Are you moving from Sydney to Adelaide? Read our tips
Sydney’s great. Everything’s on-trend, and you have access to everything you could need. The problem is the other five million plus people who think the same.
The city’s been crowded for a while now, so the cost of living keeps increasing. Things can get overwhelming, so it makes sense that you’re considering moving interstate.
So you start looking at other prospective cities, and Adelaide looks pretty hot. The city has everything, lower housing costs, beaches, fewer people, and a good transit system. But is it good for you?
We’ll cover everything you need to know before moving to Adelaide from Sydney. That includes everything you’ll need to do before and after completing the move. Let’s dive in!
A Little Something About Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital of South Australia. The city is close to Port Adelaide and is home to plenty of foreigners. You’ll get to know more about different cultures while you’re in the city.
The city is Australia’s fifth most populated city, but it’s still a few million behind Sydney. The lower population means better employment rates, lower housing costs, and fewer people to deal with. Of course, you still need to pick a decent suburb and find out about the schooling and the type of jobs you can get. We’ll elaborate on that further in this article.
Weather
If you hate the cold and snow, you’ll love Adelaide. The weather’s not that different from New South Wales. You still get the Mediterranean climate with sunny days and high temperatures, and the temperature is generally between 25 to 30 degrees in the summer.
If you don’t want to be too hot during the summer, you could try living in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide Hills. They’re at a bit of elevation, so the weather is relatively cooler (emphasis on relatively).
However, the humidity levels are lower than in Sydney. The winter temperatures hover around 10 and 15 degrees. You won’t see any snow, but there will be a bit of rain. There’s plenty of sunshine, so you can almost always hit the beach (or beaches).
Housing
Houses and rentals in Adelaide generally cost less than those in Sydney. However, the prices still vary according to the neighbourhood you choose. The city centre is expensive, so people prefer living in the surrounding areas. It’s not a big deal since you can get to the city in under an hour. Still, here are a few suburbs that you should look into before you move:
● Adelaide City
Adelaide City, otherwise known as Adelaide CBD or city centre, is the actual commercial hub of Adelaide. The city centre is busy, filled with shopping places and comes with the usual hustle-bustle.
The CBD might not be your neighbourhood if you’re looking for affordable housing. However, it is the place with the most accessibility. The central markets are close and have everything you could need. The centre also has botanical gardens and the Adelaide Zoo. Plus, the tram is free.
● Henley Beach South
If you prefer living near the water, you can opt for Henley Beach. You get the sea view, yet the centre’s only twenty minutes away. In a way, you’ll get the best of both worlds. The houses here have outdoor space, which is great for families with kids.
● Kensington
Kensington is on the smaller side; however, it is just ten minutes away from the city centre. The area is excellent for young couples and folks who often want to visit the city centre because it’s within walking distance. Kensington has some of the best private schools in the city.
● Sephamore
Sephamore is on the coastal side of the city, about thirty-five minutes away from the centre. The suburb has small shops for your basic needs. The houses are bungalow-style and close to the beach. The suburb is a good fit for families because of the relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
● Glenelg
Glenelg is another seaside suburb. However, it has more migrants than the surrounding suburbs. The place is home to museums, historical sites, and amusement parks. Plus, it’s only twenty-five minutes away from the centre.
The place is popular with high-income families. However, you’ll also have fun if you’re young because the area offers great nightlife.
● Malvern
Malvern is one of the best suburbs in the city. That’s because it has well-maintained homes and a very aesthetic vibe. The area is friendly and beautiful. Plus, it has quality schools, shopping areas, and restaurants.
● North Adelaide
If you’re looking for something posher, North Adelaide is the place for you. Parklands surround it, and you can get to the centre in thirteen minutes. The area is expensive, but there are affordable apartments. The shopping centre here has high-end boutiques, restaurants, and other places.
Schools
The schooling system in Adelaide is second to none. The city has private, public, and Catholic schools, so you have plenty of options. If your kids are underage, you can find childcare centres to take care of them.
If you’re looking for a university, you won’t be disappointed. The universities here are included in the top 2% worldwide. There are three public universities; the University of South Australia, the University of Adelaide, and Flinders University.
