Meal costs in Melbourne
 

Looking for your advice on the cost of meals/living in Melbourne.

I am due to head to Melbourne to work for a 3 month period, and while I am there my employer is proposing to pay me a AU$300 allowance per week. This works out at approx. AU$43 per day for breakfast, lunch and evening meal.

I would much prefer to buy lunch and dine out on an evening, so the allowance doesn't seem much when compared with UK cost of living. I am staying in a serviced apartment, so it does look like that I may have to cook some of my own meals.

I would be interested in knowing what on average a lunch and evening main course would cost. Not thinking of gourmet dining, but jsut something decenet in the City Centre. For lunch I am just thinking a sandwich and drink. On an evening, then something like a Chinese, Indian, Italian, type main course.

Thanks for your help on this. May be I will have to try and negotiate an in increase in the allowance?

The best way to save money would be to find a BYO restaurant. I was in Melbourne three weeks ago and I asked at the hostel for a BYO restaurant. I took the tram across down, they opened my wine at no charge.

As a rough guide: for breakfast, count on at least $13 - lots of laneway cafes charge about $10 cooked breakfast plus $3 tea/coffee.
For lunch - cafe sandwich and beverage starts from about $8 and can go way up from there, depending on the restaurant. Yesterday I had a pasta dish and glass wine and coffee in Delgraves Cafe for $24. My friend had a grilled foccacia sandwich and juice for $12.
Dinner - count on starting at about $12 for a main course at the inexpensive ethnic restaurants but realistically it's more likely to be $15-18 plus beverage ($4-9 wine) and dessert ($4-8).
So...even though taxes here are included in the tab and there is no tipping , your $43 looks as though your employer has put you on a diet.

Firstly BYO's are almost a thing of the past in Melbourne. There used to be many of them, but now restauranters know what outrageous markups they can charge on bottles of wine etc. the BYO's are almost extinct.
Buying 3 meals a day for $43 is going to require lots of imagination and a very restricted diet. However there are many Vietnamese, Chinese and other ethnic restaurants scattered throughout the city where dining is cheap. Crown Casino has a cheap food hall and there is a similar one at Southgate near the Arts Centre. Depending on where your apartment is located, the Queen Vic Market in the CBD is one of the best markets in the world for fresh produce so you might have to visit there a few times.
Needless to say Melbourne is a great city for restaurants so if you can increase that allownce you certainly won't starve!

Hi Peteuk,
I think your employer needs to up the ante substantially! If you're worthy of being sent half way 'round the world to, assumedly, make a profit for them; you're at least worth a travel allowance above subsistence/backpacker level :<

If you're working in the CBD, you'll be lucky to get change out of $10 for a sandwich & a drink.

As another poster says, BYO saving is often negated by a steep corkage charge.

Even if you have breakfast at home & take your lunch, you still have to factor in the cost of groceries and other provisions for your apartment, so $300pw "living allowance" is rather on the light side, IMO.
What about transport costs? Are these being handled separately?

Whilst Melbourne's not as expensive as London; in my experience, its CBD is roughly on a par with New York, (ignoring the exchange rate & NY tax) in most cost of living aspects.

As an example, I paid US$20 for a salad, a glass of wine & a coffee in a little bistro & that's about what I'd expect to pay (in AU) in Melbourne at lunch time in a similar style cafe/bistro.

Good Luck & enjoy your time in one of the world's loveliest cities. :)

Thanks to everyone for their considered views.

I obviously work for a caring employer who has my best interests at heart. I do need to lose weight!!!

Seriously though, the responses do provide me with some ammo to turn on the negotiation skills.

If anyone else has anything to add, then feel free. The more information I can get to help me out while in Melbourne is much appreciated. BTW, I will be staying in the CBD.

Pete

Does anyone need 3 sit down meals a day? no of course not.

Is MLB so much more expensive than Sydney - maybe. And it's interesting to know that BYO is almost extinct there.

A budget traveller would probably have breakfast at home. But you can grab a bacon sarnie and coffee on the run for $6-7. Lunch - I get a great sandwich for $5 - coffee or fizzy stuff would be extra. That leaves you with $20+ for dinner. Easy to eat for that in a local Thai, pasta, pizza if it is BYO.

But, hey, if your employer is sending you all that way (and wants you to work hard and is paying you, one assumes, a good salary) then .. I'd ask for more.

Cos you must keep up the standard of living to which you are accustomed - right?

It does seem a bit stingy for a highly paid employee, though for a long stay holiday maker it would be loads!!

For a start the cost of living in Melbourne is nothing like it is in the UK. I think this amount is pretty adequate. Assuming you have cereal or museli/fruit/yoghurt ($15 for the week), or toast/jam/butter etc for breakfast at home ($2.50 for a loaf to last a week). This would leave you $40 a day for lunch and dinner. $10 for a sandwich, or noodles, or chinese takeaway for lunch (this is generous) equates to $30 left for dinner. This is plenty - enough for one main at a good restaurant (not the best restaurants) or a main and entree or dessert at a cheaper one. You may have to buy your own bottle of wine but I'm sure your employer isn't compelled to factor this in. I also think after dining out week in week out you would be very thankful for a meal at home every so often.

Areas around Swanston St and Lonsdale, Bourke and Little Bourke and Russell Street have a large amount of Asian and Greek restaurants that are very cheap. Pubs generally aren't expensive. Southbank has some good places that are especially nice on weekends if it's sunny.

If you are there for three months I assume they will put you up in some sort of appartment. Most will have kitchen facilities.

Save yourself the hassle of chasing down breakfast every morning. Go to Coles, buy some cereal and bread and have that every morning. Should be a lot cheaper than eating out.

For lunch there is always the trusty Subway chain. Prices are reasonable in Melbourne.

For dinner, head for the Asian restaurants, good cheap Thai and Vietnamese to be had. Or again, pick up something nice at the supermarket and cook it at home.

Bearing in mind I hope that the $300 was for food alone and not for transport as well.

You will need to buy a tram concession ticket to get about. Great system though along with the rail network.

You can save a lot of money if you have your own coffee maker. Seriously, three dollars every morning and afternoon at a coffe shop--it does add up. I always bring my food to work for lunch. It does cut down on the calories.

If you're close enough, head to the Queen Victoria Market for breakfast and/or lunch. Wonderful inexpensive choices there, including cappucino that rivals any I've had in Italy.

http://www.qvm.com.au/home.php