I need help on deciding where to live. melbourne or sydney?

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Ozmaniac

I don't want to rain on your parade, but unless you have a job offer from an employer who is prepared to sponsor you, your biggest problem will be in getting a visa to work here in the first place. Neither Sydney nor Melbourne qualifies as a regional area and you will not score highly enough on the points test for an independent visa, so your only option will be to go for an employer sponsored visa. For further information see:
http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/skilled-occupations/index.htm
http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/books6.htm
http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/1131.pdf

Now for your question...

1. Melbourne is the better choice for diversity in music, culture, people and food. It has a more European feel than Sydney and a wonderful mix of cultures with an amazingly good and varied food and restaurant scene.
2. You won't have any problems being an Asian in either city. Both have large numbers of people from every Asian background who are completely accepted into the mainstream and no worthwhile employer will have the slightest hesitation in employing you if you meet the requirements for the job.
3. Both cities have very vibrant advertising industries with most of the larger agencies having an office in each. Between them, the cities share most of Australia's company head offices and that of course is where you find most of the best marketing positions.
4. I think you would like living in either city though Sydney is more bustling and brash than Melbourne and is more like LA than San Francisco or Toronto.
5. The food in each will cost roughly the same though there will be more opportunities in Melbourne for market shopping. Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market is to die for. You'll love its wonderful atmosphere and the fact that it's situated right on the edge of the CBD. The big price difference is in accommodation. Sydney is MUCH more expensive and prices there are crazy.

Public transport in both is good, but Melbourne has the edge with its network of trams, trains and buses. The trams make it very easy to get around in Melbourne's CBD and it's fairly easy to move around in the suburbs. While Sydney's harbour is incredibly beautiful, it adds another dimension to the difficulties of getting from A to B.

Overall, I think you should lean towards Melbourne but believe you would be fine in either city. Look for a sponsoring employer in both so you don't limit your options.

Good luck!

TonyB

You don't say how old you are or if you have children. I'll assume you're young (<30) and childless.

I am from Melbourne but now live in Sydney. I've also been to LA and I've worked in San Francisco for a few years. I can compare cities.

In my opinion, Melbourne is the best city in the world in which to LIVE. Sydney is the best place to VISIT. Sydney is beautiful and the harbour is better than SFO's. However, if you're concerned about money then you can't afford to live anywhere near the harbour - so discount the harbour as a factor in chosing a place to live.

Public transport is far better in Melb than in Syd. No competition there.

Weather is better in Sydney; warmer in winter, not as hot in Summer.

More beaches in Sydney and closer to the city.

Workwise, there would be the same amount of jobs; perhaps slightly more in Sydney. For your line of work you'd need to work in the city but you'd have to commute in from the suburbs using public transport so every day would be a nightmare. Imagine, getting on a train, hot day, no air conditioning, crammed face-to-face with other commuters. Not nice.

Nightlife similar in both cities but more compact in Melb (i.e. you can move from venue to venue quite easily).

Housing costs are similar these days, perhaps a little cheaper in Melb.

Racial mix - pretty much the same in both cities except Melb has a larger Greek population and Sydney has a larger Lebanese/Muslim population. Asian communities are prominent in both cities.

All up, you'll be happy in either city. Make some local friends and it doesn't really matter where you live. Good luck.

