It’s the age-old question that travellers have been trying to answer for centuries. The battle of two classic Australian cities – rivals, neighbours and competitors. We’re here to answer the question, Should I Visit Melbourne or Sydney?

Both cities offer a unique Australian flavour, yet they are so different. Melbourne is considered the cultural capital of the country, while Sydney’s undeniable landscapes, weather and nature always remains an allure to travellers.

As Australians who have lived in Perth the majority of our lives and visited both Melbourne and Sydney over 10 times each, we feel qualified to answer this important question. Furthermore, we’ve lived in both Sydney and Melbourne at some point, and are currently living in Melbourne.

We break down this question in a few categories to help you find out which city to visit – so keep reading this short guide to find your answer!

Where to stay in Melbourne and Sydney?

Because we’ve visited Melbourne and Sydney so frequently, we have stayed at a wide variety of places in both cities. Here are top options for you!

Where to stay in Melbourne

The key to finding good accommodation in Melbourne is location. If you get a place within the free tram zone inside the Melbourne CBD, getting around will be easy for you. Other surrounding suburbs such as Southbank, South Melbourne and Carlton are also pretty good options.

Budget: Europa Melbourne

Within Melbourne City, there aren’t a lot of quality budget options. The hostels here won’t be as cheap as most other cities, but there are still a handful of relatively affordable ones. Europa Melbourne is a great little hostel located on Queen Street, close to where all the action is. I personally pass through this hostel on my way to the gym almost daily, and always found the vibe to be positive and friendly.

You can take a closer look at Europa Melbourne by clicking here.

Mid-Range: Citadines on Bourke Melbourne

I have stayed at the Citadines on Bourke Melbourne multiple times, and enjoyed my stay each time. I found the staff here to be friendly and helpful, and the location was very central. There’s a main tram stop right outside the hotel, and there are so many dining and beverage options at your doorstep. I would really recommend staying here.

You can take a closer look at Citadines on Bourke Melbourne by clicking here.

Luxury: QT Melbourne

The QT Melbourne is one of my favourite hotels in all of Australia (actually, I’ve loved staying in all QT hotels around the country), so much so that I wrote a blog post on my experience staying here. I can’t plug or recommend this hotel enough - I adored the boutique design element, the comfort, the service, the food, the central location. Everything here was perfect! Be sure to check out the Rooftop bar as well if you stay here.

You can take a closer look at QT Melbourne by clicking here.

Where to stay in Sydney

Staying in the Sydney CBD won’t be cheap either due to its popularity. Although staying in the city center would be best, areas such as Newtown, and Surry Hills are good too. Here are our best recommendations for accomodation in Sydney.

Budget: The Capsule Hotel

Like I previously mentioned, finding inexpensive options in Sydney is really difficult. Sometimes, all you need is a comfortable bed and a good location - and that’s where The Capsule Hotel comes in. Located on one of Sydney’s most famous streets, George Street, this futuristic capsule hotel is perfect for solo travelers.

You can take a closer look at The Capsule Hotel by clicking here.

Mid-Range: 28 Hotel

28 Hotel is a relatively new hotel with a funky boutique edge. Rooms here are praised for being simple, clean and comfortable. The hotel’s best asset is definitely its location, close to Central Station.

You can take a closer look at 28 Hotel by clicking here.

Luxury: QT Sydney

As you already know, I’m definitely a fan of the QT brand. The QT Sydney is no exception to this rule, and I loved their immaculately designed rooms. QT’s eye for design is just different than other hotels, and I always look forward to staying at their hotels. The QT Sydney is almost perfectly rated.

You can take a closer look at QT Sydney by clicking here.

Comparison Categories

At Beyond The Bay, we’ve tackled tough questions before (see our post on: Should I Visit the Italian Alps or Swiss Alps?), and we’ve decided it’s best to answer these tussles by breaking them down into categories. So here’s what we’re going to judge Melbourne and Sydney on:

Museums
Nature
Iconic Sights
Culture
Costs and Prices
People
Weather
Food & Drink
Day Trips

There’s a lot to go through, so we’re going to be brief! If you have any questions or would like us to expand, just let us know in the comments below.

Museums

Both Melbourne and Sydney have endless sightseeing attractions, but in completely different ways. If you’re a fan of museums, then Melbourne has Sydney beat. The coffee capital of Australia boasts some truly world-class museums, such as the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Melbourne Museum, ACMI, and the Immigration Museum, all of which are located within the Melbourne CBD.

Melbourne’s art scene is thriving. Image shot from LUME Exhibition in Melbourne.

