Should I Visit Sydney or Melbourne for Vacation? Which is Better? Which is Cheaper? Which is More Expensive?

Should you visit Sydney or Melbourne?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Sydney or Melbourne, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Sydney or Melbourne?

Sydney

Sydney, known as the harbour city, is the most famous and frequently visited city in Australia. It is at the economical and cultural heart of the country, and is one of the most beautiful and livable cities in the world. It's situated on the water with stunning views of the famous harbour throughout the city. It's most famous landmarks include the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is also very close wonderful beaches, parks, and nature.

Melbourne

Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia, after Sydney. It is also the capital city of the state of Victoria, in southeastern Australia. Melbourne is arguably the best city to experience culture and the arts in Australia. There is a friendly rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney over livability and popularity and Melbourne is definitely the city to visit for its parks, shopping, restaurants, galleries and theaters. Like Sydney, it is situated on the water, at the head of Port Phillip Bay. It's a beautiful city, and although it lacks the major sights that you'll find in Sydney such as the Sydney Opera House or the Harbour Bridge, you will never find yourself lacking for entertainment. It is also a wonderful base for exploring many of the nearby highlights, including Grampians National Park, The Great Ocean Road, and Phillip Island where you can view the penguin parade.

Which place is cheaper, Melbourne or Sydney?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

Sydney Prices
Australia Prices

Melbourne Prices
Australia Prices
Average Daily Cost Per person, per day

Sydney $291

Melbourne $181

The average daily cost (per person) in Sydney is $291, while the average daily cost in Melbourne is $181. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Sydney and Melbourne in more detail.

Accommodation

Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person

Sydney $99

Melbourne $122
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room

Sydney $198

Melbourne $244

Compare Hotels in Sydney and Melbourne

Looking for a hotel in Sydney or Melbourne? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.

Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Sydney Hotel Prices and Melbourne Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation

Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.

Sydney $15

Melbourne $20

Typical Local Transportation prices in Sydney

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Sydney:

Taxi Ride

$13
Taxi to Airport

$17

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sydney

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sydney:

Transfer in private vehicle from Sydney Downtown City to Airport: $55
Transfer in private vehicle from Sydney Airport to Sydney Downtown: $55
Transfer in private minivan from Sydney Airport to Sydney Downtown: $75
Transfer in private Minivan from Sydney City Downtown to Airport: $75
Transfer from Sydney Airport to Sydney Central Business District - ROUND TRIP: $176
Private Transfer to or from Sydney Airport: $61
Premium Airport Transfer with Meet and Greet: $56
Airport to/from City Private Transfer: $74
Airport Shuttle Transfer to and from CBD Hotels: $18
Sydney's Best Chauffeured Airport Transfers: $50
Sydney to Sydney Airport (SYD) - Departure Private Transfer: $42
Sydney Transfer (Airport to Hotel in Sydney Central Business) ROUND-TRIP: $149

Typical Local Transportation prices in Melbourne

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Melbourne:

Airport Bus

$11
Tram Ride

$2.51

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Melbourne

Also for Melbourne, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

Airport Shuttle and Transfers: $118
Airport Transfers: $101
Avalon Airport Transfers: $135
Departure Private Transfer Melbourne City to Melbourne Airport MEL Business Car: $86
Departure Private Transfer Melbourne City to Melbourne Airport MEL by Luxury Van: $103
Departure Private Transfer Melbourne City to Melbourne Airport MEL by Sedan Car: $73
Departure Private Transfers: Melbourne to Melbourne Airport MEL in Business Car: $96
Departure Private Transfers: Melbourne to Melbourne Airport MEL in Luxury Van: $131
Low Cost Private Transfer From Melbourne International Airport to Melbourne City - One Way: $108
Melbourne AIRPORT TRANSFER: $79
Melbourne Airport Departure Transfer from Melbourne CBD Hotels: $23
Melbourne Airport To CBD Transfers Sedan (Audi A8, BMW 7 & Mercedes S-Class): $78

Is it cheaper to fly into Sydney or Melbourne?

Prices for flights to both Melbourne and Sydney change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.

Food

Food Meals for one day

Sydney $45

Melbourne $31

Typical Food prices in Sydney

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Sydney:

Tea

$2.64
Lunch Special

$9.92
Food/Drink Coogie Beach

$9.92
Meat Pies

$3.31

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sydney

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Sydney.