Torrens University and Carnegie Mellon University are good options if you’re looking for private universities. The city also offers community colleges like Mannum and Sheffield. The city has three libraries in Rundle Mall, Hutt Street, and North Adelaide, and there’s also a virtual library.
Work
Adelaide offers an excellent opportunity to improve your work-life balance. Generally, the wages in Adelaide are slightly lower than in Sydney, but that’s just reflective of the lower living costs.
You can find opportunities in healthcare, social assistance, production, manufacturing, and retail sectors. The defence industry also has a substantial presence in the city. South Australia is a defence state, so you’ll find opportunities in the naval shipbuilding and submarine sector.
There’s also a space program in the city so that you can look for opportunities in that industry. You’ll also find jobs in the creative industry, like copywriting and graphic designing.
Transit
You might want to hold off on buying that car. Adelaide has an excellent public transport system comprising trains, buses, and trams. If you’re using buses, you’ll need a MetroTicket or MetroCard.
You can buy these tickets from trains, trams, or your local station. These are also the places where you’ll recharge your cards. You can use apps recommended by the Adelaide metro to check routes, timings, and stops. Children under five don’t need to pay to use the metro service.
The tram service in the CBD area is free. So are the connector buses linking popular spots like tourist attractions, educational institutes, and other such places. However, they only run during fixed times.
Recreation
Remember, you’re here to escape the hustle of the bigger cities like Sydney. Part of escaping that hustle is maintaining a good work-life balance, and Adelaide provides plenty of places to explore and relax.
● Beaches
Adelaide has twenty-three beaches on the coastal strip, all within an hour of the city. So no matter the season, you’ll be able to find a beach. You can opt for Glenelg beach, which is the most popular and developed of the lot. You might even spot a whale or two on this beach.
North Haven beach is the safest beach in Adelaide. It is also part of the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary. Other popular beaches include Brighton Beach, Henley Beach, and Port Noarlunga Beach.
If you’re looking for animal-friendly beaches, Sellicks Beach may be more your style. It’s a popular fishing spot; you can let your dog off its leash. You’ll find nice cafes and dining places on almost all the beaches.
● Shopping
You can get everything you need at your suburb’s local markets. However, if you want to take a little shopping trip, you won’t have to go far. Adelaide is home to several malls and shopping streets offering everything you want.
Of course, when it comes to malls, we have to mention Rundle Mall. Located in Adelaide CBD, Rundle Mall has over seven hundred stores. Plus, there are arcades and other services. You’ll be able to find outlets for luxury brands and independent boutiques.
Other shopping strips include Rundle Street, Queen Street, Jetty Road, and more. Harbour Town is home to multiple factory outlets, so you’ll find everything from fashion items to homeware.
There’s also the Adelaide Arcade. This heritage shopping arcade was built in the late 1800s. It has everything you want, from quirky button shops to prestigious jewellers like Cartier. Most stores in the Arcade close around 5 pm, so try to visit before then.
● Festivals
Adelaide may be a bit more chill than the other cities, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to throw a party. There are a ton of festivals throughout the year, so you’ll be very entertained.
There are three summer festivals. These include the Adelaide Fringe, Womadelaide, and Adelaide Festival. All three are during two months, i.e., February and March.
Two festivals mark autumn. South Australia’s History Festival starts in May and lasts the whole month. The second festival, DreamBIG Children’s Festival, lasts ten days and occurs in the final days of March.
Winter has four festivals. The Adelaide Cabaret Festival lasts three weeks in June. Illuminate Adelaide occurs in July and lasts the whole month, while the Adelaide Guitar Festival takes up two weeks of the month. The final winter festival is the South Australian Living Artist’s Festival which takes up all of August.
Four festivals also mark spring. There’s the Adelaide Film Festival in October. The OzAsia Festival starts at the end of October and ends during November’s first week. The Feast Festival takes up nearly all of November. Then, there’s the Tarnanthi Festival, which starts in the final week of October and lasts till the final week of January.
● Restaurants and Cafes
Adelaide has a lot of cafes and restaurants, so you’ll get lots of opportunities to try a lot of great food. Since there are a lot of immigrants, you’ll also get to taste foreign cuisine. The most popular food strips are on Randle Street, Leigh Street, Gougar’s Street (Chinatown), Melbourne Street, and Jetty Road.
