How much does air conditioning cost in Melbourne?
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A split system for one room in Melbourne costs $1,250–$2,625 at 2.5 kW, $1,900–$3,675 at the 5 kW size most living rooms take, and $2,300–$4,725 at 7 kW, supplied and installed. Ducted reverse-cycle for the whole house is $8,400–$14,700, or $12,600–$23,100 with zoning, and because Melbourne looks for ducted heating prices as hard as for cooling, gas ducted heating sits in the table too at $3,475–$8,900. Melbourne is in NCC climate zone 6, mild temperate, where the unit works harder in July than in January. GST is included.
Detailed Pricing — Air Conditioning Cost in Melbourne 2026
Cooling an office, shop or warehouse instead? See our commercial air conditioning cost guide for Melbourne.
| Service | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split system 2.5 kW (supply + install) | $1,250installed | $1,900 | $2,625 |
| Split system 5 kW (supply + install) | $1,900installed | $2,625 | $3,675 |
| Split system 7 kW (supply + install) | $2,300installed | $3,350 | $4,725 |
| Split system 9 kW (supply + install) | $3,150installed | $4,400 | $5,800 |
| Multi-split system (2 heads) | $4,200installed | $5,800 | $7,900 |
| Multi-split system (4 heads) | $7,350installed | $8,900 | $12,600 |
| Ducted system (basic) | $8,400installed | $11,550 | $14,700 |
| Ducted system (premium/zoned) | $12,600installed | $16,800 | $23,100 |
| Ducted evaporative cooling, whole house (supply + install) | $2,950installed | $4,725 | $7,350 |
| AC service / clean | $105per unit | $210 | $335 |
| Ducted system service (per system) | $210per unit | $345 | $580 |
| AC repair (minor) | $160per job | $315 | $525 |
| AC repair (major / regas) | $315per job | $630 | $1,250 |
| Removal & disposal | $105per unit | $210 | $370 |
| Split system changeover (like-for-like, incl. old unit removal) | $1,575installed | $2,200 | $3,150 |
| Gas ducted heating (supply + install) | $3,475installed | $5,450 | $8,900 |
| Split system 3.5 kW (supply + install) | $1,475installed | $2,200 | $2,950 |
| Split system install only (customer-supplied unit) | $735installed | $1,000 | $1,575 |
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Prices include GST. Based on Melbourne metro area, October 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.
How AC Costs Vary Across Melbourne
Melbourne's diverse housing stock and sprawling geography create significant variation in installation costs. Your property type, roof access, and electrical infrastructure all affect the final price.
Inner Melbourne
Fitzroy, Carlton, South Yarra, Collingwood. Victorian terraces and converted warehouses with limited roof cavities and heritage restrictions. Ducted systems are often impractical — multi-split or individual splits are the go. Strata approval required for apartment buildings. Narrow laneways and limited outdoor space make compressor placement tricky. Some heritage-listed properties require council approval for visible outdoor units.
Eastern & South-Eastern Suburbs
Hawthorn, Box Hill, Glen Waverley, Dandenong. Predominantly 1950s–80s brick veneer with adequate roof cavities for ducted systems. Standard electrical infrastructure, good driveway access. This is the sweet spot for ducted installations — enough roof space, manageable pipe runs, and competitive local installer rates. Many homes in this belt still have aging evaporative cooling systems ready for a reverse-cycle upgrade.
Western & Northern Growth Corridors
Werribee, Craigieburn, Tarneit, Point Cook. Modern homes with flat rooflines, good insulation, and pre-wired for air conditioning. The most cost-effective area for both split and ducted installations. Many new estates have builder-installed ducted systems, so replacement rather than new installation is common — typically cheaper than a fresh install. Extreme western suburbs experience higher temperatures than inner Melbourne, making adequate capacity sizing critical.
Bayside & Mornington Peninsula
Brighton, Frankston, Mornington. Coastal salt air means specifying coastal-rated outdoor units is important for longevity. Mix of older homes and newer developments. Larger properties on the Peninsula may need more powerful ducted systems, pushing costs higher. The moderate coastal climate means cooling demands are lower than inner Melbourne, potentially allowing a smaller system than you'd expect.
