Melbourne coffee used to be a mile ahead of the rest of the country and most of the world, but (as a Melburnian) I can admit that Sydney, Brisbane and Perth coffee has really caught up. You'll still find it easier to get good coffee in Melbourne than the other cities but it's a much closer race now. Also, the $5 and less coffee still exists in the Melbourne suburbs. The popular places or those in expensive CBD locations will try for the $5-$6 coffee but it's not widespread. The world is a better place when the quality of coffee is rising in every town.