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How to find the best coliving in Melbourne?
Looking for a coliving in Melbourne? Here are four ideal options to help you make the most of your stay in the city.
If you’re looking for a coliving space in Melbourne, you’ve come to the right place. The city offers one of the most interesting options for digital nomads, international students, and remote workers arriving in Australia.
This vibrant, cultural, and well-connected metropolis combines the best of urban life with green neighbourhoods, nearby beaches, and a creative atmosphere that attracts people from all over the world. However, when it comes to finding accommodation, the high cost of living in Australia becomes apparent. Fortunately, colivings offer a practical alternative to traditional housing.
In this guide, you’ll find a selection of coliving spaces that offer more than just accommodation. Instead, these are places where you can share, build relationships, and maintain your work routine in a comfortable, flexible, and well-located environment. Whether you’re in Melbourne for a few months or planning a longer stay, knowing the best places to settle and enjoy the city like a true local is a huge advantage.
What are the advantages of living in a coliving in Melbourne?
To learn more about what coliving spaces are and how they work, we recommend reading our article about coliving. In a nutshell, they offer more than conventional accommodations. The major advantage of coliving is that you can live and work in the same space, as they include private or shared rooms with coworking areas or designated workspaces. Additionally, they offer community life, which, as a nomad frequently moving around the world, you’ll surely appreciate.
Colivings offer many benefits, no matter where they are located. But in the case of Melbourne, the advantages go further. As a multicultural city, with thousands of students and international workers arriving each year, this model has grown significantly. Why’s that? Because it allows you to settle without long contracts or cumbersome paperwork, in fully equipped homes or buildings, with good internet connection, coworking spaces, and activities for socialising.
Some spaces even offer cleaning, yoga classes, afterworks, and community events, which makes adapting much easier. Moreover, choosing a coliving in Melbourne is often more affordable than renting and setting up an apartment from scratch, especially in central areas like Fitzroy, Collingwood, or Southbank, where housing prices are high. Many colivings are actually located in areas with good public transport links, close to cafés, markets, universities, and green spaces, which significantly improves the quality of life.
In short, it’s an ideal solution offering comfort, sociability, and an environment that brings together people from all over the world who are seeking the same thing: to live, travel, and work with freedom.
What are the best colivings in Melbourne?
Now that you know the essence and advantages of coliving spaces, let’s look at the best options Melbourne has to offer. We’ve selected four alternatives that provide everything you’d expect from a coliving space.
1– Together Co-Living – Melbourne
Located in the Preston neighbourhood, to the north of Melbourne’s city centre, Together CoLiving is one of the most complete and affordable colivings in the city. Together CoLiving This space is specially designed for flexible and community-driven stays, blending the lifestyle of a student residence with hotel services and an environment geared towards digital nomads, young professionals, and newcomers to Melbourne.
Location
Together CoLiving is located in Preston, just a few minutes by public transport from the CBD (Central Business District), making it a strategic base for those who want to stay connected without paying central area prices. It’s also surrounded by supermarkets, cafés, gyms, and tram lines, making it easy to get around the city.
Spaces, services, and events
Together CoLiving occupies a modern building with a good number of private and shared rooms, all fully furnished, with an en-suite bathroom, desk, air conditioning, and access to communal spaces. These include a shared kitchen, lounges, green areas, a gym, coworking spaces, a terrace, and a ground-floor restaurant-bar that serves as a meeting point between residents and locals.
Another advantage of this coliving in Melbourne is its busy schedule of social events and community activities, which makes integration and networking much easier.
Prices and memberships
As for prices, private rooms start from $269 per week (around $175 US, €150), with the option for cheaper monthly rates.
The price includes unlimited WiFi, access to all facilities, and participation in events. There are also additional memberships for those who only want to use the communal spaces or the gym.
Why choose it?
Together CoLiving is ideal if you’re looking for a flexible, all-in-one option to start your life in Melbourne without complications. It’s especially recommended for those who are new to Australia, as it avoids the hassle of rental paperwork and offers a multicultural environment that accelerates adaptation.
2- UKO, coliving in Melbourne
UKO is one of the leading coliving providers in Australia, with several buildings spread across strategic areas such as South Melbourne, West Melbourne, St Kilda, and Carlton. Each location offers a different approach, but they all share the same philosophy: to make urban life easier with flexible, efficient, and community-focused solutions.
