Melbourne or Sydney?

Hey there,

I'm a Bostonian who's lived in Sydney for about 15 months now. I've been to Melbourne to visit a few times and have loved it; it actually looks a lot like Boston (with hints of Paris and San Francisco thrown in for good measure). For all of the things you've described - food, arts, parks & gardens, DEFINITELY public transport - it sounds like Melbourne is your place. Their trams are just like the green line, only way more extensive, whereas Sydney's trains are overpriced and kind of limited, and the buses suck. There are more restaurants and bars (because of weird state liquor laws most of the bars in Sydney are like weird & huge multi-level situations, whereas Melbourne has lots of those cool laneways etc.) Melbourne's a bit cheaper, esp w/r/t real estate and shopping. And Melbourne is WAY more sports-mad and similar to Boston in that sense(they have the MCG, Australian Open, Melbourne Cup, etc.)

BUT...BUT...because you are coming here for what I assume is a bit of adventure and a total change of scenery (why move halfway around the world, otherwise?), I would still consider Sydney. It's one of the most gorgeous natural settings I've ever seen. You can live in lots of places that are either right by the beach, or have amazing views of the Opera House and the Bridge, for quite a reasonable price. The weather is virtually perfect for, like, 9 months of the year, and as a New Englander I still sort of wander around marveling at how nice it is even in the wintertime. And don't be put off by hot summers, because it can get just as hot (if not weirdly hotter) in Melbourne; the only difference is that we have tons of awesome beaches and pools you can get to easily from the CBD. On the other hand, most Melburnians fully admit that their winters are colder and kind of unpleasant, and unlike in Boston you have to remember that most apartments aren't insulated so you have to deal with chilly drafts and dampness. Plus Sydneysiders seem more easy-going and beachy to me (whereas Melbourne is more hipster/wearing all black). And although Melbourne is more "foodie," Sydney is famous for its amazing Thai food and also has a great Chinatown, fantastic seafood, cool Italian neighborhoods, and plenty of other good dining options.

Finally, and this is just me going on hunch and my own personal observations, I think Sydney's bigger international reputation makes it more of a crossroads for like-minded travelers who are really up for meeting people. Not just backpackers, but also 20- or 30-somethings working here for a few years or whatever. Through my office job and various other channels I've made friends from the UK, Sweden, Germany, Japan, Canada, and so on.

Whichever city you choose, I'm sure you'll find plenty to like and enjoy. They both half their pluses and minuses, but if you're here for a year you should have time to explore them both; have you considered spending six months in each? Feel free to message me if you want to discuss more, and sorry for talking your ear off. I can never resist connecting up with fellow Bostonians!

~Kate

This is a really interesting thread. I'm considering moving to Australia and the Melbourne-Sydney choice is really challenging.

If anyone has any more insight on the the two cities I'd love to hear about it. Or is anyone knows any decent blogs/websites maybe you could post up the link.

I'm into my music, but I prefer The Smiths and Bjork rather than Kylie and U2... which city has the more diverse music scene?

I'm also lead to believe that Sydney is pretty expensive, is this true?

Which city is easier to get around? I would really like to cycle/walk to work, but that might not be possible  if the cities  are huge,sprawling areas covered in highways.

In terms of websites and blogs, this is a good place to start looking for blogs. The more you visit, the more links you'll find to other blogs that aren't listed here.

Regarding affordability, I'd suggest going to Domain.com.au or realestate.com.au (they have all the same listings) to take a look at apartments in the neighborhoods you're considering. The listings usually have photos and google street view; I found it a really good way to pick out neighborhoods before I'd even moved to Australia! There are lots of places to read up on neighorboods ("suburbs"), but one of the most fun and informative websites that I've found here is Cityhobo (cityhobo.com/cities ). I haven't lived day to day in Melbourne so can't speak to how its cost compares to Sydney; I think it really depends on where you choose to live and what sorts of things you like to do. Stuff in Australia (groceries, books, beer, movie tickets, sneakers, the list goes on and on...) is just incredibly expensive in general, and I say that having moved here from New York City!

I think both cities are bike- and walking-friendly enough, but Melbourne is a lot flatter, so that might count for something. On the other hand, Sydney is closer to tons of bike trails and absolutely gorgeous scenic bike rides. I think it's better for outdoor enthusiasts.

I can't really speak to the comparative music scenes, but I think most touring bands generally hit up both, and each has a healthy club/performing scene. Hope this helps!

