The rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne flared up after the NSW Premier declared Harbor City “the place to be”.

The NSW Premier has sparked a decades-long debate over whether Sydney or Melbourne is more livable after declaring Harbor City is “the place to be”.

Dominic Perrottet scoffed at the notion of Melbourne being a more livable city after new data showed its population would dwarf Sydney’s by 2031.

“Melbourne more livable than Sydney? I mean please,” he told reporters from Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.

“We’ve got the best port in the world, the opera house, the blue mountains, the best beaches, and they’ve got this Federation Square thing … like, no,” he said.

“Sydney is the right place, we all know that.”

Fired Melburnians were quick to defend their city after video of the PM’s anti-Melbourne spray went viral on social media this week.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet (pictured) scoffed at the notion of Melbourne being a more livable city after new data showed its population would dwarf Sydney’s by 2031

“Don’t confuse nice to visit with habitability,” one user fired back.

“Something someone in Sydney would say,” wrote a second.

“Melbourne is depressing, so I moved to Sydney. But Sydney was too expensive and too busy, so I moved to the Gold Coast. Let’s just say Australia is the best,” commented a third.

“Sydney is way overpriced and the streets crowded,” wrote another.

The debate over whether Sydney or Melbourne is the better city has been going on for decades and is still hot on social media sites like Reddit.

One traveler made a post asking locals to suggest “unique” activities he could do in each of the cities – in what quickly became a battle between the rival states.

The NSW Premier pointed to Sydney Harbor and the Opera House (both pictured) as two key reasons why Sydney outperformed Melbourne

Social media users agreed that Sydney had better weather and beaches, while Melbourne had better cultural experiences and public transport (pictured is Victorian Prime Minister Daniel Andrews).

One Melburnian claimed his city is not overcrowded with tourists and boasts better food, sports, culture, music, nightlife and people (pictured left is St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne).

A Melbourne local claimed their city is not overcrowded with tourists and boasts better food, sports, culture, music, nightlife and people.

Another user went one step further and said Melbourne has the best events, more character, parks and gardens, fashion and art galleries.

A third said whether a person likes Sydney or Melbourne more is highly subjective.

“The artistic kids like Melbourne, the normal folks like Sydney. Both are beautiful cities but appeal to different people,” they continued.

“I have nothing against Sydney, but I prefer Melbourne as it has more of an artistic, counter-cultural vibe and more European influence.

“I think as a tourist I would probably like Sydney more, but as a place to live Melbourne definitely wins for me.”

Another Reddit user said he was having a hard time deciding whether to settle in Sydney or Melbourne and asked users for advice.

“One big thing about Melbourne is that it’s remarkably organised, at least in the CDB. The streets are all in a grid pattern and the train goes around the outside. It’s very easy to get lost. Sydney’s all colourful,’ said one.

“Honestly I prefer the Sydney layout – the curves give it more character,” replied a Sydney insider.

Another user shared his “oversimplified answer”: “If you prefer outdoor stuff, go to Sydney. If you prefer indoor stuff, go to Melbourne.

A social media user said Melbourne (pictured) has more of a European influence and therefore better cultural experiences and attractions than Sydney

Users agreed that both major cities were relatively clean and safe for their size and quite livable (pictured is the famous Bondi Beach in Sydney’s eastern suburbs).

Users agreed that both cities were reasonably safe and clean for their size, had great restaurants, and were reasonably livable.

Sydney has a population of 5.5 million while Melbourne has a slightly smaller population of 5.2 million.

According to federal government projections, Melbourne’s population will overtake Sydney’s by 2031.

The Center for Population estimates that the southern state’s population will grow from about five million in June 2021 to six million by mid-2031.

Sydney’s population is also expected to grow during this time, but at a slower pace.