Spaces, services, and events for the community
UKO’s spaces are designed for those who value privacy, modern design, and a sense of belonging. Their studios and micro-apartments are fully furnished and include a private bathroom, kitchenette, double bed, air conditioning, and well-thought-out storage spaces.
In addition to these, there are communal areas: patios, terraces, coworking lounges, shared kitchens, and lounges that vary by location but always invite residents to spend time together.
Beyond accommodation, UKO excels in its offering of shared experiences. Each community has a local host, responsible for organising weekly events like communal dinners, yoga classes, film screenings, or cultural activities. Everything is designed to help you feel connected, even if you’re new to Melbourne and don’t know anyone yet.
Prices and memberships
Prices vary depending on the location and size of the studio, but they start from $450 A per week (around $295 US, €255), with contracts available from three months onwards.
This price includes all services: WiFi, electricity, water, cleaning of communal areas, and access to events. Some units also have a balcony, a view of the skyline, or optional parking access.
Why choose it?
UKO is an excellent option for those seeking a more residential coliving experience, ideal for medium or long-term stays. It’s highly popular among freelancers, postgraduate students, and professionals who value community but don’t want to compromise on privacy or comfort.
3- Essence Hotel Carlton, an alternative to coliving in Melbourne
Although it’s technically a hotel, Essence Hotel Carlton has incorporated a shared accommodation model that mimics many of the benefits of coliving, making it an interesting option for those looking to settle in Melbourne for a period without committing to a traditional rental contract.
Location
Located in the Carlton area, just a few steps from the financial district (CBD), the University of Melbourne, and Carlton Gardens, this space is ideal for students, digital nomads, or newcomers who prioritise location and practicality.
The area has excellent access to public transport and a wide range of bars, restaurants, and cultural centres, which is a significant advantage.
Spaces and services
The rooms are private, hotel-style, with an en-suite bathroom, desk, wardrobe, heating, air conditioning, and cleaning service. What sets this hotel apart and brings it closer to a coliving experience is the availability of communal spaces like shared kitchens, dining areas, indoor and outdoor lounges, meeting pods for work, a gym, laundry, and a terrace with views.
There isn’t a community built around events or hosts like in more traditional colivings, but the daily interactions and spaces designed for socialising make it easy to form connections.
Prices
In terms of pricing, the cost per night is around $100 A ($65 US, €56), with discounts available for longer stays. Some packages also offer breakfast and there are promotions for those booking by the week or month.
Why choose it?
In summary, Essence Hotel Carlton is an excellent entry point to Melbourne if you’re looking for a “turnkey” solution without the commitment of a rental agreement, with hotel-like services and modern infrastructure that facilitates daily life.
Again, it’s not a traditional coliving with an organised community, but it works well for those prioritising independence, connectivity, and integrated services.
4- Selina Melbourne
Selina Melbourne, located in the heart of the CBD (Central Business District), is one of the most popular choices for digital nomads arriving in the city for the first time. Although it’s not a coliving in the strict sense, but rather a hybrid between a boutique hotel and a modern hostel, its offering combines accommodation, workspaces, and community, making it an excellent option for temporary stays with a coliving mindset.
Location
The location is ideal: just steps from Flinders Street Station, the free city tram, and surrounded by cafés, bars, art galleries, and independent shops. It’s a strategic starting point for exploring Melbourne without needing your own vehicle.
Services, spaces, and community
Selina offers various types of accommodation, from shared rooms to private suites. All rooms are decorated in a bohemian and functional style, very much in line with the global aesthetic of the brand. The building includes a well-equipped coworking space, a shared kitchen, communal areas for socialising, a library, a restaurant-bar, and regular cultural programming.
In addition, Selina organises workshops, yoga classes, live music, and events designed for creative travellers, making it easy to meet people from day one. While there isn’t a long-term resident community like in other colivings, the constant flow of digital nomads and its all-inclusive offering bring it close to that experience.
Prices and memberships
In terms of pricing, at Selina, you can get a bed in a dormitory from $40 A per night (around $25 US, €22) or a private room from $120 A per night (around $78 US, €71), with discounts for extended stays.
They also offer memberships for the coworking space and promotions that combine accommodation + remote work.
Why choose it?