Kate - Thank you so much for your insights! You seriously rock. I can do all the factual research in the world but having a personal perspective is priceless. I need to delve more into the blogosphere as well to have a view into daily life in both cities. I am considering more and more the 6 months in each place idea, since the point of my coming over there is experiencing as much of the country as possible and of course with the visa that us Americans get, you have to sort of break up your trip that way anyhow. It sounds like I would enjoy both places, each has their pros and cons and unique personality. I'm a pretty adaptable person as well, I don't really have dealbreakers. I won't know how I'll truly feel about each so I think I'm just going to pick Melbourne and go from there, with a loose plan to live in Sydney too. I will stay in touch and let you know how it goes! Thanks for the neighbourhood websites too.

e.paul - is it weird that I like the Smiths AND Kylie? Haha.

-Mary

Nah it's not weird at all. Anyone who likes the Smiths is alright in my opinion.

I suppose you get more points on your Visa application if you say you like Kylie!

Hey Mary-

I'm glad I could help. If I wasn't tied to Sydney (we're here for my husband's job), I would totally give Melbs a go. I think I would also throw in some Byron Bay beachbumming for good measure; you should definitely look into that!

Anyway, good luck planning everything and please don't hesitate to contact me if you ever have questions about anything else. Go Sox!

~Kate

great question - I believe the answer is you cannot go wrong.  both are the australian experience - but if you are there for a year you will see the rest of australia.  so either place - you cannot go wrong.  I was in MELB for most of my time.  was north of sydney during the Melbourne Cup.  This is not a fair comparison - but MELB Cup is like the Kentucky Derby in the US - it is a national event - held on a tuesday in November - and many people get the day off.

A comment I heard that day was Melbourne is the Lady, Sydney is the "lady of the night" lets just leave it at that. I felt Sydney was bigger - and to get around a lot is based around the bay - so ferry's are important.  it is warmer than Melbourne - but this year Melbourne has had its share of 30, 35, and 39 days - a little unusual for them.  you still have the great ocean drive in Melb and have to go to penguin island - and it does get colder.

Sydney is more spread out - and I would say a younger crowd.  The pricey costs probably come from the Bondi and Bay area - MElbourne can be pricey too - as far as real estate.  There are a lot of universities in Melbourne.  For tram travel there is a CBD in Melbourne - whereas Sydney is just spread out.  Sydney you can go from central train station to Bondi - but then across the bay to Manley Beach - which is better? you decide.

I definitely enjoyed a lot of restaurants in MElbourne - and really enjoyed the market.  The alleyways are great - and lots of jazz and music clubs.  I believe Sydney has those too - just spread out more - probably a lot more than MElb.  Size of Melb is 4 million people, Sydney is 8 million.

Either way you cannot go wrong.  I enjoyed MElbourne while I was there.  did remind me more of michigan with more of a seasonal change to it.  Sydney is a coastal town - and is where Australia was first founded from (they are very proud of the convict history here) whereas Melbourne evolved over time.  Now many of the big company HQ's are in Melbourne (like Sensis that I worked for)

hope this helps  - you can't go wrong with a choice - but you must visit more than these 2 when you visit - especially if you are there for at least 6 months.  Australia is very diverse and these 2 do not describe it in the least.  Byron is a great recommendation too, and the outback (Alice), and then again Darwin too

I'm from Chicago originally but have been living in Oz for the last nine years split between Sydney and Melbourne.

Sydney was nice but if you can't afford to live really close in to the city it simply isn't worth it.  We spent a year out in the "Hills District" and it was the most awful year of my life.  We picked up and moved just north of the bridge in Cammeray.  It was nice and good access to most everything.  Still, I felt that most places had to take a bit of time to get to.  Bars seem spread out shopping spots that aren't massive malls are hard to move between.  But, on the flip side of that coin there's lots of stuff to get out and do such as parks, walks, etc.  If you love being outdoors then there is no better place on a sunny day than the harbour.

Melbourne has a great compact little city thing going on.  There are different spots throughout the city but they are easy to move between.  It's still a very 'get outside' culture and parks and trails are great here.  I love live music and I've found it's more prolific down here.  There are still some big mall-type shopping but a lot of it is still smaller shops all together down a long road or two.  Weather-wise I don't know that I would say Melbourne is better if you like cold weather.  Yes, it gets a bit colder than Sydney in the winter but remember that Melbourne also has more days over 40C than Sydney as well.  I dealt with Sydney heat far better than Melbourne heat. 

All in all I think both cities are great.  Both have high costs of living and don't believe anybody who says Melbourne is cheaper than Sydney because it just isn't true any more.  For me, Melbourne is my preferred city because I love Aussie Rules football over Rugby League.  I get my water fix on the bay but can still head down an hour or so to Torquay for a day at a great beach day. 

As with other comments I think you just pick one and you'll be fine.  Both cities are lovely and frustrating for their own different reasons!  Best of luck!  You'll have a great time!