What You'll Actually Pay — System-by-System Breakdown
Here's what common air conditioning installations cost in Melbourne in 2026, including the unit and standard installation. Melbourne prices generally sit 5–10% below Sydney for equivalent work.
Single reverse-cycle split — bedroom or study (2.5–3.5kW)
In our Melbourne table a 2.5 kW split is $1,250–$2,625 and a 3.5 kW split $1,475–$2,950, with standard back-to-back installation. Popular brands: Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin, Fujitsu, Panasonic. Melbourne's cool winters (a mean July minimum of 6.0°C on Bureau of Meteorology records) mean you'll use the heating function extensively — choose a model with a good heating efficiency rating. If your switchboard needs upgrading, that's extra.
Large reverse-cycle split — living area (7–9kW)
Larger units need a heavier installation: a 7 kW split is $2,300–$4,725 and a 9 kW split $3,150–$5,800 in our Melbourne table. If you're weighing it against gas, gas ducted heating is $3,475–$8,900 installed in the same table, and a reverse-cycle split is significantly more efficient than electric bar heaters. Floor-standing or console models work better in rooms with limited wall space.
Multi-split system — 2–4 rooms, one outdoor unit
One outdoor compressor connecting to 2–4 indoor units. A 2-head system typically costs $4,200–$7,900 and a 4-head system $7,350–$12,600, with 3-head systems in between. This is a popular choice for Melbourne townhouses and apartments where ducted isn't feasible. Each indoor unit can be set to a different temperature, giving you zone control without ductwork. Installation takes 1–2 days depending on pipe run complexity.
Ducted reverse-cycle — whole home, 3–4 bedrooms
Includes indoor unit in roof cavity, outdoor compressor, ductwork, zoning (usually 2–4 zones), thermostat, and commissioning. Our Melbourne table prices a basic ducted system at $8,400–$14,700 and a premium or zoned one at $12,600–$23,100. Zoning is essential in Melbourne — you'll want to heat bedrooms at night without heating the living areas, and vice versa during the day. Two-storey homes or complex layouts sit at the top of the range.
Evaporative cooling to reverse-cycle upgrade
Many Melbourne homes have aging evaporative cooling systems that provide no heating and struggle in humid conditions. Removing the old evaporative unit, patching the roof penetration, and installing a ducted reverse-cycle system provides year-round comfort; our table prices ducted systems at $8,400–$23,100 before the old unit comes out. If the existing evaporative ductwork is the right size and in good condition, some installers can repurpose it and save on new ductwork. However, evaporative ducts are often larger than refrigerated ducts, so this isn't always feasible.
Ducted air conditioning cost in Melbourne by home size (2026)
Ducted reverse-cycle quotes in Melbourne fall into two price bands. Which band your home lands in depends mostly on its size, how many storeys it has and how finely you want to zone it, more than on the brand.
| Home | System | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-bedroom, or a single-storey 4-bedroom with good roof access | Standard ducted system | $8,400 | $11,550 | $14,700 |
| Larger 4-bedroom and up, two-storey, or zoned room by room | Premium / zoned ducted system | $12,600 | $16,800 | $23,100 |
Ducted air conditioning for a 3-bedroom house in Melbourne: most quotes sit in the standard band, $8,400–$14,700, with $11,550 typical. A compact single-storey home with an accessible roof cavity lands toward the low end.
For a 4-bedroom house: a single-storey 4-bedroom with good roof space usually still fits the standard band, toward its top. Two storeys, a larger floor plan or room-by-room zoning moves it into the premium band, $12,600–$23,100 ($16,800 typical).
What moves a quote within its band:
- Roof space: a low or crowded roof cavity makes every duct run slower and harder.
- Zones: each extra zone adds its own damper and controls.
- Replacing an old evaporative system: some installers can reuse the ductwork if it's the right size and in good condition, but evaporative ducts are often larger than a reverse-cycle system needs (see the upgrade scenario above).
- Electrical work: a full or older switchboard may need upgrading before the outdoor unit can be connected.
Weighing ducted against split systems? The ducted vs split system comparison sets install and running costs side by side by home size.
