Living in Adelaide

In Adelaide, unemployment is 6% (2026).

Adelaide had 1,368,209 residents in August 2021 and is a city in Australia. For Adelaide, average high temperatures were 28.6°C in January and 15.2°C in July.

Last checked 2026-10-0414 sources

Population1,368,209people10 Aug 2021Official source · 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia

Median gross salary (region)2,046EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · www.abs.gov.au

Median rent880.5EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · 2021 Adelaide, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics

Unemployment rate6%country median 4.5% — 33% aboveIndependent source · DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026

PM2.5, annual mean6.14µg/m³country median 6.0 — 2% aboveOfficial source · cdn.who.int

Higher unemployment than 84% of Australian cities that publish it and dirtier air than 62% of Australian cities that publish it.

Which Australia-wide rules apply when you move to Adelaide?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in AustraliaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Adelaide.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Median rent was A$320 per week, and median monthly mortgage repayment was A$1,560 in August 2021.

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€1146

Utilities, 85 m² flat€198

Transport pass€67

Internet, 60 Mbps€46

Fitness club€39

Mobile plan, 10 GB€22

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	39.13 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹³Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	45.8 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹³Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	1,146 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹³Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	11.87 EUR	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹³Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	22.1 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Adelaide. Jul 2026. Prices in Adelaide¹¹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	67.39 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹³Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	198.4 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹³Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings	568,921 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics⁵Official
Main residence dwellings	529,364 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics⁵Official
Median weekly rent (AUD)	320 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia⁵Official
Median monthly rent (whole dwelling)	880.5 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	2021 Adelaide, Census All persons QuickStats \| Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official

Is Adelaide a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker54%strong on work, weak on safety · range 45–63%

Skilled employee60%strong on work, weak on safety · range 52–68%

Student35%strong on education, weak on safety · range 27–43%

Family54%strong on family, weak on safety · range 45–63%

Retirement59%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 48–70%

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 6% in March 2026. Median personal income was A$761 per week in August 2021. Median household income was A$1,543 per week in August 2021.

What is the unemployment rate in Adelaide?

The unemployment rate is 6 % (March 2026). Source: DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026¹²

Unemployment across cities in AustraliaUnemployment in Adelaide is 6.0%. Of 100 cities with data, 32 have unemployment of 4 to under 5%.

1–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1013–14

Adelaide 6.0%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
People in full-time employment	379,737 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics⁵Official
Employment rate	58.3 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics⁵Official
Median household income (AUD/week)	1,543 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia⁵Official
Median personal income (AUD/week)	761 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia⁵Official
Median gross salary (regional)	2,046 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	www.abs.gov.au¹⁰Official
Average net monthly salary	3,239 EUR/month	31 Aug 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/au/adelaide/¹⁴Community estimate · Supplemental context
Unemployment rate	6 %country median 4.5%	31 Mar 2026	DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026¹²Independent

What does a salary buy in Adelaide?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€0of €0 take-home

Rent
Utilities
Transport
Internet
Mobile

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	outside the model's range
Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · 2021 Adelaide, Census All persons QuickStats \| Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2021-12-31	− €880
Public transport pass€67 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €67
Utilities, 85 m²€198 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €198
Internet€46 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €46
Mobile plan€22 · market price · Cost of Living in Adelaide. Jul 2026. Prices in Adelaide · 2026-07-31	− €22
Left over	—

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Adelaide Salary needed to live in Adelaide

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Adelaide. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Workforce Australia — Public employment service

Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Job Search

Open official service

Open the Australia service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Adelaide. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Public language course providers	1 count	31 Aug 2026	Official public language-service provider/location register⁷Official
People who speak a language other than English at home	21.6 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia⁵Official

Language courses and integration in Adelaide

1 exact course-location record is linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally

1verified local records

1publicly funded course provider

AMES Australia

View official record

Check courses in Adelaide How the country programme works

Exact city-linked record checked 2026-08-10. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Adelaide

Climate and air quality

Monthly precipitation was 18.3 mm in January and 52.1 mm in July.

Is the air quality good in Adelaide?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.1 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

PM2.5 — annual mean: 6.14 µg/m³ · cdn.who.int⁴

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

29°17°

28°17°

26°15°

23°12°

19°10°

16°8°

15°7°

16°8°

19°9°

22°11°

24°14°

26°15°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

JFMAMJJASOND

Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours

JFMAMJJASOND

hours

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.56.1WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in AustraliaAnnual PM2.5 in Adelaide is 6.1 µg/m³. Of 37 cities with data, 12 have annual PM2.5 of 5 to under 6 µg/m³.

