Help... Melbourne or Perth?? Wht do others think?? What areas of Melbourne are nice to live but not stupidly expensive... I've looked at Perth and Adelaide but not aware of areas in Melbourne...

Hard to compare Melbourne and Perth......

What do you consider to be "stupidly expensive"?

BB

Our budget for rent is $300 - $ 400 per week..... I've read that the beaches aren't too nice in Melbourne...

Struggling to understand how rent and niceness of beaches are linked....but anyway....

What are you hoping to rent for $300 per week? Studio flat? 4 bed house? How far do you want to be from CBD? Is the beach the most important part of your move as you seem to intimate above?

BB

Can only comment on perth but you will only get a 1 bed small flat proberbly without any aircon for that. I am paying 350 for a 2 bed flat with air con only in the main room which isnt so good on these hot 35+ nights

You could rent something possibly liveable in Perth for that price but it'd be in the far south or far north and more like the top end of your budget. Not sure what you'd get in melb for that price but if i had a choice I'd be going to Melbourne or anyother eastern town. Perths not the worst place to live but it's certainly not the best either.

Echo what others have said. You won't get much for that budget in Perth unless you live a fair way out!! If you want a more cosmopolitan lifestyle with easy and quick access to several other big Australian cities then Melbourne is perhaps more suitable for you.

You will get a new 4 x 2 in the West of Melbourne for that. Some people from the East turn their nose up at the west but been here 3 years and I find its ok. Only 45 minutes into the city, and the airport, loads of places to go down the Great Ocean Road etc. They are constantly building and it is slowly starting to improve with new roads and rail links. Loads of things going on in the city and the big sporting events are here, Grand Prix, tennis etc. Beaches arent that bad, how much time do you spend on them anyway. If you are working full time wont be a lot.

Yes, a lot of people is the rest of Melbourne put down the West, but the reality is that it has undergone a massive change in the last 10 years due to the growth. I mean take Point Cook, the majority of people living there seem to be middle-class professionals with families. Extremely safe area with good developing facilities. Many people just don't want to pay the ridiculously inflated prices in the south east. And places like Spotswood, Kingsville, Seddon, Newport etc are quicker to the city than South Yarra for 1/2 the price.

Anyway, surprised this thread has even gone for this long - Melbourne by a country mile.

Thanks people.. I struggle to get why some members need to be so sarcastic in their comments... But thanks for the advice.. Obviously I'm just trying to o my bit research on areas.. And yes the beach is at the top of my list after the most important things... We are a family that loves the beach.. Why not???

Melbourne has fantastic beaches St Kilda, Brighton, Sandringham, all the mornington peninsula, Williamstown, Altona,some of the beaches around point cook are shingly and not brilliant but Altona is just down the road and has huge stretches of white sand

I read the thread twice, who was being sarcastic?

Anyway my tuppence worth, haven't lived in either and don't particularly like either from visits. However for sure would pick Melbourne, as I don't like the isolation of Perth and prefer east for accessibility to rest of country. My perception is that Perth would have better beaches, however that is just a perception, I have never looked at the Melbourne ones.

Perth would have nicer looking beaches, although Melbourne ones are very nice - I have no problem with them.

The great thing about Melbourne's beaches is that you can freely use them in the summer/autumn - 23 degrees water temp, water clear enough for snorkelling and no stingers, no sharks, nothing nasty to hurt you in the water.

BB

The northern bay tops out about 23/24C in high summer and it doesn't stay there for long. It certainly isn't 23C in March, April and beyond.

Here's Black Rock 2 weekends ago...water temp about 21C/22C I think.

Thanks so much.. I'm sure I can see myself on that pic!!! Fingers crossed!!!
Cheers people..