Buying a home is stressful enough. The last thing you want is to finally get your keys, settle in, and discover that every trip to work costs you another six to twelve dollars. Melbourne’s toll network has turned some suburbs into what feels like a direct debit to Transurban.
If you’re trying to avoid that lovely little “CityLink Auto-Recharge” email popping up every few days, here are the ten suburbs you may want to think twice about before signing a contract.
1. Craigieburn
Craigieburn is famous for one thing: the Hume Freeway. And the moment you touch that Hume, CityLink is waiting a few minutes down the road. Commuters heading into town get caught every time. Great family suburb, expensive toll suburb.
2. Wollert
Wollert is the newer version of Craigieburn: big estates, rapid growth, and absolutely no practical way to the city without joining the Hume conga line. You’ll pay tolls whether you want to or not.
3. Greenvale
Lovely houses, good blocks, and a toll booth between you and the CBD. Greenvale buyers learn quickly that “just ducking into the city” requires a small budget meeting.
4. Roxburgh Park
Roxburgh Park is one of those suburbs where every major road eventually leads to a tolled freeway. If you work in the city or inner north, the toll bill adds up fast. You’ll spend less on coffee and more on congestion payments.
5. Sunbury
Sunbury residents know this pain well. Everything is fine until you hit the Calder. Keep going and you’re glued to CityLink like a spare tyre. Your toll account will be very familiar with your driving habits.
6. Point Cook
Point Cook is famous for three things: planes flying overhead, traffic that never moves, and toll spending that feels like a subscription. No matter where you work, you’ll end up on the West Gate or CityLink eventually.
7. Werribee
Werribee is a great spot for families, but if you commute, prepare to pay. The West Gate Freeway funnels you straight into the toll zone unless you go the long way around. And the long way around makes people question their life choices.
8. Tarneit
One of Melbourne’s growth capitals, but growth means more cars than roads. Most Tarneit commuters jump on the freeway to survive the morning peak. And once you’re on the freeway, you know what happens next. Cha-ching.
9. Caroline Springs
Caroline Springs sits neatly on a corridor where the fastest route anywhere meaningful involves a toll road. You can technically avoid them, but it’ll cost you an extra hour of your life each day.
10. Dandenong
Dandenong is east of the city, but almost every major route funnels into EastLink, which is a toll road from top to bottom. If you go north, tolls. If you go west, tolls. If you go into the city, definitely tolls.
So what’s the alternative?
It isn’t that these suburbs are bad places to live. They just come with a hidden cost most buyers don’t think about.
When you budget for your mortgage, you should also budget for your travel. If your daily commute depends on CityLink or EastLink, you’re effectively adding a weekly payment that doesn’t reduce your debt, build equity, or improve your home. It just keeps someone else’s shareholders happy.
If you’re trying to avoid tolls altogether, look at suburbs with genuine back-road alternatives or suburbs connected to rail that actually gets you to work without making you late every day.
Need help choosing a suburb without hidden costs?
Buying a property in Victoria isn’t just about the contract and the title. It’s about understanding the real-world costs that come with living in that postcode. Tolls are one of the biggest and most overlooked expenses for Melbourne commuters.
If you’re planning to buy, get your contract reviewed properly before you sign. We look at everything: access routes, easements, overlays, owners corporation fees, and the silent financial traps that catch buyers off guard.
Visit Victorian Property Settlements
www.victorianpropertysettlements.com.au
Victorian Property Settlements – Trusted for over 25 years by Victorian buyers and sellers.
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