Best Cities in Australia: Ranked! 

Some things that were missed out on: Darwin: Is good if you don’t mind the heat and want a really laid back lifestyle. The Arafura Sea is the most productive fishing sea in the world and lots of people like to hunt or fish. There are almost no typical arts or culture outside of First Nations, however First Nations arts and culture are the best in the nation. If you like to be active outside though, Darwin is not the place. Most people don’t go out in the sun during the day, when you are playing team sports you are constantly battling the heat and any other activities you might do in nature like surfing, hiking, climbing or swimming are very limited. You also can’t go into the water especially in the wet because of crocodiles and box jellyfish. Darwin also has a young diverse population. Adelaide: I think everyone is echoing this in the comments, it is the festival city. It has never had a recession so it has a lot of historic building (like Perth). It’s wineries are world renowned and I would say the nicest wine region in Australia, they have cooler climates in the hills and warmer climates elsewhere so they have a large number of places that do a variety of reds and whites. Also the wineries are a lot less industrialised as well so you can really tell the differences between the wines and vintages. There are a decent number of cultural activities, the food is outstanding and there is quite a variety. The outdoor activities and sports are even fairly decent for example there is an impressive indoor rock climbing scene (comparable to Brisbane), coastal paragliding is world class and surfing is great if you like quieter beaches and easier parking with the Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula and kangaroo island. Also there is the flinders ranges and Grampians (VIC) if you want to go out of the way a bit. Adelaide’s population is a lot less diverse outside of University circles however they are a lot more friendly then the National average. Canberra: has negative nightlife but has a bit to do in the day and over the weekend, you already mentioned the Snowies but you didn’t mention the South Coast being a weekend trip away. Jervis bay has the whitest sand in Australia and is a really great place for just about anything water related while also not being too crowded. I. The summer the surrounding areas of Canberra are very good for horse riding, mountain biking or motorcycling. The snowies also have great white water rafting in the spring. The food is decent, although the restaurants don’t try to be too trendy. Sports are decent. There is a lot of nice parklands and its generally nice to be outside in the city. The culture is also decent and you are also 3 hours from Sydney so if you want to go for any big events, use Sydney airport or do shopping you can (without having to actually live in Sydney). Canberra does have a diverse population, however the demographics are a lot more family oriented so you won’t meet as many people out. Sydney: Pretty accurate. overcrowded, expensive, accommodation is about 150% the price of Melbourne. But the weather is probably the nicest in Australia if you are in the city or the eastern suburbs, you don’t experience the 4 seasons in one day and the heatwave are usually milder then the other southern cities as well as the winters. However the western suburbs are not the same at all, that weather is bad in the summer. Also Bondi is crowded but the northern beaches are a little better and the central and southern coast are a lot less crowded. They are out of the way but honestly pretty comparable to Brisbane and Melbourne. The public transport in Sydney to the suburbs is definitely the best in Australia, if you are staying near a train station and aren’t farther out of the city then Parramatta or Liverpool you are having a great time. If you compare it to Melbourne, the moment you get outside of inner city suburbs the trains are so sparse, it’s so bad that people living out in suburbs equivalent to Liverpool or Parramatta in Sydney usually chose to drive for commuting. And if you are in a suburb equivalent the Penrith in Melbourne, your train is probably coming once and hour. Driving, parking and tolls are however the worst in Sydney. Obviously food, shopping, culture, sports are all outstanding in Sydney. Also you mentioned the blue mountains, which are nice to visit. The Blue mountains, Nowra (Southern coast) and point perpendicular (Jervis bay) makes up pretty much all of Australia’s sport climbing and the eastern and northern suburbs make up most of Australia’s outdoor bouldering. Sydney’s population, like Melbourne, can’t be more diverse, but also like Melbourne, people are a lot more busy and a little less laid back out in public. Hobart was overhyped in this list because the city has no night life, no culture, limited sports. Tasmania does have good mountain biking, 4wd, good white wine regions, nice cheeses, good seafood and some very gorgeous land, but the population there is a lot less diverse and a lot older compared to a lot of the other cities, if you want to meet people in Tasmania it’s in daily interactions or specific interest groups. Perth is great. It is the most isolated city in the world and I know some people call it the quiet city. You won’t get many events there like sports or singers/bands. If you have a 4wd and a lot of spare time the coast is amazing and there are a lot of nice places to fish, surf, spearfish and snorkel. WA has its own reefs. The sea keeps the massive great white sharks well fed. Swan valley is a good wine region. The city has very good culture, decent food, and a decently diverse population. The people are also a bit more laid back and it is a bit easier to meet new people. WA punches above its weight in the performance arts with WAPA, but like a alluded to, don’t expect any international tours. The buildings are also the cleanest and most well kept in Australia. Compared to most of Australia cities the central area is a bit of a concrete jungle but the buildings a bulls to be aesthetic. Melbourne: the beaches are very limited and cold, however the surf is good with the waters coming off the bass straight. There are a very wide range of ecosystems to visit but all are about 3 hours away. There is the great ocean road, the Grampians, the Australian Alps. There are also temperate rain Forrest’s, dormant volcanos. The Mornington peninsula is a nice coastal area and there a a lot of smaller fishing towns along the great ocean road. There is a lot of artistry chocolates and cheeses in the Yarra and Mornington peninsula as well as a decent wine region. The accomodation can also be a lot more affordable for its location, it is however quite small. The sports, performance art and other art are probably the best in Australia. However the outer suburbs are a lot less connected and pleasant then Sydney outer suburbs, especially by public transport. Also the coffee is overrated, now most cities have very good quality coffee, the food is overrated, I would say it doesn’t really deviate from Sydney much, Sydney might even be better if you are looking for Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Arabic or Italian food. I would say Adelaide is punching above it’s weight compared to Melbourne. Brisbane is probably about right, but only because it can be hot in the summer and is either flooding, on fire or in a severe drought. Outside of that it is incredibly affordable while having similar ammenities to Sydney or Melbourne. It does also have a lot of water based activities up north like you mentions. Brisbane can be diverse and young but is also probably the whitest of the 3 largest cities. I am also confident that the bogan emerged from Brisbane.

