Melbourne vs Sydney
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Sydney leads 4–1 (1 within the tie margin). Character is a different question: Melbourne is the city of lanes and arcades; Sydney is the harbour city.
Change the matchup
Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Melbourne
47
Sydney
97
Sydney leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Melbourne
281
Sydney
261
Sydney leads
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Melbourne
4
Sydney
9
Sydney leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Melbourne
85
Sydney
100
Sydney leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Melbourne
23
Sydney
21
Melbourne leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Melbourne
0
Sydney
0
Tie
| What we measure | Melbourne | Sydney | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 47 | 97 | Sydney |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 281 | 261 | Sydney |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 4 | 9 | Sydney |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 85 | 100 | Sydney |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 23 | 21 | Melbourne |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 0 | 0 | tie |
Differences under 5% count as ties. Sample sizes and definitions on the methodology page.
What their stories are about
How many places with a story each city has per theme: Melbourne in orange, Sydney in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Melbourne scorecard
The city of lanes and arcades
Sydney scorecard
The harbour city