Retro Dinner Cruise on Sydney Harbour: $59
Dinner Christmas Party! Nov&Dec: $62
Vivid Dinner Cruise Sydney Harbour: $63
Latino Dinner Cruise on Sydney Harbour: $67
Harbour Dinner Cruise with 3 or 6-Course Menu: $71
Valentine's Day Dinner Cruise with live Brazilian show on Sydney Harbour: $78
Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise: $78
Tall Ship Harbour Twilight Dinner Cruise: $79
Australia Day Dinner and Fireworks Cruise on Sydney Harbour: $103
Harbor Cruise with 3-Course Premium Dinner: $123
Sydney Harbour Dinner Cruise: $126
Sydney Harbour Gold Penfolds Dinner Cruise: $197

Typical Food prices in Melbourne

For Melbourne, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:

Coffee

$2.64
Pizza

$4.63

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Melbourne

For Melbourne, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

The Eynesbury Homestead: Dinner and 1.5-Hour Ghost Tour: $54
Eynesbury Homestead Dinner and Ghost Tour: $63
Traditional Sri Lankan Cooking Class: $72
Spice Factory 3-Hour Indian Cooking Class: $90
Private Australian Cooking Class in Melbourne using Native Produce: $125
Withlocals The 10 Tastings: Melbourne Private Food Tour: $131
Vegan Cooking Class: $146
Private Modern Australian Cooking Class with a Professional Chef in Melbourne: $166
Private Market Tour and Australian Cooking Class with a Local Chef in her Home: $203
[PRIVATE TOUR] Best Of Melbourne Food Tours: $462

Entertainment

Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.

Sydney $32

Melbourne $28

Typical Entertainment prices in Sydney

Here are a few typical costs in Sydney for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:

Theatre Show

$30
Sydney Tower Visit (for 2)

$31
Blue Mountain Tour/Featherdale Park (for 2)

$126
Powerhouse Museum

$9.95

Tours and Activities in Sydney

Here are a few actual costs in Sydney for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

1 Hour Northern Beaches Trike Tour: $127
10-Day Surf Adventure from Sydney to Brisbane Including Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay and Gold Coast: $2,371
2 Hours Running Tour in Sydney: $170
2-Day Hunter Valley Small-Group Tasting Tour: $420
2hr Explorer Cruise - Sydney's best value whale watching cruise: $47
3 Hour Discovery Cruise Ultimate Whale Watching Experience: $69
3-Day Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley Small-Group Eco-Tour: $908
3-Day Tour from Sydney to the Gold Coast Including Port Stephens and Byron Bay: $832
3.5 Hours Explore Bondi Beach and Sydney Sightseeing Tour: $168
4 Day Blue Mountains & the Southern Highlands Adventure: $1,367
4-Hour Private Sydney Sightseeing Tour with Pickup: $427
6 Hour South Coast Tour: $340

Tours and Activities in Melbourne

For Melbourne, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

Live like a Local: Explore some favourite spots on a playful audio walking tour: $5.40
Melbourne Audio Tour: A Self-Guided Walk Through the City: $6.99
Questo Self-guided Haunted Melbourne Walking Tour: $12
Melbourne Self-Guided Audio Tour: $13
Melbourne Self-Guided Audio Tour: $14
Melbourne Sports Walking Tour: $14
Green Cabs Melbourne Tours: $16
Eureka Skydeck 88 Admission Ticket: $20
ArtVo Immersive Gallery Experience: $22
Tour guide services: $22
Melbourne Ghost Tour: $23
Gangsters & Candy Stores (night tour with laser projector): $25

Alcohol

Alcohol Drinks for one day

Sydney $15

Melbourne $17

Typical Alcohol prices in Sydney

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Sydney:

Wine

$11

Sample the Local Flavors in Sydney

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Sydney:

Urban Winery Wine Tasting Tour with Cheese Platter: $61
Brewery, Winery, and Distillery Tasting Tour: $112
Northern Beaches Brewery Tour and Tasting: $123
Small-Group Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tour from Sydney: $130
Hunter Valley Wine Tour from Sydney with Lunch and 3 Cellar Door Tastings: $138
Hunter Valley Small Group Luxury Wine Tasting Tour from Sydney: $138
Sip n Savour: Southern Highlands Premium Wine Tour from Sydney: $154
Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tour from Sydney: $157
Wine Tours Sydney - Southern Highlands Day Escape, Full Day Wine Tasting Tour: $217
Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Small Group: Cheese, Choc, Lunch, from Sydney+Hunter: $217
Hunter Valley Wine Tour from Sydney | Private Sydney Wine Tour: $356
Hunter Valley Highlights Private Wine Tour from Sydney: $387

Typical Alcohol prices in Melbourne

Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Melbourne from other travelers:

Bottle of Wine

$5.12

Sample the Local Flavors in Melbourne

Also in Melbourne, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

Melbourne Bar Hunt: Melbourne Breakout Bar Crawl: $12
Melbourne CBD Pub Crawl: $16
Carlton Brewhouse Brewery Tour with Beer Tasting: $24
Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Day Tour from Melbourne: $78
Hops and Barrels- Hop on Hop off Wine Tour Mornington Peninsula.: $83
Small-Group Guided Yarra Valley Winery Tour with Wine Tasting: $104
Yarra Valley Wine Tour with Local Harvest Tastings from Melbourne: $115
Yarra Valley Local Produce and Wine Tasting Tour: $115
Yarra Valley Wine Tour inc lunch with a glass of wine, tastings and chocolate: $115
Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Tour Departing from Melbourne: $118
Mornington Peninsula Winery Tour Including Wine Tastings and 2-Course Lunch: $118
Yarra Valley Smaller Wineries Food and Wine Tour: $134

About these numbers

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sydney and Melbourne, we can see that Sydney is more expensive. And not only is Melbourne much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Melbourne would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Melbourne and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Sydney would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Sydney than you might in Melbourne.