Finally someone who’s actually been to the cities making one of these videos. I’ve been to them all and I think you nailed it. I’m a tad biased coz I’m Perth born and raised but I’m so proud of our city, especially as you mention, the changes over the last 20 years.

Wonderfully done video mate. You have done a great job and in honest ways. Cheers.

Adelaide is the biggest country town in Australia. We’ve got the Barossa Valley, Fringe Festival and Tour Down Under.....all “civilised” attractions. Surely we’re better than Canberra. Life is easy and housing is relatively inexpensive.

Adelaide should be higher but i think Perth deserves first place

Is this list something you’d advise for tourists too? Thinking of visiting Australia from the UK and I’m unsure where to go!

Dad was a genius for moving from Sydney to Perth in 97

Beautifully Ranked and explained thanks 🙏🏽

Thanks for the vid. There are many insects and dangerous animals in Perth?

Good job…..! thank you.

I wouldn't call Perth the most dynamic. Also I wouldn't say it was that different 20 years ago. Certainly the city looks a lot trendier in the central business district with more restaurants and interesting bars and living spaces. But the coast line in the city and the river areas are amazing. Just buy in an area not too far from the coast or river and you'll get all the coastal breezes and have plenty of open spaces.

Your accent is what I hear when I think of "Standard Aussie Accent" 😁

Wait Hobart where it's must be super high in the list I love Hobart

Fun fact: Adelaide the city of roadworks ! BAM

My parents chose Perth because of the weather "three months of hell for nine of bliss" (never been to any other) 1: Hobart (beauty) 2: Perth (culture of difference with east) No idea for Darwin, Brisbane and Adelaide (many say Adelaide is also dull) 7/8 Sydeny and Melbourne (traffic and cluster of people) 8: Canberra (the bubble)

IMO the commentator has not even been to Adelaide because if he had he would have been giving a more rounded accurate picture. Yes it’s not an iconic Australian city because it’s European and is completely distinct from other cities for this reason . Architecture and food and wine are superlative as is culture and the arts. An extremely elegant and poised city with a pace and quality of life unlike the other capitals. Not to mention access to the most diverse nature and landscapes. That said there is not a bad apple amongst any of the capitals. They are all worthy winners offering their own spoils. But Radelaide is certainly par excellence for many unique reasons ❤️

I’ve lived all around the country and Adelaide will always be home. It’s inner city vibe is unbeatable, the surrounding suburbs, how green it is.. you buggin

Yea right oh mate that's why today on national media Adelaide is 3rd most livable city in the world 2021,where a very balanced city.plain and simple!

Adealide, Australia's largest country town, from the point of view of other capitals.

Perth doesn't have shops open all the time or restaurants. Number of reasons. The interest groups don't want shops open all the time. (workers and small business groups). Employees don't like it. Plus as Perth is low density there just isn't the population base to have places open all the time. Restaurants would just lose money. Really its the casino or nothing and even then I would thing the restaurants there would probably close. The culture is less about eating out late or going shopping as a weekend hobby. People spend more time going outside and exercising. But I do think lack of population density is a major reason.

