Finding parking in any big city centre is such a hassle, let alone cheap parking, and Melbourne’s no exception. Generally, on-street parking in the CBD is $7 per hour and this can add up faster than a piggy bank on birthdays. However, there are options for cheap parking in Melbourne CBD depending on time, day, and location.
Having an idea of the early bird and pre-booking options available might also prove helpful but bear in mind that parking rates are always subject to change so you’d do well to check the rates shown at the entrance to the car park. Parking areas associated with shopping centres often give a discount if you have done some shopping and not merely used their parking premises. So, let’s check out a few options for cheap parking in Melbourne city.
Also read: 8 Best Outlet Shopping Malls in Melbourne
1. Queen Victoria Market Car Park
If you’re looking for cheap car parking in Melbourne city, you can’t go past the Queen Victoria Market car park. You can enter this carpark via Queen Street and Franklin Street. It is open all week from 5am to 7pm. Please note there’s a $30 exit fee if you leave after 7pm. It goes without saying, market days are going to be busy, and it might be hard to find parking even though there are 700 parking spots available. However, Mondays and Wednesdays are non-market days and this location offers one of the cheapest parking rates in the city. Victoria Market falls within the free tram zone so that means a short walk or free ride from here to any location within the CBD.
Market Day Parking Rates
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
| 6am to 9am | Free |
| First 2 Hours | $6 |
| Each Additional Hour | $4 |
| Daily Maximum | $34 |
| Lost Ticket | $34 |
| After Hours Exit Fee | $30 + Parking Fee |
Non Market Day Hourly Rates
Mondays & Wednesdays
| 0 to 1 hour | $4 |
| 1 to 2 hours | $8 |
| 2 to 3 hours | $12 |
| Daily Maximum | $18 |
| Early Bird Parking* | $12 |
| After Hours Exit Fee+ | $30 |
Early Bird Parking: $12 flat rate
Conditions: Enter between 5am and 10am; Exit after 2pmAfter hours parking: $15 flat rate
Public Holidays: $12 flat rate
Conditions: Enter after 4.30pm; Carpark closes at 11pm
Location & Opening Hours
182 Franklin St, Melbourne VIC 3004
Open daily 5am to 7pm
2. GreenCo Parking
This car park in the CBD is operated by GreenCo for the City of Melbourne and often works out to be slightly cheaper than the going rates. You can access this carpark via three entrances. The Little Collins St entrance has 38 bays, Russel Place entrance has 37 bays, and Royal Lane offers 55 bays.
Parking Rates
| Monday to Friday daily maximum | $60 |
| Weekend daily flat rate for more than 2 hours | $12 |
| Monday to Sunday night rate enter after 6pm and exit before 6am | $10 |
| 30 minutes or less | $5 |
| 0.5 to 1 hour | $12 |
| 1 to 1.5 hours | $15 |
| 1.5 to 2 hours | $18 |
| 2 to 2.5 hours | $22 |
| 2.5 to 3 hours | $32 |
| 3 to 3.5 hours | $40 |
| 3.5 to 4 hours | $50 |
| 4 to 4.5 hours | $60 |
| 4.5 to 5 hours | $60 |
Location & Opening Hours
200 Little Collins Street
Monday to Thursday: 7am to midnight
Friday: 7am to midnight
Saturday: 8am to midnight
Sunday: 9am to 10pm
Public holidays: Hours may vary
Russel Place entrance
Monday to Thursday: 9am to 10pm
Saturday: 10am to 6pm
Sunday: Closed
Public holidays: Hours may vary
Royal Lane entrance
Monday to Thursday: 7am to midnight
Friday: 7am to 3am
Saturday: 8.30am to 3am
Sunday: 9am to 10pm
Public holidays: Hours may vary
3. Le Garage
Its prime location on Flinders Street makes this multilevel carpark a firm favourite in the Melbourne CBD. In addition to the accessibility factor, it is also relatively well-lit, spacious, maintained to a good standard, and affordably priced. You can enter and exit via Flinders Street and Flinders Lane. Pre-booking online is the smart thing to do if you’re looking to save dollars. You’re given a pin number which you enter at the boom gates. This is your best option if you’re intending to attend an event at the MCG or shopping on Collins.
