board a tram, so get one at a station or convenience store, or set up mobile myki in your phone wallet. Pay in Australian dollars and decline home currency conversion.
Take Melbourne further into a stay plan
Once you have picked a cheap time to go, work out which base gives you the shortest travel.
When to visit Melbourne: common questions
When is it cheapest?
Melbourne is cheapest in the low season, May, June, July, August.
When is peak season?
January, February, December is peak season, when room prices are highest.
Which months should I avoid?
To spend the least, avoid the peak months of January, February, December, when prices climb.
Which month in Melbourne is both cheap and pleasant?
The month to pick is May. Rooms sit at this city's yearly low, and at an average high of 17°C and low of 9°C with 56mm of rain it asks the least of you of any of its cheap months.
Which month is wettest in Melbourne?
The wettest month in Melbourne is October, at 67mm. It is not one of the cheap months, so dodging the rain and saving money are two separate decisions here.