Cheap gym near RMIT is one of those quietly important questions for any student trying to balance budget and fitness in the inner city. The campus gym is the cheapest legitimate option, but it’s not always the most convenient - and a handful of CBD chains undercut it on flexibility. This is the 2026 breakdown.
RMIT Sport Gym (Building 8): The Subsidised Choice
RMIT Sport gym at Building 8 - $10/week student rate (paid as $260/year), full equipment range, multiple group classes daily, 6am-10pm Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm weekends. Cheapest legitimate gym option for any RMIT student. Free swimming pool access included. Caveat: peak hours (5-7pm weekdays) are crowded, weekends are quiet.
Anytime Fitness (Multiple CBD Locations)
Anytime Fitness has CBD branches on Swanston, Russell, and Bourke. $19.95/week student rate (signed up annually), 24/7 swipe-card access, full equipment, no group classes included. The 24/7 access is genuinely useful for night-shift workers and late-shift students. $79 setup fee applies.
Fitness First and Goodlife (Mid-Tier)
Fitness First has CBD branches at Bourke Street and Crown - $25-$32/week student rates depending on branch, full group class schedules (Pilates, spin, HIIT, yoga), pool at the Crown branch. Goodlife at QV Centre similar pricing. Both offer ongoing 12-month commitments and free trials.
$10/Week Chains: Plus Fitness, World Gym
Plus Fitness at Russell Street and World Gym at Bourke - $9.95-$12.95/week student rates, 24/7 access, basic equipment range, no pool. Cheapest 24/7 gym option in the CBD. Setup fees $50-$80. Group classes limited or not included.
Casual Pass Strategy
For students gyming 1-2x/week: casual passes at Anytime Fitness, World Gym, or Genesis run $15-$22 per visit. Often cheaper than membership across a 12-week semester for occasional users. RMIT Sport offers $5 casual passes to students - the cheapest one-off option.
Free Outdoor Alternative: Royal Park
Royal Park outdoor fitness equipment (10 minutes’ walk from RMIT north): pull-up bars, bench dips, parallel bars, free, 24/7. The Tan track around Royal Botanic Gardens is the city’s running circuit (3.8km, free, lit until 9pm). Carlton Gardens has a small outdoor circuit. All free; sufficient for bodyweight training.
Swimming-Specific Options
Melbourne City Baths (Swanston Street, 2 minutes from RMIT): $10 student casual entry, full pool, gym access included with membership ($14/week student). The most under-used cheap option - few students bother because the building looks dated, but it’s a heritage 1903 facility with proper full-length pools.
What This Means for You
For pure cost: RMIT Sport gym ($10/week) or Plus Fitness ($9.95/week). For 24/7 access: any Anytime Fitness or Plus Fitness CBD branch. For group classes: Fitness First Crown or RMIT Sport. For swimming: Melbourne City Baths. Most students settle on RMIT Sport as the default. For accommodation context, see cheapest suburbs near RMIT; for nearby food, cheap eats near RMIT.
Jack Carver covers Melbourne food, drink, and city life for MELBZ.