You won’t miss the nightlife either. There are plenty of pubs and bars on Hindley Street, O’Connell Street, Parade, and Rundle Street. If you don’t feel like drinking, you can also explore dessert or coffee places open late into the night.
● Animal Experiences
Adelaide Zoo is a great place to visit if you’re an animal lover or want to see the different animals. You’ll even see some pandas there. If you’re going to see the wildlife, you must visit Kangaroo Island. Just take the forty-five-minute ferry from Adelaide and enjoy the rugged wildness of the island.
The Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary is a good place to stop if you want to look at birds. Every year when the birds migrate, they stop here to rest. You might even spot some exotic birds.
If you’re more into aquatic life, Adelaide still has you covered. You can visit the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary, which is just half an hour away from the centre. There you’ll be able to see long-nosed fur seals, southern eagle rays, Australian sea lions, mangroves, and dolphins.
Overall Living Costs
The average salary in Adelaide is lower than in Sydney. However, the cost of living reflects that. Most that you’ll spend will be on rent or the house. After that, your monthly expense should be roughly around 1500 dollars.
Of course, this is only for one person and can vary based on lifestyle choices. A family of four will have to spend four to five thousand dollars, while a couple may have to spend twenty-two to twenty-five hundred dollars.
Apartments are more expensive in the centre. They go for around 1500 to 3000 dollars per month, depending on the number of rooms. Out of the centre, the cost is lower and stays in the 1200 to 2100 dollars per month range. The median price for houses is $754,000. However, it varies by suburb.
The Actual Move
If you have decided to move to Adelaide, you should have a house or apartment ready before starting your journey. An interstate move is different from changing places in the same area. You can’t just come back to deal with things you forgot, so you must take care of everything in one go.
● Pack
You’ll need to pack everything. Start with your essential documents first, and then move on to the rest. Remember, fragile stuff must be padded to ensure it doesn’t break during the move. Plus, you’ll need to label everything, so it’s easier to unpack in your new place.
We know packing is a hassle. So if you want to skip the headache, have a removalist company do it for you. These companies have trained professionals that can pack everything in your house securely and efficiently.
● Hire a Moving Company
Hiring a good removalist company will make everything so much easier. Plus, you’ll be less stressed during the process. We don’t want to brag, but we are the best choice for moving to Adelaide from Sydney.
Sydney Moving can help you pack your stuff and move it to the required destination. We’re good at ensuring your property stays intact, but tragedies strike without warning. We recommend getting insurance to cover your losses in case of a mishap during the move.
If you want to figure out the cost, we also have a cost calculator to help you get an estimate. We can also help you move your offices. So don’t hesitate to contact us if you want a stress-free moving experience.
● Take Care of the Utilities
Before moving, you’ll need to contact folk who provide your utilities. That includes water, electricity, and internet providers. You’ll also need to inform your bank of the change of address. You’ll also need to register your address in Adelaide.
● Electoral Role
Since voting is compulsory, you’ll have to inform the Australian Electoral Commission that you’re changing your address. Otherwise, your vote won’t register in Adelaide, and you could have to pay a fine.
● Healthcare
Since you’re moving states, you’ll need to update your healthcare plan. The Royal Adelaide Hospital is one of the biggest and best hospitals in South Australia, so it will take care of you. The basic Medicare (plans A and B) remain the same. You need to update the address with the Social Security Department.
If you’re on Medicare Advantage (plan C), you’ll need to enrol in a program that covers the area of your residence. The same goes for Medicare plan D. You’ll need to update this as soon as you know you’re moving, or you’ll have a lapse in coverage.
● Licence
Since you’re moving to South Australia from New South Wales, you’ll need to update your driver’s licence. You need to register within three months of your move.
Conclusion
Moving interstate can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Do your research beforehand and finalise everything. When it’s time to make the actual move, let the professionals make things easier for you.
Here at Sydney Moving, we want to make things as easy as possible for you. So trust us, and we’ll take care of everything from packing to transport. Don’t forget to get transit insurance to avoid any mishaps. Contact us, and good luck with making a new start in Adelaide!