Goof

Hi there...I lived in Sydney for 30 years and now live in Florida and last visited in 2003.
1. Sydney is actually San Francisco's "sister" city so you will find it very similar in culture, arts, entertainment and weather. It can be cold in the winter but nowhere near as freezing as Melbourne!
2. Sydney is closer to the North Coast of Australia where you definitely want to travel to for weekend get-aways! Truly beautiful in the Coffs Harbor/Ballina/Lennox Heads area....my personal mental retreat! You can take a train to the Blue Mountains also or to the only ski area in Australia which is 300 miles inland from Sydney.
3. I have been to Melbourne but find Sydney to be the more beautiful city and also more accepting of diverse cultures. Melbourne does not have Sydney Harbor which is breathtaking!
4. The culture, arts and entertainment in Sydney, is more diverse and plentiful and the food is to die for! Very similar to New York in this area. Oh do I miss the fruit which is better tasting than even Florida fruit! The diversity of the restaurants is amazing with the majority being of Asian influence: Thai - Japanese - Chinese - Vietnamese.
5. I was surprised to find eggs kept on a shelf in the supermarkets as opposed to the refrigerated aisle and discovered that this was possible because they were so fresh and food does not take weeks or months to reach the markets like it does here in the US!
6. I feel that there would be more business opportunities in your field in Sydney than in Melbourne which is a more staid/stuffy old-money atmosphere and less inclined to approach new ideas - that is just my impression.
7. Check and see which marketing area you want to embrace and see which city houses that company's corporate office. Avoid the marketing area of the major newspapers as these are being replaced by the internet versions the same as they are here in the US.
8. Sydney has a great transportation system and clean, reliable inexpensive busses, ferries and trains run to the residential neighborhoods, to and from the city and all surrounding areas approx. every 20 minutes. Sydney busses and trains are so superior and should not be compared to US busses and trains which are dirty and noisy.
9. Public transportation is definitely a better way to travel as opposed to owning a car. Parking is difficult and expensive seeing the city was originally designed for horse-drawn carriages and the width of the city streets was determined by the width of two carriages.
10. The beaches are fantastic â€“ Bondi, Maroubra etc.

Now for the negatives of which there is only oneâ€¦.housing is very expensive! However, if you are employed in that area you will receive a salary that takes the cost of living into account otherwise the companies would not be able to employ anyone! Plan on living outside the city area as this is less expensive and remember most everyone does as they rely on the public transportation system to get them back and forth.

Give Sydney a chance and I do not think you will be disappointed. Please keep in touch and let me know how you fared.
Good luck
Frances Backer
fbacker@yahoo.com

kat

let me start by saying melbourne & sydney are practically the same & there's a bit of rivalry between them. food, culture, music & the people are exactly the same. especially food & culture. main difference in the people is that AFLs the most important thing to melbourne people. sydney people like NRL better. (we have 3 types of football in aust. AFL, NRL & union)

unless your living in a massively expensive place living right in the centre of either city or with harbour views in sydney neither place is anything like LA. melbourne & sydney are really culturally diverse. i think sydney is slightly better diversity wise & i know there's heaps of Asian communities here. melbourne's better known for its greek population.l having said that there are heaps of greeks, macedonians, asians, you name it we've got it!
i think sydney is expensive though. if you want cheap living go to WA. live in the suburbs of either city & you should be fine. live near a station, that'll make your life heaps easier. having said that, our transport system (especially in NSW - thats sydney ) is notoriously bad. but most people catch trains or buses to the city because its easier than trying to ind parking lol.
the food is really diverse in aust. we kinda dont have our own "food identity" no real aussie dishes - unless you count the BBQ. lol. & because we have so many migrants, there's so many different types of food around its crazy. restaurants that aren't specifically serving food of any nationality might mix up a few cultures. a curry, a pasta or a grilled steak. foods great, i reckon its bettter in sydney, but that mite be coz i live there ;)
rent at the moment in all of australia is crazy. & all of this economy stuff isn't helping it either. so either place will be expensive that way i think.
o & as far as people go, most people are pretty accepting of others & different views & cultures & that, but then there are absolutely @!#%$^ racists. it's better in the city than it is in the country areas. stuff like the cronulla riots (that's south sydney, the really good beach) happened because the people in there aren't as opened minded. they're still nice, but theres less multiculturalism down there. & it didn't help that all the bikies & gangs come down for the fight.

as far as your degree goes, that'll be pretty useful in either city. i'm not sure which one has a bigger advertising industry, but melbourne & sydney kind of share the big offices. some major companies are in mel others in syd. & most probably have branches in the other city anyway. look up some marketing companies on the web & see where they're located if you really want to know.

c66xd

TIME magazine says melbourne is culinarily awesome
id love to go there

Mel

Ok, so you will get very biased answers. I'm from Sydney and by no means hate it or regret it.. You like what you know, I've grown up here.