3–44–55–66–77–88–99–10

Adelaide 6.1

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	6.14 µg/m³country median 6.0	31 Dec 2019	cdn.who.int⁴Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan 28.6 · Feb 28.4 · Mar 25.6 · Apr 22.5 · May 18.7 · Jun 16 · Jul 15.2 · Aug 16.1 · Sep 18.7 · Oct 21.7 · Nov 24.5 · Dec 26.4 °C	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — ADELAIDE AIRPORT M.O., 1991-2020³Official
Average night-time low by month	Jan 16.8 · Feb 16.8 · Mar 14.8 · Apr 12.1 · May 9.9 · Jun 8 · Jul 7.4 · Aug 7.7 · Sep 9.4 · Oct 11.1 · Nov 13.6 · Dec 15.2 °C	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — ADELAIDE AIRPORT M.O., 1991-2020³Official
Average temperature by month	Jan 22.7 · Feb 22.6 · Mar 20.2 · Apr 17.3 · May 14.3 · Jun 12 · Jul 11.3 · Aug 11.9 · Sep 14 · Oct 16.4 · Nov 19.1 · Dec 20.8 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station ADELAIDE AIRPORT⁹Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 18.3 · Feb 18.5 · Mar 20.4 · Apr 31.1 · May 46.8 · Jun 59.7 · Jul 52.1 · Aug 51.3 · Sep 47.4 · Oct 33.6 · Nov 24.4 · Dec 24.6 mm	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — ADELAIDE AIRPORT M.O., 1991-2020³Official
Average sunshine by month	Jan 10.5 · Feb 10 · Mar 8.5 · Apr 7.1 · May 5.6 · Jun 4.6 · Jul 5 · Aug 6.2 · Sep 7.1 · Oct 8.5 · Nov 9.6 · Dec 9.4 hours	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — ADELAIDE AIRPORT M.O., 1991-2020³Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Adelaide?

The published population was 1,368,209 people in August 2021. Source: 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia⁵

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport72.2%
Foreign residents27.8%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	2,246 km²	31 Dec 2021	Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area albers sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA.⁶Official
Foreign-resident share	31.4 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Foreign residents	379,952 people	10 Aug 2021	Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality.⁵Official
Population density	654.8 people/km²	31 Dec 2025	Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation.⁸Official
Female residents	697,543 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics⁵Official
Male residents	670,670 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics⁵Official
Population	1,368,209 people	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia⁵Official

Population over time25 published observations, 2001–2025

1,103,283

1,234,913

1,366,542

1,498,172

1,470,938200120052011201520212025

Population rose 30.1% between 2001 and 2025, from 1,130,517 to 1,470,938.

International community in Adelaide

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G09 PERSONS total across age groups and sex · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	1,368,209	100.0%
Australia	937,984	68.6%
England	76,893	5.6%
Country of birth not stated	50,273	3.7%
Born elsewhere(d)	42,924	3.1%
India	42,913	3.1%
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)(c)	24,879	1.8%
Vietnam	16,559	1.2%
Italy	15,603	1.1%
Philippines	12,795	0.9%
New Zealand	10,083	0.7%

Show 42 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Scotland	9,258	0.7%
Malaysia	8,490	0.6%
Afghanistan	7,909	0.6%
Greece	7,581	0.6%
Germany	7,561	0.6%
Nepal	7,054	0.5%
South Africa	6,918	0.5%
Pakistan	5,432	0.4%
Iran	5,135	0.4%
Sri Lanka	4,988	0.4%
Poland	4,528	0.3%
Netherlands	4,474	0.3%
United States of America	4,440	0.3%
Hong Kong (SAR of China)(c)	4,108	0.3%
Korea, Republic of (South)	3,698	0.3%
Cambodia	3,595	0.3%
Thailand	2,988	0.2%
Ireland	2,874	0.2%
Singapore	2,669	0.2%
Croatia	2,513	0.2%
Wales	2,307	0.2%
Canada	2,278	0.2%
Bangladesh	2,163	0.2%
Bosnia and Herzegovina	2,147	0.2%
Myanmar	2,099	0.2%
Indonesia	2,080	0.2%
Brazil	1,930	0.1%
Lebanon	1,784	0.1%
Egypt	1,605	0.1%
Iraq	1,586	0.1%
Taiwan	1,574	0.1%
Japan	1,519	0.1%
France	1,366	0.1%
Zimbabwe	1,321	0.1%
Malta	1,187	0.1%
Fiji	1,159	0.1%
Papua New Guinea	868	0.1%
Chile	774	0.1%
Turkey	643	0.0%
North Macedonia	345	0.0%
Mauritius	263	0.0%
Samoa	107	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁵

