Although originally a Sydney person (lived from Mt Druitt to Kirribilli), I did spend 7 years in Melbourne.
Both are 'the same s**t, different smell'
Sydney - the crime is at the poor end of society. Go down an alleyway and you have junkies, bums, violence.
Melbourne - the crime is at the rich end of society. Go down an alleyway and you have café-latte, boutiques and hipsters.
Sydney is more involved in the International scene
Melbourne is more involved in its own scene.
This can be reflected in its football codes where NRL was based upon the 'Tour to Britain' Tests and AFL was based on two suburbs having it out.
Melbourne has a greater population than Sydney now.
More affordable for the poor, but Sydney is making more money for the rich.
Melbourne is better planed than Sydney and it shows with its public transport.
Sydney? Well, it has one of the most pathetic infrastructures in the country. But that's how people get rich in Sydney - tolls, fines, fees and other scams.
Sydney has a boring Football code with small crowds but its Entertainment venues are packed and popular. The popularity of the floating Entertainment 'Cruises' originally kickstarted out of Sydney.
Melbourne football gets the biggest crowds - but you can hear the crickets at their entertainment venues.
All in all,
both are 'cities' and lets face it.
In Australia ...its all about the 'Rural/Country' life that is more 'Australian'.
If you think City life is 'Aussie As' - then you're as USA/UK as it gets