Sydney versus Melbourne: One of the gnarliest rivalries in Aussie history. Sydneysiders view Melbournites as insufferable hipsters, while Melbournites view Sydneysiders as North Shore snobs. If you ask either camp if you should move to Sydney or Melbourne, they’d give you drastically different answers.
This rivalry can even be traced back to the 1900s, a time when Sydney and Melbourne didn’t want their rival to become the capital of Australia. The argument was one of many factors that led to the creation of Canberra.
But let's jump back to 2025. Sydney or Melbourne: Where should you move? What are the biggest pros and cons of each place? Let’s jump into the facts.
A Pro of Living in Sydney: The Beaches
Sydney has some of the best beaches in the whole of Australia. And not the internationally acclaimed Bondi Beach. The coast of Sydney is littered with many little treasure troves you can dive through. Redleaf Beach offers scenic harbor swims, and Shelly Beach offers excellent snorkeling. The list goes on and on.
Meanwhile, Melbourne’s best beach is St Kilda. This beach is famous for frequently having poor water quality. As the saying goes, “Don’t dunk your head.”
A Pro of Living in Sydney: The Iconic Landmarks
Even if you’ve lived in Sydney for a decade, the city’s iconic landmarks will still wow you. From the Harbour Bridge to the Opera House to Luna Park, its architectural wonders pop off. These landmarks look even better during Vivid, when they are lit up with a technicolour barrage of lights.
A Con of Living in Sydney: The House Prices
There’s no denying it, the house prices in Sydney are brutal. As of the first of July, the median price of a house is a whopping $1.55m. Even the median unit price is an exorbitant $858,000. For comparison, the average price of a Melbourne apartment is around $600,000.
A Pro of Living in Melbourne: The Culture
There’s a reason that Melbourne is called Australia’s cultural capital. Not only are the National Gallery of Victoria and the Ian Potter Centre exquisite, its independent art scene is just vibrant. Every single night, there’s something happening at the Victorian Arts Centre, the Malthouse Theatre, Her Majesty's Theatre, or the Princess, just to name a few joints.
Yes, Sydney’s art scene is nothing to scoff at. Between Sydney Fringe and Sculpture by the Sea, this city holds some stellar events. However, Sydney is yet to fully recover from its regressive lockout laws. The effects of this legislation are still being felt to this day.
A Pro of Living in Melbourne: The Coffee
If you want a great cup of coffee, Melbourne is the place to go. Numerous cafes across the city use high-quality beans to make single-origin coffees and unique blends. What’s more, they know how to squeeze the most out of them without burning or diluting the flavour.
Some of the best joints include Seven Seeds, Sensory Lab, and Slater Street Bench. However, you might want to avoid these A+ places. Because once you try their coffee, all other cafes might be mid.
A Con of Living in Melbourne: The Weather
Melbourne is famous for having four seasons in a day. It can be sunny at 9.00AM, hailing at 1.00PM, and windy as anything at 6.00PM. This unpredictability can be impossible to plan for. It’s a dreadful thing having to carry an umbrella around during summer.
If You Move to Sydney or Melbourne
Sydney versus Melbourne: Two cities with heaps of pros and some big cons. But which place should you move to? Well, like anyplace on Earth, you should consider your own circumstances before moving to either of these cities. This article isn’t your dad, and you know what’s best for you.
However, if you move to either Sydney or Melbourne, it’s worth hiring a removalist service to help you with the trip. There are boxes to pack, highways to endure, and tough decisions to act on. What’s more, normal life doesn’t stop when you’re moving.
If you need help moving to Sydney or Melbourne, Holloway Revomals can make your move a heck of a lot easier. Holloway offers NSW, Victorian, and interstate moving services. No matter how big or small, Holloway has the experience and expertise to move your home to either of these great cities.
