Living in Adelaide: The Most Elegant City in Australia

Although not as well-known as Gold Coast, Sydney, or Melbourne, Adelaide is one of the best places to live in Australia. Considering there are no bad cities in this country, Adelaide stands out for many things that make it particularly special, including its high quality of life, multiculturalism, the stunning natural surroundings, and its endless plans everywhere—from theatre to concerts and festivals.

Founded in 1836, it was conceived from the beginning as a spacious and open city that would go on to inspire the entire world by leading religious, political, and civil reforms.

With approximately 1.5 million inhabitants, Adelaide is a large city but smaller than others like Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane—and it can be up to 20% cheaper.

Adelaide is a fun city in constant cultural expansion. It’s a city where people don’t live to work: here, people work to live.

Another advantage of living in Adelaide is that, since there aren’t as many Spanish or Latin American students, the language immersion will be greater, which will help you improve your English faster.

If you want to know more about Adelaide, keep reading or fill out our contact form. A Dingoos guide will get in touch with you to provide personalized information.

There are many accommodation options and different types of neighborhoods in Adelaide. They are all quite different from one another, and each stands out for something special. They’re all really cool, so it’s hard to pick just one. That’s why it’s best to sort them based on your personality and what you’re looking for.

If you’re the type to live near downtown, you should look for a room in areas that are close to everything, like Prospect or Medindie. Although they lean more toward the north, you’ll find a wide variety of housing there.

If you love being out and about, you’ll like Brompton. It has an artsy vibe and tons of bars where you can eat and drink at great prices and enjoy concerts and other events. It’s also known for its thrift shops, where you can buy or sell anything.

If you’re into sports, in neighborhoods like Burnside, Springfield, Kensington Gardens, or Netherby, you’ll always have a bike lane a pedal away or a park within running distance.

And if beaches are your thing, your ideal neighborhood is Glenelg. Bathed by the sea, it runs parallel to kilometers of fine, crystal-clear sandy beach. Good vibes guaranteed, and only half an hour from downtown on a direct tram. Just know that rents here are a bit higher than in other places.

Regardless of which neighborhood you choose, you have two accommodation options:

• Private room accommodation: A room just for you, outside the center, will cost around $220 AUD per week. In the center, you’d be looking at about $320 AUD per week.
• Shared room accommodation: In a shared room, the range outside the center vs in the center would go from $170 AUD to $200 AUD per week.

Like all Australian cities, transport in Adelaide is top-notch. In fact, you have several options to get around your way with a single ticket valid for trains, trams, and buses: the Metrocard. Plus, many bus and tram sections are free, so you can visit the most iconic places without spending a cent. Now that’s the way!

However, don’t let this great mobility advantage fool you: if you want to travel for free, always make sure you’re on the right line, so you don’t end up on a paid route and get fined. Study the routes and all the possible combinations before heading off on your adventure!

When it comes to groceries, Adelaide is more expensive than an average Spanish city, for example, but more affordable than other Australian cities. For instance, a loaf of bread will cost around 75 euro cents, a kilo of bananas about 2 euros, and a dozen eggs about 2.5 euros.

A Coke in a bar will cost around 2 euros, a coffee about €2.70, a McDonald’s meal around €7, and a dinner for two in a nice place will average €25–30 per person.

Adelaide stands out for the sheer number of leisure plans available year-round. It’s a super fun city where there’s always something to do—full of theatres, shows, cool neighborhoods with quaint shops, and even a beach volleyball court right in the city center: City Beach Volleyball.

Of course, in a place with so much outdoor life and such a good vibe, it’s easy to meet people and join in on plans. What do you want to do? You’ll always find someone willing to join you, so take the opportunity to hang out with English speakers and improve your conversation skills in no time!

Adelaide’s climate has well-defined seasons and often surprises newcomers because, although it’s dry and mild, it’s a bit “colder” than most people expect. Summers are hot with average temperatures around 30ºC, but winters can be colder, with lows of 7ºC and highs of 15ºC.

Studying in Adelaide offers many advantages for international students looking to experience Aussie life.

You can choose from several study types, such as English courses, VET courses, TAFE, or even go to university.

If you plan to study for less than three months, you can do so with a tourist visa or a Work and Holiday visa, but if you want to study for more than three months, you’ll need a student visa, which also allows you to work.

You’ll just need to choose your course and school, enroll, apply for your visa, and get travel health insurance. And the best part? At Dingoos, we help you with all these steps completely free. Write to us!

If you want to combine studies and work in Australia, the best visa for you is the student visa. This way, you can work 24 hours per week during class periods and up to 48 hours per week during holidays.

In Adelaide, you’ll have no problem covering your living costs with a part-time job. For example, with a student visa, you can earn an average of $520 AUD per week—more than enough to support yourself while you study and enjoy the Aussie experience.

You’ll just need to get a Tax File Number (TFN) once you’re in Australia with your student visa, and you’ll be ready to find your first job Down Under.

That said, Adelaide doesn’t have as many international students as other Australian cities like Sydney or Melbourne, so employers might not be as used to hiring this type of worker. That’s why, if you have a good level of English, it’ll be much easier for you to land the job you’re looking for.

Adelaide is full of places to see and enjoy—whether solo, as a couple, or with friends. Some are monumental, others natural, but they all have one thing in common: they’ll leave you speechless.

Below, we’ll focus on urban spots relatively close to the center, but just so you know, there are also plenty of places to soak up the Aussie nature—like its long, beautiful beaches where you can take a cool dip or its mountains for hiking and other outdoor activities.

• It was named in honor of Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, consort of King William IV of the United Kingdom.
• Adelaide is considered a regional area in Australia, which means it offers lots of advantages for international students who also want to work and apply for permanent residency in the country.

Want to know more? Check out all the benefits of studying in a regional area in Australia.

We hope to see you soon in Adelaide, whether living in one of its neighborhoods or just visiting. And if you need more info about the city, don’t hesitate to send us a message—we’ll reply faster than it takes to drink two pints in Hahndorf.

Since we know it’s hard to pick a destination in Australia, we want to help by sharing the pros and cons of living in each city.