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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Adelaide vs Darwin in 2026: cost index 96 vs 112, rent $1,800 vs $2,100, income $68,000 vs $76,000, QoL 69 vs 56.
Adelaide vs Darwin in 2026: cost index 96 vs 112, rent $1,800 vs $2,100, income $68,000 vs $76,000, QoL 69 vs 56.
Adelaide ranks #1 with a cost index of 96 and rent of $1,800/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 104 (-3 vs national average of 107).
Average quality of life: 63/100. Top: Adelaide at 69/100.
Safest city: Adelaide (70/100 safety score).
Here's the finding that keeps coming up in different analyses: Adelaide stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 96 and median income of $68,000, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of Australia. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Adelaide leads with a composite score of 69/100 — reflecting its safety (70), healthcare (78), and walkability (62) metrics. And here's the trade-off: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Australia is a good example of that tension.
The country average QoL score is 64/100. Adelaide leads with 69/100, reflecting its 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 (ranked #1) has a cost index of 96 and rent of $1,800/mo. Darwin (#2) has index 112 and rent $2,100/mo — a 16-point gap.