Sydney is no slouch in this category either, as you can visit the Museum of Sydney, Australian Museum, Sydney Jewish Museum and the amazing Art Gallery of New South Wales.

WINNER: MELBOURNE

Nature

However, where Sydney has an upper hand over Melbourne is its natural attractions – especially its beaches. Although we would still rate Queensland and Western Australia’s beaches higher than Sydney’s. Beaches such as Manly Beach, Bondi Beach and Coogee Beach are extremely popular for a reason. We would highly recommend doing the Bondi to Bronte Costal walk, which is a stunning walk that takes you through Sydney’s best coastal scenery. The Maroubra Beach area is another favourite area of ours in Sydney.

Beyond these beaches, you should also check out Cockatoo Island, Chinese Garden of Friendship, Mrs Macquarie’s Chair (to get an iconic view of the Sydney Opera House), Bondi Icebergs Club, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Wattamolla and Watsons Bay.

View of Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge from Mrs Macquarie’s Chair

Truth be told, Sydney’s natural immediate surrounds are much, much nicer than Melbourne’s. There are still a few nature-related sightseeing items in Melbourne, though – check out the Royal Botanic Gardens, Brighton Beach (mainly for the Brighton Bathing Boxes) and St Kilda Beach. It’s important to note that if you’re looking for a beach holiday, Melbourne simply doesn’t hold a candle to Sydney. To find some truly spectacular nature in Victoria, you’ll have to take a day trip out from Melbourne (more on that below)!

Recommended Activity:

Highlights Tour in Sydney with a Local Guide - If you want to see most of Sydney’s natural highlights in one day, then this tour will be super helpful!! It passes through Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, Rose Bay Beach, Watsons Bay, Bondi Beach, Tamarama Beach, Bronte Beach and more.

Colourful Brighton Bathing Boxes in Melbourne

WINNER: SYDNEY

Iconic Sights

There’s truly so many things to do in each city that we can’t list all of them, but we can compare the most iconic sights in both Melbourne and Sydney.

Melbourne’s most famous attractions include Fed Square, Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Flinders Street Railway Station, State Library Victoria, Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne Zoo and the Yarra River (especially the surrounding area of Crown Melbourne). While these attractions are all great, they are more understated. To get the best out of Melbourne, you’ll have to take your time and soak in the atmosphere – the sights here are best ‘felt’, and not ‘seen’. They’re not as flashy as Sydney’s landmarks, not as immediately captivating.

To get to know Melbourne’s iconic sights, we recommend the following activities:

Complete Melbourne Walking Tour - Learn all about the history behind some of Melbourne’s most famous sights on this comprehensive walking tour. Visits sights such as Fed Square, Flinders Street Station, State Library Victoria, Yarra River and Old Melbourne Gaol.
Highlights of Melbourne Cruise - Embark on a scenic Yarra River cruise, as it strolls through sights like the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Royal Botanic Gardens, Crown Melbourne, the Docklands and more.

Sydney’s iconic attractions, on the other hand, are immediately recognisable. Everyone has at least seen pictures of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. Taronga Zoo, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Darling Harbour, Hyde Park, Luna Park Sydney are all internationally heralded too.

Recommended Activity: This Sydney Harbour Icons, Bays & Beaches Morning Cruise from allows you to visit most of Sydney’s icons - Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Garden Island and more.
If you want to take a closer, in-depth look at the Sydney Opera House and actually see an Opera performance, then book an experience here - Opera Performance at the Sydney Opera House.

WINNER: SYDNEY

Culture

Culture is where Melbourne really shines. There are so many hidden gems in this amazing city. It might take a little while for you to venture out, but when you do, you’ll find that Melbourne presents itself as a mini-version of the world itself.

Surrounding suburbs such as Box Hill, Carlton, Brunswick, Fitzroy and Collingwood are hotspots for arts, music, cuisine and boast a diverse range of people. A little further out, and suburbs such as Springvale and Dandenong offer unique multicultural pockets (for example, Springvale is a popular place to find Vietnamese food, while Dandenong is a hotspot for Indian, Sri Lankan and Turkish food).

Melbourne’s buildings and houses have retained more of that Victorian-era charm about them, as a lot of the facades of the buildings have been preserved. Examples include the Royal Exhibition Building, Old Treasury Building, Parliament House and buildings along Collins Street.

If you’re a fan of sports, then Melbourne is considered to be richer in this regard. Venues such as the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Marvel Stadium, Rod Laver Area & Melbourne Park are well-known as the battlegrounds for some of the most famous events in cricket, AFL (Australian Rules Football) and tennis. If you’re interested in learning more about the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and Melbourne’s sporting history, I would recommend this affordable, in-depth MCG tour.