Ultimately, Selina Melbourne is ideal if you’ve just landed in Australia, want to settle for a few days to get to know the city, and connect with other travellers with a similar profile. It doesn’t have the residential format of a traditional coliving, but it has all the ingredients for a collaborative, creative, and connected experience.
What’s the best coliving in Melbourne?
Melbourne offers an increasingly diverse selection for those seeking to combine accommodation, community, and remote work all in one place. Each of the spaces we explored has its own personality and caters to different needs, but if we had to choose the best coliving in Melbourne in terms of balance between price, services, and community experience, it would be Together CoLiving.
Why’s that? Because it brings together three key elements many digital nomads look for: private rooms at affordable prices, spacious and well-equipped communal areas (including a gym, coworking space, terraces, and restaurant), and a true sense of community, with frequent events and a multicultural atmosphere. Additionally, its location in Preston offers proximity to the city centre without the high costs of the CBD.
UKO is also an excellent option for those prioritising design, privacy, and a more stable lifestyle, especially if you plan to stay several months. Its micro-apartment format makes it ideal for professionals or postgraduate students looking for something more residential, without giving up the shared experience.
On the other hand, spaces like Selina Melbourne and Essence Hotel Carlton offer more flexible options with a traveller’s profile. They are ideal for those just starting their life in the city or planning a short stay with good services, even if they don’t have an established community.
In summary, Melbourne has options for all profiles: from those just landing to those planning to stay for a whole year. The key is to choose the coliving that best suits your lifestyle and the type of experience you want to build in this vibrant city.
Connectivity in Melbourne: Internet beyond coliving
While all colivings in Melbourne offer WiFi connection, the truth is you won’t spend the entire day working. You’ll want to go out, explore the city, make video calls to your loved ones from a park, upload content to your social media, use local apps, download maps, check locations, and do many other things that require an internet connection.
Luckily, there’s an ideal solution: Holafly. If your stay is just a few weeks, you can use the Holafly eSIM for Australia, which will give you unlimited data. Now, if you’re planning a long stay in the city or travelling to other parts of the country and even crossing borders, Holafly Plans is your best choice.
This subscription will give you unlimited data or 25 GB to use in Australia and a huge number of other countries. Therefore, not only will you never have to worry about running out of internet, but it won’t be a problem switching from one country to another several times during your trip. Holafly will keep you connected at all times and everywhere.
No contracts, no lock-in clauses, no unexpected charges on the bill, and no penalties. Ah! And all of that at a very convenient price, with discounts for long-term subscriptions (one year).
Important: If you are a frequent traveler and want to stay connected without worrying about expensive roaming or looking for a new SIM at every destination, Holafly’s subscription plans are for you. With a single eSIM, enjoy internet in more than 170 countries for a fixed price and no surprises on your bill. Travel without limits and connect easily and securely! 🚀🌍
FAQs about colivings in Melbourne
It depends on the type of coliving you choose and the area it’s located in. Spaces like Together CoLiving offer private rooms from $269 A ($ 175 US, €150) per week, while more premium options like UKO can exceed $450 A ($290 US, €250) per week. Colivings typically include services like cleaning, WiFi, coworking spaces, community events, and utility bills. Additionally, they don’t require long-term contracts or large deposits.
The most notable colivings are located in Preston, South Melbourne, Carlton, St Kilda, and the CBD. Each has its appeal. Preston is quieter and more affordable, while the CBD is at the heart of the action. St Kilda is ideal if you want to be near the beach, and Carlton offers a student vibe with a prime location near the centre.
Yes, especially at Together and UKO. These spaces organise weekly events such as community dinners, yoga classes, film screenings, and social meetups. While Selina has more of a hostel-like approach, it also promotes activities to connect with other travellers. At Essence Hotel Carlton, there isn’t a structured community programme, but the shared spaces encourage interaction.
Yes, most colivings are adapted for remote workers. Spaces like Selina and Together CoLiving have in-house coworking spaces or communal areas equipped with fast WiFi and ergonomic furniture. UKO buildings offer workspaces in some locations, and Essence Hotel Carlton has meeting pods designed for comfortable working.
Some colivings in Melbourne allow short stays from one week (like Together or Selina), while others require a minimum contract of 3 months (like UKO). The good thing is that, unlike traditional real estate, you can come and go without long-term commitments. This makes it ideal for those who are just arriving in Australia or plan to move to a different city later on.
