Been drawn to South Australia lately? You’re not alone. Adelaide’s population is growing bigger everyday, thanks to quite a few different drawcards. Pick a card, any card: great wine, great food, great scenery, great churches (if that’s your thing). If you’ve been considering moving to Adelaide, it might be time to make a plan.
Organising an interstate move is a big job. You have to sort out your suburbs of choice, what your budget is like, and why this new city is worth the hype. We recommend holding off on the celebratory Adelaide wine until you’ve read our insider’s guide and arrived at your destination (hopefully at a winery, to celebrate landing your big move).
Why Move to Adelaide?
If you’ve been looking for a way to switch some stuff up in your life, moving interstate will guarantee it. If you want to REALLY change things up? Try moving to Adelaide. Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane have been the centre of attention for far too long. Why not try the city that’s been flying under the radar? (Until now, that is).
Aside from costing you a lot less, moving to Adelaide has a lot to offer:
- Food worth writing home about. Not to mention wine. Adelaide’s food scene has been thriving for years. Not to mention, it’s also home to some of Australia’s most famous wineries. The whole scene is one of Australia’s best (seriously).
- A whole lot of balance. While Adelaide’s got great nightlife and an incredible festival scene worth raving about, it’s also a relaxing place to live – making it the perfect place to settle down when the time is right, without having to sacrifice the stuff that you love doing.
- Beautiful views aren’t far. Adelaide’s a beautiful place, but South Australia as a whole is show-stopping. Whether it’s a weekend getaway or a daytrip, locals have access to all those incredible views, 24/7. Think wineries, pink lakes, the Eyre Peninsula, sinkhole divesites, you name it.
Let’s get your TAXIBOX to Adelaide, ASAP.
Figure Out Where You Want to Live
Yes, you want to move to Adelaide. We know that much. But whereabouts do you ACTUALLY want to live in Adelaide? It may not be the biggest city in Australia, but Adelaide, like so many other cities, is full of suburbs that attract all different kinds of people. It’s best you figure out which area is going to suit your lifestyle before you pick a postcode.
If you’re looking for affordability… you’re in luck. Out of the major Australian cities, Adelaide’s one of the cheapest to live in – with lower living costs, and house prices being a lot more realistic (here’s looking at you, Sydney). Whether you’re renting or buying a place, areas like Kensington and Norwood are close to the CBD AND affordable. Double-win for Adelaide.
If you’re looking for somewhere family friendly… you won’t have to look for long! Adelaide’s a really family friendly city. If you’re looking for somewhere by the beach, try North Brighton. If you’re looking for great schools, try Salisbury and surrounds.
If you go out a lot… there’s a lot to look forward to. Try Glenelg for nightlife, Walkerville or Bowden for eating out, or Henley Beach South for the best of both worlds.
Decide on a Budget
@henry.nguyen15 Train goes along with the sea? Adelaide 🤌🏻 #adelaide #southaustralia #myadelaide ♬ STAY – The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber
If you’ve spent the last few years in cities like Sydney or Melbourne, you’re probably used to spending a pretty penny on your cost of living. In Adelaide, that’s likely to change, as one of the more affordable, bigger cities in Australia. In saying that, moving interstate can be pretty expensive if you don’t play your cards right, so it’s always worthwhile making a budget ahead of time.
Things to include in your budget:
- Rent: on average, a 1 bedroom place near the CBD will be approximately $350 a week, while a 3 bedroom house out in the suburbs will be roughly $400 a week.
- Food: eating lunch out will set you back around $15-$30, depending on what your tastebuds are into.
- Average bills per month: what you currently pay is a good estimate.
- Transport: quite a few public transport options around Adelaide are actually free, including the tram and a city circle bus – Adelaide is also a reasonably flat city, so if you can get away with walking to your next destination, you won’t have to work up too much of a sweat.
- Treating yourself: you can’t really put a pricetag on self-care (or what you personally define as self-care), but keep in mind that Adelaide is a city full of delicious restaurant food, so there are a lot of temptations in that department.
Get an instant quote to get an idea.
Cross Everything Off the Must-Do List
You’re moving to Adelaide, sure – but there’s no harm in playing tourist for a day. It pays off to get excited about the place you’re about to call home:
- Explore Adelaide Central Market. Markets are always good, but Adelaide’s biggest market is particularly worthwhile – it’s one of the largest in the southern hemisphere. Apparently they sell over a million kilos of fruit and veggies every month (delicious meat and cheese included, of course).
- Climb Adelaide Oval. It might not be the harbour bridge, but Adelaide Oval is still worth climbing – with panoramic views of the city from the top, plus, the oval itself is pretty spectacular too. You can even watch a game from up there if you book at the right time.
- Book a winery tour. You’re an Adelaidean now, you might as well take it in your stride and get on the wine. Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills, or McLaren Vale are all great places to start.
Eat Your Way Around Adelaide
Adelaide’s quickly becoming known for some of the best restaurants in the country (watch out, Melbourne and Sydney). When you start planning moving to Adelaide, the list of Adelaide eats becomes endless:
- Get a bottomless breakfast at Bloom. You can even stay post brunch for their boozy long lunch (this place is known for their SA wine and beer menu).
- Bite into some sourdough at Brid. Or if you have a sweet-tooth, there’s also cookies, apple pie… will have to cut the list there. Otherwise we’ll start drooling.
- Appreciate the heat at Arkhe. A restaurant with an open kitchen and a three-and-a-half-tonne wood-burning oven should do the trick (the head chef with a Michelin-star history also helps).
Do as the Locals Do
@nick0113 Not bad after all #adelaide #cityofadelaide #drone #dji ♬ original sound – mertsanimes
Did you forget? This is an insider’s guide, approved by the locals. At some point, it’s best to settle in, leave the tourist-y stuff to the tourists, and do as the locals do:
- Play tennis in the sky. Okay, maybe not ALL the Adelaide locals do this – but the West Beach Adventure course is so noteworthy it doesn’t deserve to be lumped in with your average tourist attractions. Think suspension bridges, skywalks, slacklines, tightropes – activities for the whole family, with views of Adelaide as a bonus (you’re in the sky, after all).
- Grocery shop at Adelaide Farmers’ Market. Been getting into cooking lately? There’s no better way to settle into your new city than getting your hands on some locally grown fresh fruit and veggies on a Sunday morning.
- Get to know the city around Rundle Mall. Not all shopping experiences lend themselves to walking, but Rundle Mall does – packed with all the entertainment, eating and shopping experiences you need, all without having to get in the car.
Moving to Adelaide? Let’s Get You There
Moving interstate is never easy – the fact that you have to add more than a few dozen things to your to-do list doesn’t help. Pack, plan, update your address, figure out how you’re going to get there, figure out how you’re going to get the pets there, figure out how you’re going to get your sanity there. The list is endless.
With TAXIBOX, you can cross quite a few jobs off your list. Get a TAXIBOX delivered to your place, pack your life up at your own pace, and make your own way to Adelaide – we’ll deliver your stuff straight to your new address, so you can meet your stuff at your destination. We can even store your stuff in-between moves, if you have some time to kill before you move into your new place.
Just promise us that you go visit a few tourist attractions on your way down to Adelaide? We’ve heard great things about the pink lakes, and you might as well go see them before TAXIBOX truly makes its mark and yellow lakes start popping up left, right and centre.
