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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in Australia for 2026. Adelaide leads with a cost index of 104 and rent of $2,100/month.
Ranking of cities in Australia for 2026. Adelaide leads with a cost index of 104 and rent of $2,100/month.
Adelaide: cost index 104 (-9 vs national avg 113), rent $2,100/month.
South Australia region average cost index: 106. Adelaide is -2 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 67/100 — safety 70, healthcare 78, walkability 62.
Safety score: 70/100 (crime rate 42.8/1k). National average: 66/100.
Strip away assumptions, and something unexpected emerges. Adelaide has a cost index of 104 — 9 points below the Australia national average of 113. Median income is $72,000 with rent at $2,100/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 35%. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Adelaide scores a composite score of 67/100 — reflecting its safety (70), healthcare (78), and walkability (62) metrics. Zooming out, affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Australia is a good example of that tension.
For digital nomads specifically, Adelaide earns a DN score of 69/100, powered by 75 Mbps internet, walkability of 62/100, and a nightlife score of 68/100. For anyone running the numbers, this is where it clicks.
Adelaide — cost index 104, rent $2,100/mo, income $72,000, QoL 67/100.
Geelong — cost index 107, rent $2,050/mo, income $72,000, QoL 62/100.
Adelaide has a cost index of 104 (national avg: 113), rent $2,100/mo, median income $72,000/yr, and a quality of life score of 67/100.
The South Australia region of average QoL score is 65/100. Adelaide leads with 67/100, reflecting safety, healthcare access, walkability, and green space.
Our index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Sub-categories cover housing, food, transport, utilities, and healthcare. Data sources include ABS, CoreLogic, ATO.
Adelaide: cost index 104, rent $2,100/mo, income $72,000/yr, QoL 67/100. Geelong: cost index 107, rent $2,050/mo, income $72,000/yr, QoL 62/100.
This analysis uses data from ABS, CoreLogic, ATO to rank cities in Australia. The cost of living index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Quality of life scores combine safety, healthcare, walkability, air quality, green space, and transit metrics. Salary ranges use national occupation data adjusted for local cost differences. Data is updated regularly to reflect current market conditions.