I’m going to be sharing (once I’m done in each country) a list of all the spots that I visited to freelance, and summarise the pros and cons of each. I lived in three different places in Melbourne, and my final place was a Hostel in the CBD. Sometimes you can get a bit of cabin fever if you sit in your room or reception for too long, though!

If you are on your own freelancing journey, or just want to know of some decent (and not too pricey) spots then this should definitely help!

Hopscotch Urban Beer Bar | Southbank

Pros: You can take your own lunch here. I sat here with a salad and a bottle of water and no one batted an eyelid. It’s right in the city and you can get a cocktail for the equivalent of £6.50 which for an Aperol in London is pretty much unheard of!

Cons: WiFi is poor here. I had to hotspot from my phone most of the time.

Galleon Cafe | St Kilda

Pros: Food is 10/10 here. It’s right near a lot of the hostels in St Kilda meaning that a Flat White and Eggs Benedict cost me £11. Staff are lovely and made suggestions on where else we could go for the day.

Cons: It is a BUSY cafe. So if you need zen to focus then probably not the best place in the world. Some of the tables are small so you can fit a laptop and a notepad and that’s probably it.

Abbie Road Bar | St Kilda

Pros: Outdoor seating that is heated for the colder days in Melbourne. Staff are lovely. A lot of English people if you want to make friends or find out what is going on in the evenings. Only had a drink here but you could literally order one drink, and sit there for three hours. WiFi is brilliant here and super fast.

Cons: This is not somewhere to freelance in the afternoon because it’s a full-blown bar and gets busy past 4pm.

Rustic Cup Cafe | South Yarra

Pros: Up there with the best coffee. Staff are amazing. Port to charge your laptop and phone providing you have the wires with you. WiFi is brilliant (you have to buy a coffee to get the password, definitely worth it)

Cons: No cons… Love it!

Hobba | South Yarra

Pros: Cheap breakfast food, Eggs Benedict and a Flat White cost me £13. It’s really big in Hobba with indoor and outdoor seating. So if you want to be a hermit you can sit at the back. There are charging ports, staff are from all over the world and really lovely people.

Cons: This spot gets busy on the weekends with people having brunch etc. More of a Monday-Friday place.

Hudsons | CBD

Pros: Sounds weird but it’s a bit darker in this coffee shop so good for days where it’s hot and you want a place to literally, chill. Coffee is reasonable considering it’s the centre of town.

Cons: You only get the wifi code if you buy something, and it’s for one hour only.