Parking Rates
| Hours | Standard Rates | Online Pre-booking Rates |
| 0.0 to 0.5 hours | $6 | N/A |
| 0.5 to 1 hour | $26 | $21 |
| 1 to 2 hours | $52 | $44 |
| 2 to 3 hours | $76 | $65 |
| 3+ hours | $80 | $72 |
Early Bird Rates: $19 if you book on the day or $18 if you pre-book online
Conditions: Enter between 5.30am and 10am and exit between 3pm and midnight
Weekends:
Saturday & Sunday: $15 flat rate or $10 if you pre-book online
Night Rates:
Monday to Thursday: $12 flat rate or $8 if you pre-book online
Friday: $15 flat rate or $10 if you pre-book online.
Conditions: Enter after 4pm and exit before 5.30am next morning
Location & Opening Hours
114 Flinders Street, Melbourne VIC
Open 24 hours
4. The Strand Car Park
Early bird is the way to go if you’re looking for cheap parking in Melbourne CBD. You’ll find this located at the corner of Lonsdale and Elizabeth. Enter via Lonsdale Street to gain access to 92 parking spots. They have secure-a-spot pre-booking options.
Parking Rates
| Hours | Standard Rates | Online Pre-booking Rates |
| 30 minutes | $8 | N/A |
| 1 hour | $21 | $19 |
| 2 hours | $36 | $34 |
| Maximum | $43 | $41 |
| Weekends & Public Holidays | $13 flat rate | |
| Lost Ticket | $44 |
Early Bird Rates: Weekdays at $18 flat rate; pre-book online for $17
Conditions: Enter between 7am and 10am; exit between 2pm and 10pm
Flexi Bird Rates: Weekdays at $21 flat rate
Conditions: Enter between 5.30am and 7am; exit by 10pm
Evening Rates: Weekdays at $14; pre-book online for $10
Conditions: Enter after 4pm; exit by 10pm.Night Rates: $41
Conditions: Enter after 10pm; exit by 5.30am
Location & Opening Hours
323 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3004
Weekdays from 5.30am to 10pm
Weekends from 8am to 10pm
5. Adina Hotel Car Park
Here’s another relatively cheap car parking in Melbourne city. Hourly rates here is $8 which is rather competitive when compared to some other locations in the city. Entry is via Merlin Alley off Little Bourke. Avail of their secure-a-spot online pre-booking option to get the cheap rates.
Parking Rates
| Hours | Standard Rates | Online Pre-booking |
| 30 minutes | $8 | N/A |
| 1 hour | $24 | $16 |
| 2 hours | $48 | $31 |
| 3 hours | $68 | $46 |
| Maximum | $75 | $60 |
| Lost Ticket | $76 |
Early Bird Rates: Weekdays at $22 flat rate; pre-book online for $17
Conditions: Enter between 5.30am and 10am; exit between 3pm and 9pm
Evening Rates: Weekdays at $10; pre-book online for $9
Conditions: Enter after 4pm; exit by 12am
Night Rates: $40 online booking only
Conditions: Enter between 12pm and 10pm; exit between 6am and 12pm
Weekends & Public Holidays: Flat rate of $10; online pre-booking $9
Conditions: Enter after 5.30am; exit by 12am
Location & Opening Hours
189 Queen Street, Melbourne, VIC
Open 5.30am to 12 am daily
6. Care Park on Little Collins Street
Both entry and exit to this carpark in Melbourne CBD is via Little Collins Street. Care Park has 41 parking spots and fills up quite quickly. They have the old-fashioned pay and display system. They have various locations and the rates and times for each may vary. The rates and available hours information for this particular car park is as follows.
Parking Rates
| Weekdays | |
| 30 minutes | $7 |
| 1 hour | $24 |
| 2 hours | $48 |
| 2+ hours | $75 |
| Weekends & Public Holidays | $14 flat rate |
| Lost Ticket | $120 |
Early Bird Rates: Weekdays $33 flat rate
Conditions: Enter between 7am and 9.30am; exit between 10am and 7pm
Evening Rates: Weekdays $10 flat rate
Conditions: Monday to Thursday 5pm to 7pm; Friday 5pm to 9.30pm
Location & Opening Hours
369 Little Collins Street, Melbourne VIC
Monday to Thursday: 7am to 7pm
Friday & Sunday: 7am to 9.30pm
Saturday: 6.30am to 12am
7. Secure Car Park at 50 Lonsdale Street
Entry to this car park is via Little Lonsdale Street. It is a multilevel facility with trained carpark attendants on call if you need assistance. You can leave your key with them if you’re unable to find a spot and must double park. And that can happen a lot as it is conveniently located besides being a relatively cheap parking in Melbourne CBD. Of course, pre-booking a spot would be the best way to go about it.
Parking Rates
| Hours | Standard Rates | Online Pre-booking |
| 30 minutes | $9 | N/A |
| 1 hour | $27 | $25 |
| 2 hours | $52 | $45 |
| 3 hours | $67 | $60 |
| 3+ hours | $71 | $67 |
| Lost Ticket | $72 |
Early Bird Rates: Weekdays $24 flat rate: online pre-booking $23
Conditions: Enter between 6am and 9.30am; exit between 2pm and 7pm
Location & Opening Hours
50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, VIC
Open Monday to Friday: 6am to 7pm.
Closed on Weekends and Public Holidays
8. QV Centre Car Park
QV is possibly the most convenient location besides offering cheap parking in Melbourne city. If you shop for at least a dollar in any of their stores your maximum parking rate will be $20 for all day parking on weekdays. If you shop for more than $30 at Woolworths or Big W or Harvey Norman / Domayne or Dan Murphy, you get an hour’s worth of parking for free. Spend $60 or more at any one of these same stores and you get two hours of free parking. This is available every day of the week, and you can claim this on showing your receipt at the car park office on level B1. This offer does not cover purchase of gift cards, prepaid Mastercard or Visa cards or cashouts.
Parking Rates
| Weekdays | |
| 30 minutes | $6 |
| 1 hour | $25 |
| 2 hours | $35 |
| 3 hours | $45 |
| 3+ hours | $60 |
| Lost Ticket | $72 |
Weekend & Public Holidays: $12 flat rate
Conditions: Enter after 6am and exit after 6am the next day
Night Rates: $12 flat rate
Conditions: Valid 5pm to 6am
Early Bird Rates: Weekdays $24 flat rate: online pre-booking $23
Conditions: Enter between 6am and 9.30am; exit between 2pm and 7pm
Location & Opening Hours
Cnr Swanston St & Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC
Open 24 hours and 7 days a week
9. Kim Lim Car Park
This is a lesser-known option for cheap parking in Melbourne CBD. It’s a multi-storey facility with 554 parking bays managed by Safety Marine Australia Pty Ltd. Please do check rates before you intend to use this facility as they are subject to change. They are open every day of the week but closed on public holidays. They have designated parking areas for different rates. For instance, the lower floors are reserved for those who pay higher rates and the Early Birds are directed to the upper floors.
Parking Rates
| Weekdays | |
| 1 hour | $7 |
| Daily Maximum | $40 |
| Weekend | $7 flat rate for day time parking |
| Night Rates | $15 plus normal day rates |
| Lost Tickets | $40 per day plus overnight charges if applicable |
Early Bird Rates
Monday and Wednesday: $13 flat rate
Conditions: Enter between 6am and 9.30am; exit between 2pm and 8pm
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: $16 flat rate
Conditions: Enter before 10am; exit between 2pm and 8pm
Lost ticket fee: $72
For permanent reservation call car park office on 03 9555 5211
Location & Opening Hours
162 A’Beckett Street (cnr of Queen St), Melbourne VIC 3000
Open Monday to Friday: 6am to 8pm; Saturday: 7am to 6pm; Sunday: 9am to 5pm
Closed on Public Holidays
So, as promised these are a few options for cheap parking in Melbourne CBD. Not that there aren’t cheaper options. We have not included those cheaper car parks that have dark, dingy interiors, narrow aisles and bays, or reputed for break-ins and security concerns. Always remember to check rates as they are constantly revised. You might be surprised by heavy discounts, extended hours, or even steep hikes, which is more likely to happen.
Also read: 20 Best Cheap Eats in Melbourne
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