In my opinion, there is a stronger focus on contemporary art in Melbourne than in Sydney. I’ve already mentioned the NGV, but other places such as the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Centre for Contemporary Photography and RMIT Gallery also showcase this. Street art is practically inescapable in Melbourne city, and especially celebrated in places such as Hosier Lane, Caledonian Lane and AC/DC Lane.

Recommended Activity: Small Group Melbourne Sightseeing tour, which takes you through many of these sights mentioned.

Public Library of New South Wales, in Sydney

Sydney does have pockets of what I’ve just mentioned about Sydney. Newtown is a great example of Sydney’s more hipster side, where you can find street art, cool bars, cafés, stores and restaurants. Nearby Surry Hills is also well-known for having a bit of a foodie reputation, as well as a popular area for LGBT locals and travelers.

Further out, Cabramatta, Chatswood, Parramatta and Blacktown are all well-known for specialising in particular cuisines, ranging from Vietnamese, Chinese, Middle Eastern and Filipino food.

WINNER: MELBOURNE

Costs and Prices

How much you spend all depends on your budget during your trip, but we will say that we find Sydney to be consistently more expensive than Melbourne. This will permeate in almost all areas of your trip – Uber or taxi rides, accommodation costs, food prices, supermarket prices – everything. It won’t be a massive difference, but you’ll feel it.

WINNER: MELBOURNE

People

We won’t write too much about this one as everyone’s experiences are subjective and anecdotal, but on average, we do find that the Melbourne locals are more friendly than Sydneysiders.

Ralph at the Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens

Melbournians usually have a more laid-back, chilled-out vibe to them. They’re in less of a rush to be somewhere. Sydneysiders are a bit more business-oriented, and have a slightly more no-nonsense approach to social interactions. There’s a bit more of a “work hard, play hard” energy about them, while we find Melbournians to generally be more down-to-earth and relatable.

But on a short visit, we don’t think you’ll feel too much of a difference, as most Australians in general are quite friendly.

WINNER: MELBOURNE

Weather

This one is another really easy one to answer. Melbourne’s weather is notorious for having “four seasons in a day”. Just in the time I’ve written this article, I’ve seen the weather change from bright and sunny, to cloudy and gloomy, to a full on rainstorm, then back to sunny again. Melbourne’s weather is colder in general, and a lot less predictable. Expect your visit to Melbourne to be a bit rainier and cloudier, especially if you’re not visiting during summer months.

Sydney’s weather is pretty glorious most of the year. Sunny days and mild temperatures go hand-in-hand with walks on the beach and exploring Sydney’s nature. It’s generally a bit warmer in Sydney than in Melbourne, as well.

In contrast, this is what your typical day in Sydney looks like!

As a comparison, Sydney has around 100 days of sunshine a year, and Melbourne only has 48 days. That says it all!

WINNER: SYDNEY

Food & Drink

We’ve written about this in the ‘Culture’ section above, but thought that Food and Drink deserved its own category. Apart from the wide range of food available in Melbourne, the city is also synonymous with good coffee. The coffee culture in Melbourne is everywhere to be seen, and you only have to visit places such as Degraves Street, Flinders Lane, North Melbourne, Hardware Lane and Fitzroy to experience it.

Sydney’s food and coffee scene is great and worth exploring as well (see Mecca Coffee, Paramount Coffee Project, Primary Coffee Roasters), but not quite on the same level as Melbourne’s.

Recommended Activities in Melbourne:

Ultimate Foodie Bucket List Tour - The ULTIMATE Foodie tour. Try a variety of cuisines including Spanish, Peruvian, Asian Fusion and Contemporary Australian as you embark on a food experience you’ll never forget.
Melbourne Walking Tour: Uncover Hidden Laneway Bars - This tour is specifically for those who want to discover Melbourne’s best underground bars. Think of it as an elevated pub crawl.
Melbourne Foodie Discovery Walking Tour - This small-group experience takes you through Melbourne’s hidden lanes and streets, as you experience and get to try Melbourne’s best food and drink. Prepare your senses!

Recommended Activities in Sydney:

Sydney Food Tour: Taste of Chinatown - Explore Sydney’s historic Chinatown, with tastings from Chinese, Korean, Malaysian and Thailand cuisines. Yum!
The Rocks Historical Pub Tour: A classic Australian pub tour through ‘The Rocks’ area. If you’re feeling social and ready to have a good time, then this experience is for you.
The 10 Tastings of Sydney With Locals: Private Food Tour - Sample ten tastings with a local. This is a must-do for foodies visiting Sydney.