When is the best time to visit Sydney or Melbourne?

Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the southern hemisphere, summer is in January and winter is in July.

Should I visit Sydney or Melbourne in the Summer?

The summer brings many poeple to Sydney as well as Melbourne.

In January, Sydney is generally a little warmer than Melbourne. Temperatures in Sydney average around 23°C (73°F), and Melbourne stays around 20°C (68°F).

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Melbourne. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Sydney this time of the year. In the summer, Sydney often gets less sunshine than Melbourne. Sydney gets 236 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Melbourne receives 271 hours of full sun.

Sydney receives a lot of rain in the summer. Sydney usually gets more rain in January than Melbourne. Sydney gets 116 mm (4.6 in) of rain, while Melbourne receives 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain this time of the year.

Summer Average Temperatures January

Sydney 23°C (73°F)

Melbourne 20°C (68°F)

Should I visit Sydney or Melbourne in the Autumn?

Both Melbourne and Sydney are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities.

Sydney is a little warmer than Melbourne in the autumn. The temperature in Sydney is usually 19°C (65°F) in April, and Melbourne stays around 15°C (60°F).

Sydney usually receives more sunshine than Melbourne during autumn. Sydney gets 195 hours of sunny skies, while Melbourne receives 170 hours of full sun in the autumn.

It's quite rainy in Sydney. In April, Sydney usually receives more rain than Melbourne. Sydney gets 120 mm (4.7 in) of rain, while Melbourne receives 50 mm (2 in) of rain each month for the autumn.

Autumn Average Temperatures April

Sydney 19°C (65°F)

Melbourne 15°C (60°F)

Should I visit Sydney or Melbourne in the Winter?

Both Melbourne and Sydney during the winter are popular places to visit.

In the winter, Sydney is a little warmer than Melbourne. Typically, the winter temperatures in Sydney in July are around 12°C (53°F), and Melbourne is about 9°C (49°F).

It's quite sunny in Sydney. In the winter, Sydney often gets more sunshine than Melbourne. Sydney gets 208 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Melbourne receives 139 hours of full sun.

Sydney usually gets more rain in July than Melbourne. Sydney gets 54 mm (2.1 in) of rain, while Melbourne receives 43 mm (1.7 in) of rain this time of the year.

Winter Average Temperatures July

Sydney 12°C (53°F)

Melbourne 9°C (49°F)

Should I visit Sydney or Melbourne in the Spring?

The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Sydney and Melbourne.

In October, Sydney is generally a little warmer than Melbourne. Temperatures in Sydney average around 18°C (64°F), and Melbourne stays around 14°C (57°F).

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Melbourne this time of the year. In Sydney, it's very sunny this time of the year. Sydney usually receives more sunshine than Melbourne during spring. Sydney gets 240 hours of sunny skies, while Melbourne receives 216 hours of full sun in the spring.

In October, Sydney usually receives more rain than Melbourne. Sydney gets 79 mm (3.1 in) of rain, while Melbourne receives 62 mm (2.4 in) of rain each month for the spring.

Spring Average Temperatures October

Sydney 18°C (64°F)

Melbourne 14°C (57°F)

Typical Weather for Melbourne and Sydney

	Sydney		Melbourne
	Temp (°C)	Rain (mm)	Temp (°C)	Rain (mm)
Jan	23°C (73°F)	116 mm (4.6 in)	20°C (68°F)	45 mm (1.8 in)
Feb	23°C (73°F)	113 mm (4.4 in)	20°C (68°F)	43 mm (1.7 in)
Mar	21°C (70°F)	148 mm (5.8 in)	19°C (65°F)	35 mm (1.4 in)
Apr	19°C (65°F)	120 mm (4.7 in)	15°C (60°F)	50 mm (2 in)
May	15°C (60°F)	88 mm (3.5 in)	13°C (55°F)	55 mm (2.2 in)
Jun	13°C (55°F)	128 mm (5 in)	10°C (50°F)	37 mm (1.5 in)
Jul	12°C (53°F)	54 mm (2.1 in)	9°C (49°F)	43 mm (1.7 in)
Aug	13°C (55°F)	90 mm (3.5 in)	10°C (51°F)	51 mm (2 in)
Sep	15°C (59°F)	60 mm (2.4 in)	12°C (53°F)	48 mm (1.9 in)
Oct	18°C (64°F)	79 mm (3.1 in)	14°C (57°F)	62 mm (2.4 in)
Nov	20°C (67°F)	101 mm (4 in)	16°C (61°F)	49 mm (1.9 in)
Dec	22°C (71°F)	81 mm (3.2 in)	18°C (65°F)	47 mm (1.9 in)

A Travel Price Comparison for Australia Sydney vs. Melbourne for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons