Located in the Asia Pacific time-zone, Melbourne is ideally placed between East and West. Australia is the first market to open each day, providing a time zone bridge linking the closing of the US and the opening of the European markets.

Among cities in Asia, Melbourne stands out as the location of choice within the region, offering a comprehensive array of services at a competitive price. In 2007, Melbourne's cost of living was ranked well below that of several other Asian cities including Shanghai, Singapore, Osaka Kobe, Hong Kong and Seoul.