Comparisons: Melbourne and Cairns Rent in Melbourne is double what it is in Cairns, in general. Pay, per hour nursing, is less. Food in Melbourne is cheaper, unless you eat out. then the cost goes up dramatically. Cars: Melbourne driving costs are higher for Registration and the Tollways cost a fair bit over a month if you need them. Apart from the highways and tollways the roads in Melbourne are a bit choppy due to the trams and their infrastructure. Utilities: Gas is reasonably priced in Melbourne so if you don't need a huge fire or heat in the winter, and don't shower every 3 hours, or cook every hour, then its better. You need big heat for about 2 months. Electricity is cheaper than Cairns and you don't need air conditioners much at all, or only rarely, because most of the houses are brick and tend towards being cold rather than hot by nature. House Buying: In Melbourne this is a bit silly. a Cairns $400,000 house around here would cost about $2million but in Ballarat or the outer West,the cost would be about the same as Cairns. Public Transport: Is very good in Melbourne, bus, train and tram...but it only takes one road accident or crossing accident, or train computer glitch, to stuff things up for half a day. Lifestyle: Melbourne is great if you don't have to work or go far to work, otherwise the travelling time eats well into living time. Police: Police are great. Very risk averse when dealing with felons and mad folk, very good, very good indeed. Ambulance: You have to pay for it here, it isnt covered under the Federal State Medicare agreement as it is in Queensland. Quite a primitive system of joining up or having private insurance. Very primitive. Summary: Cairns has its virtues, as does Melbourne. To start up here in Melbourne, without $2million in the bank, well, you can't really own a house, per se, or you live so far out of Melbourne that it is not Melbourne. For those young and making sufficient wages in the tropics, it would be silly to move to Melbourne.