Reverse-cycle ducted vs gas ducted heating in Melbourne
Gas ducted heating is the other whole-home option in Melbourne. A new gas ducted system costs $3,475–$8,900 supply and install ($5,450 typical), against $8,400–$14,700 for a standard reverse-cycle ducted system ($11,550 typical).
The gap is what each system does. Gas ducted only heats, and it needs a gas connection and a flue. Reverse-cycle ducted heats and cools from one electric system; with gas heating, cooling is a second system.
Already have gas ducted heating? If the ductwork is sound, replacing just the heater unit usually costs less than a new system, so ask for that price separately.
Ducted heating in Melbourne
Gas ducted heating and reverse-cycle ducted systems in Melbourne
Gas ducted heating, supplied and installed, is $3,475–$8,900 in our Melbourne table, typically $5,450. Reverse-cycle ducted air conditioning, which heats and cools, is $8,400–$14,700 for a basic system and $12,600–$23,100 for a premium zoned one. The table has no line for replacing heating ducts on their own, so we don't publish a duct-replacement price; servicing a ducted system is $210–$580.
These answers use the prices in the table on this page.
What Affects Air Conditioning Costs in Melbourne
Heating is the real job here
Melbourne's coldest month, July, averages a 13.5 °C maximum, while its hottest, January and February, reach only 25.9 °C (BOM averages). A reverse-cycle unit sized for winter heating will cool the same room with ease, so have the installer run the heat-load calculation for the heating season rather than the summer, and expect the 7 kW ($2,300–$4,725) or 9 kW ($3,150–$5,800) size in a large open living area.
Ducted for a three or four bedroom house
39.4% of Melbourne dwellings have three bedrooms and 32.8% have four or more (ABS 2021 Census), which is the house a basic ducted system at $8,400–$14,700 is designed around. Zoning, so the bedrooms run at night and the living areas by day, lifts it to $12,600–$23,100 but is what keeps a ducted system affordable to run. A four-head multi-split ($7,350–$12,600) is the fallback where there is no roof space for ducts.
Replacing gas ducted heating
Plenty of Melbourne homes still heat with ducted gas; a new system is $3,475–$8,900, while moving to ducted reverse-cycle starts at $8,400. The Victorian Energy Upgrades program runs through accredited providers and their installers for space conditioning upgrades (Essential Services Commission), so ask whether your installer is accredited and whether a gas-to-electric swap takes a discount off the quote before you sign.
Flats, terraces and where the condenser goes
With 15.6% of dwellings in flats and 16.2% semi-detached (ABS 2021 Census), many Melbourne installs have no obvious spot for an outdoor unit. A back-to-back install through one wall is the cheapest; a long pipe run to a balcony or roof, wall brackets, and a crane for an apartment block all add labour. In a strata building, read the owners corporation's rules on condenser placement before collecting quotes.
The electrical side
A split system needs its own circuit, and Energy Safe Victoria licenses the electrical workers allowed to run it (Energy Safe Victoria). A full switchboard makes that work extra, so have it on the quote from the start. A unit you supply yourself installed only is $735–$1,575, and a like-for-like changeover that takes the old unit away is $1,575–$3,150.
Evaporative in a dry summer
January is Melbourne's driest month at 46.8 mm (BOM averages), and dry heat is what ducted evaporative cooling handles best; a whole-house evaporative system is $2,950–$7,350, well below ducted refrigerated. It cools only, so it pairs with ducted gas heating rather than replacing it, and the two systems are serviced separately.
Servicing and repairs
A split service and clean is $105–$335 and a ducted service $210–$580; a minor repair is $160–$525, and a regas or major repair $315–$1,250. Removal and disposal of a dead unit is $105–$370. Spring is the quiet season for installers, with October the wettest month at 66.0 mm (BOM averages), so book servicing then, ahead of the first heatwave.
How to Save Money on Air Conditioning Cost in Melbourne
Frequently Asked Questions — Air Conditioning Cost in Melbourne
Our Methodology
These are independent estimates from public cost guides, marketplaces and industry rate data, and no tradesperson can influence them, so always get a few quotes. Last reviewed October 2026. Read our full methodology →