How 'bout them apples?!

I guess if you want sponsored Permanent Residency you gotta do what you gotta do…

While in Melbourne for the last 2 years I haven't really considered Brisbane. I was looking to see what – in 2013 – are some positives about such a move? Thoughts?

They're pretty different. Conventional wisdom says Melb has more culture, Bris is more outdoorsy (warmer winters but humid in the summer).

Its such an emotive issue though, people tend to feel strongly about their chosen city. Depending on your job, if its office based there's probably more work and higher paid in Melb, but housing is cheaper in Bris.

I expect a lively debate on their relative merits!

Brisbane is a lovely place to live (although I've worked in Melbourne and the nearby bits of Victoria I've never been tempted to live there) but it has transport problems, depending on where you live and work. If you live either north or south of the CBD the rail and dedicated busways are fairly efficient but travelling by car (or bus on the normal roads) can be painful at peak times - although whether it is worse than Melbourne is a debatable issue. If you live west then there is no decent alternative to the train line (which regularly has problems).

A definite plus is that whatever you are paying in rent/mortgage in Melbourne will buy you a similar property much closer in to the CBD in Brisbane.

If you are a regular theatregoer in Melbourne you will find Brisbane lacks the big shows (they come here for a limited season after finishing Melbourne and Sydney runs) but you will be able to explore a multitude of smaller performances of very high quality.

It's all down to personal preference. The only thing that Melbourne has and Brisbane doesn't which is of interest to me is the Haighs chocolate shop, and I much prefer the fact that Brisbane has rain during the warmer months rather than getting wet and cold at the same time.

I moved from Brisbane to Melbourne. The main benefit I can think of for Brisbane is lower property prices, other than that, ummmmm, errr.......maybe the climate between about June and October...and....nope, that's exhausted it!

Melbourne is a terrific City , Brisbane is a large country town , if you like country towns ----.

I don't.

Brisbane used to be a large country town before Expo in 1988 - now it is definitely a city and a growing one at that, with all the facilities and infrastructure you expect in a major capital.

Whether you can live happily in either city depends on what you want from life. I have lived in both Brisbane and Adelaide and spent time working in all the other capitals (except Hobart) and I know I wouldn't want to live in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra or Perth - I could put up with Darwin at a pinch, and I like what I hear about Hobart.

Ha! Check out all the love for Brissy!

Personally, I like it. Well, maybe it would be more accurate to say I love Queensland, and Brisbane's tolerable, so it evens out to like.

Climate's wonderful, great outdoors is amazing, beaches (around Goldie or Caloundra up) are gorgeous, and it's a city of 1500000, so it's not exactly a backwater.

Yes, it's no Melbourne or Sydney for shopping, events, or culture, but it's what you make of it. There are a hell of a lot of worse places on this planet!

For sure... there's Townsville.

Brissy always looked lovely after spending weeks in Dalby, Chinchilla, Surat Basin/Bowen Basin!

Mining?

Gas... Could have run for bloody Mayor in Dalby, I spent so much time there!

Brisbane is much improved. There is a load to do there, much better with art/exhibitions/shows/events too.

My mid 20's son lives in a luxury apartment overlooking the bridge and good luck if you can catch him home. Big music scene too, someone on here said it beat melbourne on that score and the person lives in melbourne. Loads of markets/outdoor areas too.

Housing is MUCH cheaper than Melb or Sydney. Total bargains still available but it has really started to move.

I dont know how old you are, but there is a massive amount of development approved on the northside and some big towers/retail/ 5 star hotel in the city also approved.

There are beaches near brisbane, along the bayside areas, but they are like melb inner bay beaches. Surf you need Gold coast or Sunshine Coast, both easy access for a weekend.

Casual tho, even in the city, not a place for great lovers of fashion

I'd agree with almost all of that. Maybe not the housing, but as Brissy is the housing market I know best by far then I can't compare too well. I never considered half a million dollars for an asbestos riddled shack, half ab hour from the city, to be good value! Mind you, the floods had an effect on the property market too since I lived there. Being a lot smaller than Melbourne it would make sense that you could get closer to the CBD for the same money, I suppose. Brissy still gets skipped by the big names on tour (or used to not long ago), but more were stopping. And there's some great music festivals there and within a couple of hours drive. As for the fashion?!? I think it's better left unsaid! (Like I'm the trendiest bloke on the planet anyway...)

And Brisbane's added 650,000 people since you last counted as well Btw, Brisbane is the second cheapest mainland capital city for house prices at the moment. Your half a million shack will be closer than half an hour now I didn't think Brisbane gets skipped that much at all these days, not compared to the bad old days