What's a fair Melbourne 1-bedroom rent in 2025?

Melbourne 1-bedroom unit rents in 2025, calibrated against Domain Rental Report and realestate.com.au listing aggregates:

Inner ring (within ~5km of CBD, walkable to most jobs): A$520–620/week. Specific suburbs: CBD A$580–680, Southbank A$560–650, South Yarra A$540–650, Richmond A$520–620, Fitzroy A$520–610, Carlton A$510–600, North Melbourne A$500–580.

Middle ring tram-belt (5–10km from CBD): A$460–540/week. Brunswick A$480–560, Northcote A$470–540, Thornbury A$440–510, Camberwell A$500–580, Hawthorn A$510–600, Prahran A$500–590, Caulfield A$450–520.

Transit-driven middle (10–15km, on a strong rail line): A$400–480/week. Footscray A$420–490, Sunshine A$390–460, Box Hill A$430–500, Reservoir A$400–460.

Outer ring (15km+): A$340–400/week, with the trade-off of a 40–60 minute commute and lower amenity density.

These are MEDIANS — actual rent varies by building age (post-2018 towers are 10–20% above), unit size (a 50sqm 1-bed sits below median, a 65sqm 1-bed at or above), and proximity to a station (a 5-min walk to a major station carries a premium).

Also worth knowing: rental application is competitive in the inner ring. Plan on 2–3 weeks of viewings, prepare your reference + payslip pack in advance, and budget for 4 weeks bond on most signing.