A view of Melbourne's skyline as seen from Hawthorn, showcasing prominent skyscrapers and urban landscape.
All cities
61.1Score

Australia

Melbourne

5.2 million people in the metro

The gist

Australia's culture capital: dense social calendar, big educated pool, and a slightly later marriage pattern than the regions. The catch: high rents and a friendship-first social scene that takes time to enter.

The score, in four parts

The dating pool55
The marriage scene63
Family costs56
Safety and stability75

The pool

How many people you could realistically meet, and how balanced the odds are.

Singles 25 to 34

445,000

Never-married people in their late twenties and thirties, estimated

Never married

61% / 53%

Men / women age 25 to 34 who have never married

Balance

More single men than women

114 single men per 100 single women, age 25 to 34

First marriage

31 / 30

Median age for men / women

The scene

Whether people here actually get married, and how open the city is to someone like you.

Want to marry

55%

Single adults who say they want to marry

How fast people marry

25 per 1,000

Weddings per 1,000 unmarried adults each year

Marrying foreigners

22%

Marriages between a local and a foreigner

How people meet

Apps 9/10

Matchmaking and singles events 5/10

The costs

What dating, marrying, and raising a family costs here, against what people earn.

Date night

$95

Dinner for two, drinks, a movie

Family rent

$2,200/mo

Doable on one income, tight

A wedding

$25,000

Typical total cost

Household income

$72,000

Median per year

The reality

Safety, stability, and what daily life is like after the honeymoon phase.

Safety

Very safe streets

80 out of 100

Divorce

Moderate divorce rate

1.9 per 1,000 people a year

Healthcare

88/100

Quality of care

The culture

Not scored. Whether these are features or mismatches depends on you.

  • Open to marrying foreigners

Marriage payment custom: None.

* Some numbers come from national statistics and might differ from the city itself. Last updated August 22, 2026.