I’d like to visit cairns because it reminds me of Miami

love Perth, Melbourne wins for me as there is more opportunities to get ahead in life. Education, work and low cost of living with amazing cultural diversity.

Crispin, time to visit Darwin, we lived there for 16 years. Charlene can tell you all about it. Only a few days in a year, very wet time, you have clothes drying issue. Other times of the year, clothes dry in no time as it is very hot and humid.

I think we need to start thinking of Brisbane and The Gold Coast as twin cities, they're the 3rd and 6th biggest cities in Australia with their surburban areas bordering each other. The local population lives, works and plays in both cities because it takes less time to travel between the two than it does to travel from one side of Sydney/Melbourne to the other. If you're a tourist and you visit Brisbane, it would be unheard of for you not to spend time on the Gold Coast. If you're a foreign tourist and you choose to visit Hobart instead of Brisbane/Gold Coast, you will likely regret it.

I have never really lived in any of those cities (which are btw all great), but with the exception of Perth and Canberra I spent a week or more in all of them. So just as a visitor my impressions are probably quite superficial and focused on what I liked in terms of tourism, sceneries and leisure, but my rankings would be quite different: Darwin - too hot, muggy and not much to see in the city itself Adelaide - kind of more boring that the the rest Melbourne - less interesting coast, architecture, not very nice beaches, weather not very pleasant Hobart - beautiful surroundings and the city itself. A little bit too small though Sydney - for me the best, fantastic beaches and very diverse seacoast, very nice architectural landmarks I did not have any great desire to visit Canberra, but I would love to visit Perth one day.

Fun fact: Perth is in the most populated timezone on Earth.

Which city has a nice weather which does not experience hot

Great list. I'm from Canberra but agree almost entirely.

Perth is not that good. It's like a 6/10. Better than average, but the only reason it's not 3/10 is because of rotto

In my opinion Perth has gone to crap in the last 20 years. It is turning into the same overpopulated mess you get everywhere.

Imma foriegner i would have done it better But yeah still not bad review but could have improved

Excuse me Bruv Adelaide has Malls Balls! We’ve got Pigs Fucken We’ve got Amazing beaches, Kangaroo Fucken island, we literally have the coat of arms as an island Bruv We got some good Shit here! Flinders Rangers Riverland Wineries Sick windy roads through the hills We got Hahndorf mate! And the BEST city layout in the country. Go on. What’s better than a giant interconnecting square. It’s impossible to get lost in the city

You forgot to mention the chad Mark mcgowan

You really have little idea about Melbourne if you think it was "all happening" until "about the mid-90s". The city was only reemergimg in the 90s. Early 90s the CBD was dead. It only started popping in the 2000s.

I was born in Newcastle and still live there in kahibah

What about Townsville

Adelaide is known for its wine

I've been to them all. Canberra wins.

Go launceston hope it's on

Perth deserves first place, but Darwin is great!

I reckon that Brisbane should have been rated higher. You said that Brisbane doesn’t have much to do, I have to disagree with that. Heres why. Brisbanes attractions are very Natural. Brisbane, is surrounded by Mountians to the West, Dense Rainforest to the South West, Tropical Islands in the East and Dense forest and farmland in the North. You don’t have to look far to find a great area to explore. There are The Glass House Mountians, Lamington Range, Moreton, Stradbroke, Bribie Island and of course Redcliffe. Redcliffe is on a peninsula, Surrounded by Wetlands and beaches. Brisbane is also great because of its location. It is the halfway point between The Sunshine and Gold Coast. You can get to Either costal area quite easily via the expansive public transport network - which is the second largest in Australia. Brisbane isn’t quite worth being above Hobart, but its definitely better than Sydney.

123 Melbourne

So one of the major differences between Perth and Melbourne is that Melbourne has a great night life and Perth does not. Also Melbourne has the best coffee, but if you don't care about those things, Perth is the best.

Jokes on you dude there are lots of things quintessentially Adelaide. Also ranked third most liveable city in the world. Ha

As if Hervey Bay, Cairns or Hobart are better places to live than Brisbane 🤦🏼‍♂️ Hobart better than Sydney??? I laughed so much at your assessment. Perth is incredibly boring….. If you are a potential visitor to Australia watching, I wouldn’t pay any attention to this video….

Please REPENT Of Your Sin JESUS Is Coming Soon

This guy is clueless