WINNER: MELBOURNE

Day Trips

Luckily, both cities have some spectacular places to go on day trips. Let’s start with Melbourne. You have the obvious option of the Great Ocean Road, which we’ve written a blog post about. This is an absolute must do, in our opinion. Then, there’s also the underrated Mornington Peninsula, which is worth a visit if you have more than a week in Melbourne.

You also have other options such as Grampians National Park, Lorne, Phillip Island, Wilson’s Promontory, Ballarat, Geelong, Yarra Valley, Mount Buller, Daylesford. I’ve visited all of these and they are all unique and worth visiting in their own way. If I had to pick my favourite day trips out of these, I would highlight the Grampians, Wilson’s Prom and Phillip Island.

The most hassle-free and easiest way to visit some of these destinations is by going on a guided day trip experience. We’ve handpicked these high quality, top rated tours for your recommendation:

Great Ocean Road Small Group Tour - this tour takes you through the main highlights of the stunning Great Ocean Road in a small group.
Mornington Peninsula Sightseeing and Bay Cruise - The Mornington Peninsula is a wonderful beachy area that’s only a couple of hours’ drive away from Melbourne. I absolutely love visiting the Mornington Peninsula region and would highly encourage visiting.
Phillip Island with Penguins plus Viewing Platform - get whisked away to an island that feels like an entire different world to Melbourne, where you’ll visit fantastic beaches, greenery and some of Australia’s famous wildlife - koalas and penguins.
Grampians National Park with MacKenzie Falls - the Grampians are a MUST do when in Melbourne. They feature some of the prettiest mountains I’ve seen.

In Sydney, you have the option to explore the Royal National Park, home to the iconic Wedding Cake Rock. Perhaps Sydney’s most famous day trip is the Blue Mountains, which features spellbinding views of Sydney’s surrounding mountains.

When in Sydney, you can also check out Hunter Valley, Port Stephens, Berrima, Lake Macquarie, Mermaid Pools, Shoalhaven Region, Wollongong and Newcastle.

Recommended Sydney Day Trips:

All Inclusive Small-Group Blue Mountains Day Trip from Sydney with Scenic World - This all-in-one tour takes you through highlights, including The Three Sisters, Scenic World and Sydney Harbour. This tour has EVERYTHING, so you can’t go wrong with it. If you only take one day trip out from Sydney, let it be this one.
Hunter Valley Wine Tour from Sydney incl Lunch, Cheese, Chocolate and Distillery - Are you a fan of wine, cheese and chocolate? Then this tour to the renowned Hunter Valley is a no brainer, and you should definitely book this!
Royal National Park and Cronulla Tour - New South Wales’ Royal National Park is one of my favourite day trips out of Sydney. Very pretty and scenic.

It’s really, really hard to find a winner between these two and we might as well call it a tie, but I think Melbourne edges it out for the sheer variety of day trips.

WINNER: MELBOURNE

Overall Winner – Should I Visit Melbourne or Sydney?

It’s time to decide where to visit – Melbourne or Sydney? The scores are in and the winner is… Melbourne! With a 5-3 lead in the categories, it just narrowly edges out Sydney.

Love street art, coffee, sport and culture? Then you should visit Melbourne.

Still, you should really visit both cities if you’re already making your way Down Under. It’s only a 1.5-hour flight between the two cities, or about a 9-hour drive. It’s also possible to make your way between cities on a train.

Love beaches and nature? Then you should visit Sydney.

We absolutely love both cities and it was super tough picking a winner! But there it is, Melbourne is our choice. Keep in mind that if you prioritise nature and beaches on your trips, then perhaps Sydney would be the better choice.

Australia

The place we call home is also a vast, endless terrain of unique flora and fauna. Australia is more than just kangaroos and koalas - turquoise waters, rugged rocks and breathtaking views make Oceania’s treasure a must-do on any bucket list.

Should I Visit Melbourne or Sydney? [2024]

Where to stay in Melbourne and Sydney?

Where to stay in Melbourne

Budget: Europa Melbourne

Mid-Range: Citadines on Bourke Melbourne

Luxury: QT Melbourne

Where to stay in Sydney

Budget: The Capsule Hotel

Mid-Range: 28 Hotel

Luxury: QT Sydney

Comparison Categories

Museums

Nature

Iconic Sights

Culture

Costs and Prices

People

Weather

Food & Drink

Day Trips

Overall Winner – Should I Visit Melbourne or Sydney?

Would you rather visit Melbourne or Sydney? Let me know in the comments below!

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