🇦🇺Cost of Living in Adelaide

Australia · Population: 1,400,000 · Cost Index: 68/100

Cost of Living in Adelaide

Australia · Oceania

South Australia's elegant capital, Adelaide is a well-planned city famous for its world-class wine regions, festivals, and parklands that encircle the city center. It offers the most affordable lifestyle among major Australian cities while maintaining excellent infrastructure and quality of life.

1,400,000

Population

Cost Index

Safety Index

Quality of Life

Average Monthly Cost: $2,500 (single person, excluding rent)

Estimated monthly budget in Adelaide

Typical total monthly cost by household type.

Single person

$2,500

per month

Couple

$3,750

per month

Family of 4

$5,250

per month

Student

$1,880

per month

Estimates based on the average cost of living in Adelaide, scaled by household size. Actual costs vary with lifestyle, neighbourhood and housing.

Cost Breakdown

Housing

Avg: $1,600.00

1-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$1,350.00

1-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$950.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$2,400.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$1,700.00

Food & Groceries

Avg: $11.87

Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant(per meal)

$15.00

Meal for 2 at Mid-Range Restaurant(per meal)

$70.00

McMeal at McDonald's(per meal)

$9.50

Milk (1 liter)(per liter)

$1.60

Bread (500g loaf)(per loaf)

$2.40

Rice (1 kg)(per kg)

$2.10

Eggs (12)(per dozen)

$4.00

Chicken Breast (1 kg)(per kg)

$8.50

Apples (1 kg)(per kg)

$3.20

Banana (1 kg)(per kg)

$2.40

Transportation

Avg: $18.74

Monthly Public Transit Pass(per month)

$85.00

One-Way Ticket (Local Transport)(per trip)

$2.50

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)(base fare)

$3.20

Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff)(per km)

$1.70

Gasoline (1 liter)(per liter)

$1.30

Utilities

Avg: $77.00

Basic Utilities (85m² Apt)(per month)

$155.00

Mobile Phone Plan(per month)

$28.00

Internet (60 Mbps+)(per month)

$48.00

Healthcare

Avg: $57.33

Doctor Visit(per visit)

$45.00

Dentist Visit(per visit)

$110.00

Prescription Medicine (avg)(per prescription)

$17.00

Entertainment

Avg: $18.03

Fitness Club Monthly(per month)

$48.00

Cinema Ticket(per ticket)

$14.00

Cappuccino(per cup)

$3.60

Beer (0.5l) at Restaurant(per glass)

$6.50

Clothing

Avg: $69.00

Pair of Jeans (Levi's)(per pair)

$70.00

Summer Dress (Chain Store)(per item)

$42.00

Running Shoes (Nike, Adidas)(per pair)

$95.00

Popular Adelaide comparisons

Adelaide vs Sydney Adelaide vs Melbourne Adelaide vs Brisbane Adelaide vs Perth Adelaide vs New York Adelaide vs London Adelaide vs Tokyo Adelaide vs Singapore

Frequently asked questions about Adelaide

Is Adelaide expensive to live in?

Adelaide has a cost of living index of 68 out of 100, where New York City scores 100. This puts it in the mid-range among the cities we track.

How much money do you need to live in Adelaide?

A single person needs an estimated $2,500 per month to live in Adelaide, covering rent, food, transport and other essentials. A family or a more comfortable lifestyle will cost more.

What is the cost of living index in Adelaide?

Adelaide's cost of living index is 68 out of 100. The index is relative to New York City (100), so a score of 50 means overall costs are roughly half those of New York.

What is quality of life like in Adelaide?

Adelaide scores 74 out of 100 for quality of life and 67 out of 100 for safety in our index.

Data & sources

As an independent cross-check, the World Bank puts the overall price level in Australia at 94 relative to the United States (=100) in 2024. View source

Cost figures on this site are independent estimates, cross-referenced with public data sources including World Bank, Numbeo, Eurostat, OECD.