Should we move to Sydney or Melbourne?

I've lived in both cities at different times, but more Melbourne than Sydney, and I'm an unashamed patriot of the former.  I will try to be as neutral as I can. That said, just wanted to add a few details about the weather:  I agree with most people that Sydney is warmer and more humid, Melbourne is colder and wetter.  The weird thing is, Sydney actually has a higher yearly average rainfall than Melbourne, but Melbourne averages a higher number of days with rainfall each year.  In Melbourne, at least half the days between April and October will feature "scattered showers"; in Sydney, there will be a few days of absolute downpour, generally in spring and autumn. The short version: you'll need an umbrella more often in Melbourne, but it will actually do you some good there.  In Sydney, you either won't need one, or the rain will be so heavy that it's useless anyway.

Melbourne will be the largest Australian city within 35 years as more people correctly identify Sydney as not that great.The Melbourne city centre is organized in a convenient, well-planned grid.Sydney is tangled like a half-digested ball of yarn. Sydney’s largest stadium, ANZ Stadium, holds a pathetic 83,000 people. Plus you need a caravan of camels and a compass to get there. Melbourne is a trendy town, Sydney is a tourist town. You can't compare the two because they aren't alike.Generally people will agree with the following:Harbour – SydneyLifestyle – MelbourneCafe life – Melbourne and some parts of SydneyClimate – Sydney

Sydney if you want a city that's a pushy as many in the USA but with better scenery. Melbourne if you want a city that easy to live in, very diverse, mu;ti-cultural and elegant trending towards European.  For visitors, Sydney is probably easier to get work, etc - very transnational.  Melbourne tends to be relational and you need time or contacts to develop the network that helps with almost everything.

If you've got interest in sport, choose Melbourne, Melbourne has a large number of local sports teams that draw large crowds. Sydney has a larger population than Melbourne so there will be more diversity, however be more crowded. Having lived in Melbourne my whole life I'm not sure what it's like in Sydney but Melbourne is a great choice

I have lived in Melbourne my whole life but even so here are a few pointers-Melbourne:1. Is more of a city to long term live in.2. Is very cold and if not you will get 4 Seasons In One Day!3. Melbourne is a very multicultural place.Sydney: Sydney is a large ‘tourist city’ because of the Harbor Bridge and Opera House Sydney is quite warm most of the time (24 degrees around that) Sydney is full of aspiring musicians, actors, singers, dancers, etc. But not so much sporty. ( If you want sporty go to Brisbane) I hope this helped!

Coming from Chicago and NYC I have no doubt you would love Sydney. The city is fantastic and a great place to live - it is also very multicultural, so you won't feel out of place as foreigners. If finances are a concern you will be able to live slightly more cheaply in Melbourne, but not significantly.Also considering your love for the beach and warm weather I would recommend Sydney - winter in Melbourne is a real thing! You have nothing to fear about the state of food culture - there is plenty of amazing food, coffee and wine to be had. I'm sure you won't eat out every day, but you do have to live in the climate you choose every day .

I was raised in Melbourne and have lived there all of my life. Lived, studied and worked there for as long as I can remember. I can also remember from the moment of coherence on, how, apart from a select few spots, Melbourne was mostly a place to avoid.Dirty, bad atmosphere, dark and just all round depressing. I’ve travelled in Europe and to America to live and work there and although I loved Australia, hated coming back to Melbourne.This past Christmas I kept my holiday local and went to Sydney. I fell head over heels in love. Melbourne has no comparison and no competition with Sydney. There wasn’t a place in Sydney that I didn’t love. From the suburbs, to the beaches, to the Harbour, to the Bridge, to the hotels and outdoor restaurants, the shopping centres, I loved it all. Everywhere I went the atmosphere, the surroundings felt beautiful and special. Melbourne is clueless and disgusting compared to how well Sydney has it together inside and out. I would love to live in Sydney one day, it’s on my bucket list. Sydney is breathtaking.

While Melbourne certainly does have great food and beverages, that doesn't mean Sydney doesn't. Think of it as Melbourne scoring 85 on a scale of 0 to 100 where Sydney scores 82. Not as good, no, but not bad either. Research Melbourne climate, you may prefer Sydney.  Melbourne can get very hot. I have lived in both cities and have no axe to grind, though I live in neither now.Both have reasonable transport systems, crime and the things all big cities have. Perth is a very nice city - do you have to live on the East coast? There are many nice smaller cities, begging the question, do you need to live in either of your 2 nominated choices - property prices in both would make you weep.

I love Sydney - I live here. Melbourne has the F1 racing privs and the Melbourne cup once a year. It also rains a lot in Melbourne. Sydney has its short wet season.House prices are about the same - expensive in AU dollars averaging over $600,000 depending upon the season. Sydney beaches and the upper and lower coastal areas attached have some great beaches - see 7 mile beach down south of Sydney.We also have great gold clubs and  football, but not as you know it, as well as the mountains nearby (watch out for summer fires up there) and both cities have a certain amount of smog and traffic jams. Coffee, wine and food - we have some places where you book a year ahead or you head down to Nowra (if you are based in Sydney) and find a famous place to eat. Apparently  the prize winning chef likes it cooler down south of Sydney with fresher fish to cook.Want to get away from either city - go ahead - airfares are higher than in the USA. sorry about that. You can always travel to Tasmania if you live in Melbourne - great place to visit. You can fly to New Zealand from either city and its a great place to visit too, what with Hot spars and smells from the geothermal springs, wonderful roads except for a few with "no insurance" if you drive on them.Sydney Melbourne Tasmania or New Zealand - the people are pretty good to chat to and some of the coves way out west have a great time telling you stories.