Sydney is the fourth-worst major city in the world for transport and infrastructure, a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers says.

In global terms, it would be better taking a train or bus in Mumbai, Moscow, Istanbul, Shanghai or Beijing than travelling here.

Sydney is the fourth-worst major city in the world for public transport, PwC reports. Credit:Simon Alenka

In terms of cost of public transport, Sydney came in last: train tickets cost more here than in any other of the world's biggest and most influential cities. The study compared the cost of "the longest mass transit rail trip" within each city's boundaries. The cost of a bus trip was used in those cities without a rail system.

The far-from-flattering assessment of Sydney's public transport system puts it ahead of only Los Angeles, Sao Paulo and Johannesburg for operation and coverage, according to the Cities of Opportunity study.