I do agree that Melbourne and Sydney are the better places to live in Australia, the other cities just don't do it for me. The only negative I can say about Melbourne is the people can really bug me, some of them seem to live with their heads up their own asses. Also the weather can be unpredictable.. I'm also an NRL fan, boo AFL.

Both cities are very simular, the weather is the only real difference in my opinion, ooh and the shopping.. Love Melb for shopping.

1. In terms of culture, Melbourne is huge on this. The music, the food, its all in Melbourne. That being said you can find it in Sydney too but bigger and better in Melb.

2. In Syd there is a massive asian community, as is in Melb. I think both places will suit you there.

3. Personally I find Syd to offer more opportunity due to the size of the place but I'm sure you could find work in Melb you might just have to look a bit harder.

4. Australia is a very diverse country, I see bits of NY and LA in both cities. Location wise Syd might be seen as more LA but it is very much business oriented, while the centre of Melb is divided somewhat, business one one end, retail on the other.

5. Sorry to tell you but things are equally expensive. Melbourne does have a more efficient transport network however which would make it easier to live in the outer suburbs.

If I were in your shoes, I would see where I can get work and start there. You can always move later on if its not for you.

Candiceâ„¢

Hi simple answer is MELBOURNE by far as it's more diverse with a raging nightclub scene amongst the best eating places in the world....

Affordable by far compared with renting in expensive Sydney so I guess u know how I feel YES? â™¥

jstnfox

Melbourne is the best for you! It is Australia's multicultural city so you will not be alone and you WILL have equal opportunities to everyone else.

Melbourne is becoming Australia's financial capital and your masters degree in marketing/advertising/pr will become very useful.

Melbourne is definitely bustling and is a mix of Toronto, San Fran & New york city so you will love every bit of it.

Melbourne has cheaper rent and food than Sydney but better quality than Sydney. In Melbourne the Western suburbs have some of the cheapest rent and food and only a quick trip to the city to work. So simple :)

I was born in Melbourne and I think its the greatest & most impressive city in the world (I have been to other cities like Rome, Paris, London, New York and they just don't compare)

It also has tonnes of activities to do on your day off or on your holidays (Trust me you will never be bored again)

I hope you choose Melbourne because it is the best for you and if you choose Sydney well lets just say.... you will regret it.

Please keep us updated on your decision :)

Matthew M

well to awnser your question living in melbourne is definitely simpler. the basics are there are over 20 train lines heaps of trams alot of buses so you need not worry about transport. there are alot of jobs out there but depending on what you do you may find it easy or very hard. but like me i love new york so i think you would go great in sydney. if your used to the subway systems over there you will figure out sydneys in a flash. sydney has 1 light rail. alot of train line and i mean alot. a ferry network and heaps of buses. depending on were you live in sydney can be quite expensive. but depending on your skills you should be able to find a job that suit you easily. with a nice price too.
i would go with sydney for you.

veg_hel

I am from Sydney and I must say Melbourne is probably more suited to what you are after. Think L.A. = Sydney, San Fran = Melbourne

belisima

I've been to Australia a few times and I have to say Melbourne is BY FAR the best city I've lived in, in any country. It's very multicultural, the food and people are amazing, and it's really an easy city to navigate yourself around in. It has a great train/tram/bus system.
You might find more work oppurtunities in Sydney because it's generally more business oriented(at least that's the impression I got), but it was less friendly and confusing to get around in, and yes, more expensive.
Melbourne isn't cheap either, but many people live in the subburbs and just commute by train into the city. It's around 50 bucks (I think) for a weekly unlimited train pass, but you save a lot of money on petrol and it's good for the trams and buses too.
If you wanted to go soley for work experience, maybe try Sydney at first then, but I'm betting you'll want to move to Melbourne in the end!

Josh is posh

Sydney of course dont move to melbourne its a very dangerous city and thats where all the gangs are.
1.sydney has much nicer people melbourne people are up them selves and muxic and food is way better
2.both places.
3.sydney being the bigger city is better
4. OMG ull love sydney melbourne is dangerous like LA
5.yeah its true melbournes cheaper cuz no one wants to live there

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