Melbourne's CBD parking is equal dearest in Australia

MELBOURNE is one of the two most expensive cities in Australia for CBD parking, a nationwide investigation has found.

Motorist can expect to pay an average maximum of $45 for a full day of under cover CBD parking on a weekday, compared with $4 in the Northern Territory and $20 in Adelaide.

Sydney also ranks as most expensive with drivers paying a maximum of $45 on a weekday.

Drivers are slugged a maximum of $44 in Brisbane, $27 in Perth and $22 in Hobart for a covered city parking spot, a Sunday Herald Sun survey of carparks shows.

The carparks include the Wilson behind 333 Collins St, where a full day's parking costs $46, and Secure Parking at the Foundry on Little Collins St, where the daily fee is $54.

Visitors to the Wilson Park Hyatt carpark, next to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, can expect to pay $19 per hour for the first three hours and a maximum of $85 for a lost ticket.

In Darwin - the nation's cheapest parking city - fees get as low as $2.40 per day at the Mitchell St, Daly St and McMinn St carparks.

Parking at the Darwin Oval and Cavenagh St in the CBD costs $4 per day.

Darwin City Council owns many CBD parking areas.

Christopher Zinn, of consumer group Choice, said planning ahead and checking costs of alternatives such as public transport were wise moves for motorists.

"Parking is what's known as a grudge purchase - nobody likes paying for it," Mr Zinn said.

"A few people who work in offices can have it paid for them, but often it's people who need to go to the doctor or are not well off who face large fees for parking."

Mr Zinn said drivers should pay close attention to price structures that usually were displayed at entrances to carparks.

Secure Parking spokesman Andrew Sapir said market conditions often influenced the price of parking in any given area.

"Rent is always a big influence on what a car park will charge," he said.

"In cities such as Sydney and Melbourne there are also things such as parking levies and congestion tax."

Drivers are encouraged to take advantage of cheaper weekend parking, with flat rates of $12 or less common in the Melbourne CBD.

Secure Parking recently launched a weekend Party Parker deal, allowing CBD partygoers to leave their cars overnight for discounted rates.