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	1,368,209	100.0%
Australia	937,984	68.6%
Elsewhere (excludes country of birth not stated)	379,952	27.8%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁵

Citizenship

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	1,368,209	100.0%
Australian citizen	1,180,235	86.3%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁵

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	27.77 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia⁵Official
Households	529,364 households	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics⁵Official
Labour force participation rate	61.7 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics⁵Official
Median age	39 years	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia⁵Official
Median monthly mortgage repayment (AUD)	1,560 AUD/month	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia⁵Official

Alternatives for people set on Adelaide

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Sydney as an Adelaide alternative in the same country

Better on 4 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

Unemployment: 4.2% Sydney vs 6.0% Adelaide−30%
Median gross pay, region: €2,409 Sydney vs €2,046 Adelaide+18%
Basic utilities, 85 m²: €126 Sydney vs €198 Adelaide−37%
Foreign residents: 40.6% Sydney vs 31.4% Adelaide+29%
A meal out: €13 Sydney vs €12 Adelaide+8%

Full comparison More about Sydney

Alternative cities in Australia

Other cities in Australia to compare with Adelaide, nearest in population first.

All Australia cities

Perth2,098,239 residents Brisbane2,487,568 residents Gold Coast701,928 residents Newcastle510,175 residents Canberra490,517 residents Sunshine Coast387,472 residents

How does Adelaide compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Adelaide's.

Open the full comparison

Adelaide in rankings

#4 of 30 in Largest cities in Australia #8 of 30 in Most international cities in Australia #21 of 30 in Cities with cleanest air in Australia #21 of 30 in Cities with the largest foreign populations

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Adelaide when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Put Adelaide's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Adelaide?

The published population was 1,368,209 people in August 2021. Source: 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia.

Is the air quality good in Adelaide?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.1 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: cdn.who.int.

What is the unemployment rate in Adelaide?

The unemployment rate is 6 % (March 2026). Source: DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026.

What is the typical salary around Adelaide?

The median gross salary is 2,046 EUR/month. Source: www.abs.gov.au.

How many foreign residents live in Adelaide?

379,952 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality..

How much is public transport in Adelaide?

A monthly transport pass is 67.39 EUR/month. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2.

Is Adelaide a good place to live?

Adelaide may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Australia live in Adelaide?

The official country of birth distribution records 937,984 people (68.6%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Adelaide, Australia: population, rent, salary, jobs, climate [ImmigrationDB compilation; version f6c11aeaa92549e8579149672fbf858d]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/adelaide/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_adelaide-australia-population-rent-salary-jobs-climate_710029b0d9c1,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Adelaide, Australia: population, rent, salary, jobs, climate},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {f6c11aeaa92549e8579149672fbf858d},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/adelaide/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Adelaide, Australia: population, rent, salary, jobs, climate](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/adelaide/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version f6c11aeaa92549e8579149672fbf858d; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

2021 Adelaide, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics abs.gov.au · checked 2026-10-03
Australian Bureau of Statistics abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-03
BOM monthly climate statistics — ADELAIDE AIRPORT M.O., 1991-2020 BOM monthly climate statistics · bom.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26
cdn.who.int cdn.who.int · checked 2026-08-26
Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-08-10
Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area albers sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA. geo.abs.gov.au · checked 2016-07-01
Official public language-service provider/location register immi.homeaffairs.gov.au · checked 2026-09-15
Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-06-30
WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station ADELAIDE AIRPORT WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
www.abs.gov.au abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-27

Show 4 more sources

Cost of Living in Adelaide. Jul 2026. Prices in Adelaide numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026 DEWR · dewr.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26
Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/au/adelaide/ Numbeo city cost-of-living page · de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-09-05

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