Top 10 reasons to live and study in Adelaide

Adelaide strikes a perfect balance between big city culture and easy-going lifestyle that makes it an ideal destination for international students.

The open parklands, packed festival calendar, famous wine regions, proximity to beaches and happy locals are all part of the Adelaide lifestyle.

Here are the top 10 reasons to live and study in Adelaide:

 1. Great quality of life

Adelaide is one of the Top 15 most liveable cities in the world, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit Global Liveability Index (2023) which reviews stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure factors for over 170 cities worldwide. Adelaide is a planned city, easy to navigate, and surrounded by spacious, green parklands. It has an extremely efficient transport network, and is one of Australia’s more affordable cities, with living expenses being up to 12% cheaper than other major cities.

2. Great weather

Adelaide enjoys a Mediterranean climate which means nice hot summers without the humidity and mildly cold winters.

The warm weather allows people to head to the beach all year round. Adelaide’s beaches stretch 70 kilometres along the city’s coastline. Visit Glenelg beach which is one of the most popular beaches with white sands, beautiful sunsets, shops, restaurants and entertainment. To get there, take the ‘Bay Tram’ from the CBD to arrive in Glenelg in 30 minutes.

3. Affordable

Adelaide is around 12% more affordable to live in compared to other Australian cities with the lowest rent rates in the country. Use the cost of living calculator to get an idea of your weekly or monthly projected expenses to help you budget.

4. Plenty of employment opportunities

Adelaide has seen the growth of businesses in sectors such as health, medicine, information and communications technology, renewable energy and education.

To find a job, you can access:

• Job Shop (launched by StudyAdelaide) which lists hundreds of part-time and casual jobs for international students.
• Online job search websites such as Seek, CareerOne and Indeed. For Graduate and Internship Programs, have a look at GradConnection.
• Careers Service at your education provider who may have job listings, internships where you gain work experience before you graduate as well as networking opportunities to connect you with industry experts and like-minded people.
• Networking events (face-to-face and online). Building professional networks is a great way to share knowledge and ideas as well as form contacts with people in your industry that could lead to job opportunities. You can find networking groups on LinkedIn or Meetup.

5. Has a multicultural community

Adelaide is a very culturally diverse city with over 45% of residents being from overseas. Throughout the year, there are cultural events such as OzAsia Festival (Oct – Nov) that celebrates music, art and food from Asia and Indofest.

Every 2 years, the Department of the Premier and Cabinet hosts the Multicultural Festival which celebrates South Australia’s many cultures. More than 75 community groups representing more than 55 cultures come together to share their music, dancing, food and art.

6. Many different places to explore

Adelaide lies between white sandy beaches to the west and the scenic Hills region to the east, offering stunning views, nature trails and wildlife encounters. Walk along Adelaide’s Riverbank precinct – the heard of the city’s cultural, recreational and academic activities - or relax in the beautiful Adelaide Parklands.

Visit cultural centres such as the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, South Australian Museum, MOD, the Adelaide Festival Centre and Adelaide Zoo.

Outside the city, Adelaide Hills has charming villages such as the German Settlement Hahndorf and Kangaroo Island has beautiful natural landscapes to relax in. Visit the Beerenberg Family Farm where you can go strawberry picking.

7. Delicious food and drink

Adelaide is regarded as the food and wine capital of Australia with 13 wine regions and a higher ratio of cafes and restaurants to residents than any other state in Australia. You’ll enjoy sampling the city’s delicious cuisines and visiting world-renowned wine regions including the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale.

Adelaide’s West End has lively bars and restaurants as well as live music venues along Peel Street. You will find fresh produce and a wide range of international cuisine at the Adelaide Central Market, one of the largest undercover markets in the Southern Hemisphere.

Across the city there are many cafes and lunch spots. You may like to visit Rundle Mall that has plenty of food options as well as places to shop and entertain.

8. Exciting events calendar

Adelaide is known as the ‘festival city’ because of its incredible calendar of international events including the world’s second largest arts festival, the Adelaide Fringe Festival. Other major events include the Adelaide Festival, FEAST Festival, WOMADelaide and OzAsia.

For events specifically targeted to the student community, check out Study Adelaide events.

9. Easy to get around

Adelaide is known as the ‘20-minute city’ because it only takes 20 minutes to get from one place to the other. The city is well planned designed like a grid with straight roads and large open spaces.

In the city centre, the trams and buses are free. As an international student, you can access a concession metroCARD which will give you discounted trips on the public transport system and can be recharged online or at shops.

Do you like to cycle? Adelaide has dedicated bike lanes throughout the city and suburbs for you to cycle safely. There are also free bicycles you can borrow.

10. You will feel safe

Adelaide is a safe place to live in. Being one of the Top 15 most liveable cities in the world means Adelaide has a good safety record.

Think Adelaide might be the right city for you? Learn more about the great facilities and services available at our KBS Adelaide campus or read our complete guide to studying in Australia.