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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Average salary in Adelaide: $72,000/year — $6,654 below the Australia median. Cost index 104, purchasing power 69231/100. Compare incomes across South Australia below.
Average salary in Adelaide: $72,000/year — $6,654 below the Australia median. Cost index 104, purchasing power 69231/100. Compare incomes across South Australia below.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adelaide | 104 | $2,100 | $72,000 |
| 2 | Canberra | 120 | $2,750 | $101,000 |
| 3 | Sydney | 132 | $3,200 | $90,000 |
| 4 | Perth | 118 | $2,650 | $87,000 |
| 5 | Melbourne | 124 | $2,750 | $84,500 |
| 6 | Brisbane | 112 | $2,550 | $80,000 |
| 7 | Darwin | 116 | $2,350 | $80,000 |
| 8 | Newcastle | 110 | $2,250 | $76,000 |
| 9 | Wollongong | 113 | $2,300 | $74,000 |
| 10 | Geelong | 107 | $2,050 | $72,000 |
| 11 | Gold Coast | 109 | $2,400 | $72,000 |
| 12 | Hobart | 100 | $1,920 | $68,000 |
| 13 | Cairns | 100 | $1,820 | $66,000 |
Adelaide: cost index 104 (-9 vs national avg 113), rent $2,100/month.
South Australia region average cost index: 113. Adelaide is -9 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.
Here's what the headline numbers don't tell you: 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%. Financially, that's significant.
Zooming out, looking at South Australia as a whole, the spread across all 13 cities is 4 points on the cost index. Cairns sits at the other end with index 100 and rent of $1,820/mo. That's not a marginal difference — it reshapes your monthly budget.
On quality of life, Adelaide scores a composite score of 67/100 — reflecting its safety (70), healthcare (78), and walkability (62) metrics. Here's where it gets complicated: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Australia is a good example of that tension.
Adelaide — cost index 104, rent $2,100/mo, income $72,000, QoL 67/100.
Canberra — cost index 120, rent $2,750/mo, income $101,000, QoL 67/100.
Sydney — cost index 132, rent $3,200/mo, income $90,000, QoL 62/100.
Perth — cost index 118, rent $2,650/mo, income $87,000, QoL 63/100.
Melbourne — cost index 124, rent $2,750/mo, income $84,500, QoL 62/100.
The median gross income in Adelaide is $72,000/year — below the Australia national average of $78,654.
The South Australia region of average QoL score is 63/100. 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. Canberra: cost index 120, rent $2,750/mo, income $101,000/yr, QoL 67/100.
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.