AU flag
Hobart

Australia

vs
AU flag
Melbourne

Australia

Climate

Hobart logs 0 hot days a year to Melbourne's 19 — Hobart wins by 19. Melbourne also leads on outdoor-dinner months by 2.

HobartMelbourne
Sunny days
144176
Hot days
019
Frost days
00
Rain days
129115
Outdoor dinner months
1/123/12
Avg wind
3.4 m/s3.9 m/s
Sunshine hours
1,9692,195
Darkest month sun
98 hrs/mo111 hrs/mo
UV peak month
7.89.7

Hobart

Feels-like °C

16
15
12
8
4
3
3
4
6
9
13
15

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Melbourne

Feels-like °C

22
19
16
12
6
4
3
6
8
12
17
19

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Hobart is $512/mo cheaper

Hobart runs about $2,242/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Melbourne's $2,754/mo — Hobart comes in $512 cheaper each month, roughly 23% less.

Hobart

$2,242

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,693Comfort $3,844
Cheaper than 65%in Among 23 Oceania cities

Melbourne

$2,754

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,100Comfort $4,697
Top 78%in Among 23 Oceania cities

Mobility

On mobility, Melbourne scores 3.2 vs Hobart's 2.2 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on public transit. Hobart still holds an edge on car efficiency.

2.2/5
vs
3.2/5
HobartMelbourne
WalkabilityCar EfficiencyMotorbikeAirport
TransitCyclingFlights
Melbourne leads

Culture

Melbourne's culture score of 4.1 sits well above Hobart's 1.3, with the biggest gap on live music venues.

1.3/5
vs
4.1/5
HobartMelbourne
Arts
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Melbourne leads

Nature & Outdoors

Hobart's nature & outdoors score of 4.8 sits well above Melbourne's 4.5, with the biggest gap on forest access. Melbourne still holds an edge on skiing & snowboarding.

4.8/5
vs
4.5/5
HobartMelbourne
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingClimbing
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingSkiing
Hobart leads

Safety

Hobart's safety score is ~1.4× Melbourne's — near the top of our scale, while Melbourne lands in the upper band, with the biggest gap on property crime safety.

5.0/5
vs
3.5/5
HobartMelbourne
Wildfire
Wildfire
Hobart leads

Career

Melbourne's career score of 4.2 sits well above Hobart's 2.1, with the biggest gap on startup ecosystem.

2.1/5
vs
4.2/5
HobartMelbourne
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
Melbourne leads

Social & Community

Melbourne's social & community score is ~1.3× Hobart's — in the upper band, while Hobart lands in the middle of the scale, with the biggest gap on expat-first community. Hobart still holds an edge on government immigration friendliness.

3.0/5
vs
4.0/5
HobartMelbourne
Everyday EnglishExpat Integration ExperienceGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support
Melbourne leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Melbourne scores 5.0 vs Hobart's 2.2 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on brunch availability.

2.2/5
vs
5.0/5
HobartMelbourne
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
Melbourne leads

Family

On family, Melbourne scores 4.1 vs Hobart's 2.0 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on international schools.

2.0/5
vs
4.1/5
HobartMelbourne
PlaygroundsGroceries
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Melbourne leads

Healthcare

Hobart and Melbourne score neck-and-neck on healthcare (2.7 vs 2.7, 0–5 scale).

2.7/5
vs
2.7/5
HobartMelbourne
Private Healthcare
Private Healthcare

Air Quality

Hobart averages 5.5 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Melbourne's 6.2 µg/m³ (good) — Hobart breathes ~11% cleaner air (0.7 µg/m³ lower).

Hobart

Melbourne

5.5µg/m³
6.2µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Good
Good

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Hobart (70K) and Melbourne (4.0M) are 57x in population — Melbourne is the larger metro, Hobart the smaller; on land area Melbourne spans roughly 35x more ground.

45x

Melbourne is roughly 45x the scale of Hobart

Combined population & area comparison

AU flagMelbourne
45x
AU flagHobart
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.AU flagMelbourne4.0M57x
2.AU flagHobart70K1x
Area
1.AU flagMelbourne1,611 km²35x
2.AU flagHobart46 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
11 km13 km

AU flagHobart

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
60 km62 km

AU flagMelbourne

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Hobart vs Melbourne

Which is cheaper, Hobart or Melbourne?
Hobart is approximately $512 per month cheaper. Hobart averages $2,242/mo while Melbourne averages $2,754/mo.
How does the climate compare between Hobart and Melbourne?
Sunny days: 144 vs 176 d — Melbourne higher Annual sunshine: 1,969 vs 2,195 hrs — Melbourne higher Winter sunshine: 98 vs 111 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 0 vs 19 d — Hobart lower Frost days: 0 vs 0 d — Similar Rainy days: 129 vs 115 d — Melbourne lower
Is Hobart or Melbourne safer?
Hobart scores higher on safety. Hobart rates 5.0/5 while Melbourne rates 3.5/5, based on street safety, property crime rates, and natural hazard exposure.
Should I move to Hobart or Melbourne?
Hobart and Melbourne are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Hobart is generally more affordable, while Melbourne may offer different lifestyle advantages. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Hobart and Melbourne stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

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