Pros and Cons of Living in Melbourne: My Best Advice

What is it like to live in Melbourne?

After moving from Japan to Australia, I often get asked “why did you choose to live in Melbourne?” and “is Melbourne a good place to live in?”. For many people, when they think of Australia they think tropical weather, long white sandy beaches… or Sydney. Living in Melbourne is not like that at all. Therefore, the pros and cons of Australia are very different from the pros and cons of living in Melbourne. There are a lot of advantages to living in Melbourne, from getting to admire the European style architecture to the high quality of living. However, living in Melbourne does have its challenges, too.

What you will find here: The Pros and Cons of Living in Melbourne

I think it is important to understand the context in which I’m writing this: my partner and I have been living in Melbourne for three years now so I’ll be sharing my personal opinion on the city based on our experience here. He is from Slovenia and I am from New Zealand (I was actually born in Australia but left when I was a baby).

I’ve lived in New Zealand, England, and Japan (you can read my pros and cons of living in Japan, too) before moving to Australia in 2021. So if you’re thinking of moving to Australia and not sure if Melbourne is the right fit for you, make sure you consider these pros and cons of living in Melbourne below before making the big decision!

The Pros of living in Melbourne, Australia

You can walk to the beach but still be able to get into the city by tram or train in 30 mins

This probably comes with a bit of a disclaimer because if you live on the north side of the river then you will definitely not be walking to the beach. However, if you live on the south side of the river like I do it is totally reasonable to be able to walk to the beach in the morning and still be able to catch a train trip to work in the city. It is the perfect balance in my opinion. I wake up to birds singing and absolute quiet, but I can still get into the city by train or tram.

Everything is so ✨aesthetic✨

The trams are basically little Pinterest vehicles. There are art galleries and installations everywhere. Beautiful well-kept parks and intricate architecture. Much of the inner city still has a traditional Parisian vibe which makes you feel like you’ve escaped to Europe. Then, you’ll find many gentrified inner city suburbs to cafe-hunt and sip coffee while people watching. It is like Berlin met London and NYC and had a little baby and that baby only wears Issey Miyake.

There is vegan food everywhere

What more do I need to say? Melbourne is vegan heaven. I would even go as far to say that it is the most vegan-friendly place I’ve ever visited. Seal of approval!

The coffee is 10/10 basically anywhere

Brunch culture is very strong in Melbourne and Australia in general. But nowhere does coffee like Melbourne. If you’re considering pros and cons of living in Melbourne, coffee has to be on that list. Melbourne is world renowned for being a coffee centre. You will hear Melburnians tell you exactly where the best coffee is like they got a PhD in it. But as someone who has lived in a coffee dessert (Japan, I’m looking at you), I can tell you that even the worst coffee here is better than the majority of coffee overseas.

The ‘Muji’ aesthetic is popular so I never feel like I miss Japan

Honestly there is very little that I miss from Japan that I can’t get into in Melbourne. Melburnians love Japan – they are obsessed. From ramen to Muji to Daiso to Uniqlo to Japanese ceramics, you can get it all here. You’ll easily find Japanese cosmetic stores and Asian supermarkets here with imported Japanese products.

Chadstone mall is awesome

I know every Melburnian is going to roll their eyes at me for this one but I don’t care. I love malls and Chadstone mall is the best mall in Australia. If you love shopping then living in Melbourne is definitely something to consider.

The Cons of living in Melbourne, Australia

People do not pick up after their dogs here so the footpaths are like landmines. 

This might not seem like a big problem but the thing about Melburnians is that everybody owns a dog (and I mean everybody). Melburnians love to take the dogs for a walk but they do not like to pick up after them. This is particularly bad in the inner city areas like South Yarra (also known as the ‘Sydney of Melbourne’).

The weather sucks

All I’m going to say is that if you’re from England, you’ll feel right at home because every conversation will start with some spiel about how the weather is just not living up to everyone’s expectations. Also, it will probably be raining.

Biking is like playing Russian roulette with your life

Melbourne is supposed to be the most progressive city in Australia but you will find that the majority of people here still drive massive SUVs and gas-guzzling diesel cars. The Australian dream is to own land so the city continues to sprawl outwards. Even though there are trains and trams, bikes have not become a popular mode of transport yet.

Car culture is the norm here and resembles something like the USA. Melburnians still have the mindset that bikes are a threat to road space. The majority of bike lanes that do exist are not infrastructure, but just a line of paint where you can cycle as long as no one has parked on the side of the road. I used to ride my bike everywhere in Tokyo but I can’t see myself risking my life here so I mostly stick to trams and trains.

People will judge you for what side of the river you live on

The northern side of the Yarra River is the best side of Melbourne. That is what you have to say, or they will come for you. The height of sophistication in Melbourne is to cosplay a poor, tortured artist in a Fitzroy apartment paid for by your parents. Think HBO’s Girls, but everyone is a lot more nasally. In all seriousness, the inner north is where you’ll find all the best vegan spots and trendy bars, whereas the further south you go the more dairy-presenting things get, but far more beachy. You will be judged on where you sit on that scale and you probably won’t hang out with people from ‘the other side’.

The homes were made by two of ‘the three little pigs’

Houses and apartments in Melbourne are very poor quality. This is a problem in all of the country and one of the major cons of living in Australia in general. Unfortunately, Melbourne has some of the worst. If you have $2 million dollars to buy a 1950’s home 30 minutes outside of the city that has wonky walls and still has an outhouse, then you’re in luck because that is all you’ll be getting when living in Melbourne. Looking for something cheaper? Well you have the option of a studio apartment in a condemned skyscraper in the vast wasteland that is Docklands.

Think you’ll just rent? You will need some luck when you’re competing with 500 other applications for the same mould-ridden, leaky apartment. And don’t even think you can renovate, because then you’ll need to find a tradesperson that isn’t going to rip you off and ruin your home.

Drinking Starbucks in Melbourne is social suicide

If you thought – even just for a second – that it would be OK to drink something as low-brow as a generic, chain-brand American coffee you would be very, very wrong. As a secret member of Starbucks Anonymous myself, I can tell you that it is not OK to be seen drinking anything but barista brewed coffee when living in Melbourne, even if you just really want a simple, sugar-filled drink. You have been warned.

ITS SO FAR FROM absolutely EVERYTHING

A trip to Perth takes longer than going to New Zealand. And Europe? Forget about it. Even if you were up for a long haul flight, you’ve still got to find one that doesn’t have 50 stops. It is a great thing Melbourne is cute because you’re stuck here!