Are you planning to shift base to Melbourne? With its relaxed culture, sporting events, an abundance of dining precincts, and great job prospects, the capital of Victoria could seem like your dream city but make sure you are aware of the city’s advantages and disadvantages before actually relocating.
From its unconventional fashion to its street art, Melbourne is full of surprises but it is also remotely located in a big country with a high cost of living. Let’s look at some of the benefits and drawbacks of moving to this bustling city.
Pros Of Moving To Melbourne
Melbourne is the sporting capital of Australia
Melbourne is Australia’s sporting capital and is a great place to live if you are a sports lover. Whether you love rugby, soccer, tennis or cricket, the sports-loving culture of Melbourne will make you feel at home and you will be rooting for your favourite team even while taking your time settling down.
The city has an abundance of things to do
Whether you’re looking to retreat to nature, need to get your culture fix, or should you be a shopping kind of person, Melbourne has a lot to offer to keep singles, couples, and families engaged and entertained. From its great shopping areas and nightlife to its beautiful parks and museums, you’ll never get bored in this lively and exciting city.
City’s location offers exciting weekend day trip options
In Melbourne, you can get away every weekend. Should you be interested in tasting wine in the Yarra Valley, soaking in the stunning scenery of the Great Ocean Road, or meeting penguins on Phillip Island, the short distance of these from the city will leave you spoilt for choice.
Great city for coffee, education and culture
If you are a coffee addict, love culture and great food, you’ll dig Melbourne. The Victorian capital is one of the most exciting and diverse in Australia, offering a variety of academic options and employment opportunities.
Melbourne’s baristas and cafes brew up some of the best coffee in Australia.
Melbourne is Australia’s cultural capital
Melbourne’s quirkiness, creativity and love of the arts are well-known globally.
If you want to soak in some of Melbourne’s culture, then the National Gallery of Victoria, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, and the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art are a must visit. In addition, the city is home to underground arts movements, such as zine fairs, record stores, artist collectives, and swing dancing clubs.
The annual MCA Zine Fair, a festival featuring a stellar line-up of zinesters, independent presses, and artists, showcases zines, small presses, prints and comics from across the country.
The city is a melting-pot
Melbourne has a diverse population and therefore, celebrates a variety of different cultural events. The Antipodes Festival, Chinese New Year, TET Festival, Melbourne Italian Festa, the Melbourne Fringe Festival, and the Melbourne Queer Film Festival are a few of the events celebrated in the city.
Melbourne’s trams have an extensive network
Trams are both a major form of public transport and one of the city’s most iconic features. From 2013 onwards, the Melbourne International Arts Festival has collaborated with local artists to decorate trams with unique designs called Art Trams!
As of May 2017, the tramway network consisted of 250 km of double tracks, 24 routes, 493 trams, and 1,763 tram stops. Yarra Trams, the operator, claims that the system is the largest operational urban tram network in the world.
Melbourne is bestowed with natural beauty
The city has beautiful outdoor settings, from beaches to parks and much more.
You can sunbathe at St Kilda Beach, take a leisurely walk along the Yarra River, or have a picnic in Fitzroy Gardens.
Melbourne is Australia’s most liveable city
Melbourne was ranked the No. 1 for the most liveable city in Australia and ranks in the 10th spot in the world in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index for 2022. The index reviews 173 cities across the globe in the categories such as stability, culture and environment, education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
Several reasons account for why life in Melbourne is high on the value ladder—there are several public transport options, plenty of jobs, and the city has low crime rates. In addition, the city offers an awesome arts and culture scene, world-class universities and an easy-going lifestyle.
Melbourne offers top-tier accommodations
To settle down in Melbourne depends greatly on its housing options. Luckily, you’ll be spoilt for choice because the city has a wide variety of top-quality housing options supported by a unique sense of community.
City has world-class education & research institutes
Victoria is known as the Education State. As per the QS World University Rankings 2023, many Melbourne universities rank within the top-ranked universities in Australia and the world. The University of Melbourne and Monash University were both ranked in the top 10 universities in Australia (ranking at No. 2 and number six positions, respectively) and also are among the top 100 universities in the world (at No. 33 and No. 57 rankings, respectively). These universities also held top positions in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2023.
While living in Melbourne, you’ll quickly realise that the city is a creative hub, home to world-class academic institutions and has a great entrepreneurial spirit.
The city’s laneway culture is rich & exciting
Melbourne’s winding alleyways are a treasure waiting to be explored with their vibrant environment bristling with shopping plazas, musicians performing live, and quiet street-side book cafes.
The colourful Centre Palace is an ideal spot for great food where you’ll find a plethora of eateries. For street art lovers, a stroll down the paint-splashed Hosier Lane will impress you.
So, if the city appeals to you and meets your requirements, Dawson Moving & Storage removalists Melbourne can make your move to your dream city hassle-free.
Cons Of Moving To Melbourne
Weather is unpredictable
Melbourne, known for feeling like all four seasons in one day, has an unpredictable weather pattern. The Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast would be better options if you are looking for sunnier climes. But, if you don’t particularly like the sticky heat of summer, Melbourne could be your ideal destination.
Melbourne is expensive
Melbourne is the second most expensive city in Australia after Sydney. You should expect to pay higher prices for everything including rents to groceries compared with other Australian cities.
The US and the UK both have a significantly higher cost of living than Australia (21st and 23rd, respectively), which places Australia at the 12th most expensive place to live in the world.
You can feel isolated
Because of Australia’s continental size, its major cities are not located close to one another. Expats, especially those who come from the US and the UK, can feel alienated from their family and friends they left behind because of Australia’s geographic isolation from other parts of the world. The time zone differences and physical distance between the two countries could intensify these feelings.
But still, if you are looking to relocate to Melbourne because you feel its benefits far outweigh its drawbacks, contact Melbourne removalists for a seamless move.
FAQs
Is moving to Melbourne a good idea?
Melbourne regularly ranks as the most liveable city in the world. Numerous public transport options, low crime rates, great career opportunities, a fantastic arts and cultural scene, excellent universities and a relaxed lifestyle make Melbourne a city for everyone.
What are some of the advantages of living in Melbourne?
Melbourne, one of the world’s sporting hubs, has an abundance of restaurants and eateries and shopping arcades that you can visit for retail therapy. In addition, it’s also Australia’s cultural centre, and has a plethora of world-class universities and research facilities. It’s in close proximity of some of the most serene beaches, and has a wide network of public transportation options, including its iconic trams.
What are some of the disadvantages of relocating to Melbourne?
Dreary weather, the high cost of living and its remote location are some of the cons of living in Melbourne.
How much does it cost to relocate interstate in Australia?
On an average, moving interstate will cost you between $2,600 – $5,850 for a three-bedroom house move.
These are only averages and the actual costs depend on the amount of furniture you have and the types of furniture (you need to budget more for a piano, a king-size bed, or several lounge suites), but these figures will give you a rough idea to help you allocate your moving budget accordingly.
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