Adelaide vs Melbourne: Choosing the Better City to Live In

If you’re choosing between Adelaide and Melbourne for you to live in, we’ve got you covered.

In this article, we go through the major differences between Adelaide and Melbourne in terms of climate, transportation, culture, cost of living, and more. Both cities have pros and cons for different people, so keep in mind that it all boils down to your preferences. 

Which is better: Adelaide or Melbourne?

Adelaide is better than Melbourne when it comes to safety, as it has one of the lowest crime rates in the country. Aside from this, transportation here is fast, and you’ll have many spots to visit within 20 minutes of driving. 

On the other hand, Melbourne is cheaper to live in and has a great culture for sports and coffee lovers. 

In terms of climate and culture, the two only have minor differences, so it all boils down to your preferences in cost of living and safety. 

Adelaide vs Melbourne: Culture

Adelaide and Melbourne are both cities of creativity and culture. With many museums, leisure spots, and festivals, both have many to offer to tourists and residents alike. 

In fact, both Adelaide and Melbourne are part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities. This title is given to cities that have dedicated spaces for growing local talents and fostering a creative culture.

What is Adelaide known for?

Adelaide is a city of live music, wine, and art. The city is bustling with countless concerts, exhibitions, and festivals on the regular, which is why residents always have something to look forward to. 

In fact, you can expect a spot for recreation within a five-minute drive of almost anywhere in the CBD. It can be a pub, restaurant, museum, or shopping mall. 

The laid-back atmosphere of the city is felt everywhere. 

What is Melbourne known for?

Melbourne is known as the Sporting Capital of the World. This is because it regularly hosts many sports events like tennis matches, Formula 1 racing, spring racing, and more.

This active culture also shows in the general atmosphere of their streets, which is notable for its artfully done graffiti. 

It has also been labeled as one of the most liveable cities in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit. 

How is Melbourne’s sports culture?

Melbourne is home to an impressive list of 27 professional sports teams, which is the highest among all of Australia. 

It has hosted many major sporting events, such as the 1956 Summer Olympics and 2006 Commonwealth Games, and is the first stop for the annual Grand Slam tennis tournament.

Aside from the enthusiasm of the locals, Melbourne is also a great place for sports because of their world-class venues. These include the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne Park, and AAMI Park Stadium.

Adelaide vs Melbourne: Food

Food is a great way to understand a city better. Check out the different highlights of the cuisines for both cities here.

What food is Adelaide known for?

Adelaide is home to a wide variety of cuisines, which is why its specialty dishes are quite varied. These include roast lamb, oysters, and burgers. 

Most of the time, the food is expected to be enjoyed with a bottle of beer or a glass of wine. Hence, it’s often savory and just the right amount of oily. 

Is Adelaide famous for wine? 

Winemaking is one of the most notable and celebrated parts of Adelaide’s rich culture. You can find many wineries in Adelaide Hills and the Barossa Region. 

In fact, they even hold seasonal events for showcasing the various wineries in the area. These include events like Sparkling Spring, Winter Reds, and Chardonnay May. 

What food is Melbourne known for?

Melbourne’s cuisine is greatly influenced by its diverse population which has a large percentage of immigrants. 

Some of their notable dishes include Vietnamese banh mi, Italian and Greek-influenced coffee, and Chinese dumplings.

Is Melbourne famous for coffee?

Melbourne is a great city for coffee, and its history of coffee-making comes from the influence of post-World War II immigrants who brought their special techniques to the city. 

Melburnians are very particular about their coffee, may it be simple drip coffee or the most expensive artisan blends. There are also many cafes to try all over the city, each with a unique interior that will heighten the experience for you.

Which has the better culture: Adelaide or Melbourne?

Adelaide and Melbourne are pretty similar when it comes to culture, but choose Adelaide if you prefer a more laid-back atmosphere, while Melbourne if you prefer a more active and fast-paced lifestyle. 

Aside from this, Adelaide is a better choice for wine lovers, while Melbourne’s drink of choice is coffee. 

Adelaide vs Melbourne: Climate

Adelaide and Melbourne aren’t very different when it comes to climate, although Melbourne is a bit colder. They’re both great cities if you want a Mediterranean climate. 

In both cities, summers are characterized by long days without rain. In winter, it usually rains for ⅓ of the month. 

How’s the climate in Adelaide?

Adelaide’s climate ranges between 7°C at its coldest during winters and 29°C during summertime. It’s also not very humid here, which means that you won’t feel uncomfortable even during the hottest days. 

Adelaide’s location naturally makes it a great spot for summer days. Henley Beach is just 20 minutes away from the CBD. 

Because everything is so near, you can take a dip at the beach, buy some ice cream, and still have some time to explore the city’s offerings in broad daylight. 

What’s the coldest month in Adelaide?

July is the coldest month in Adelaide, and it’s the time when you should always bring an umbrella with you. During this month, there’s regular rainfall and chilly winds.

How’s the climate in Melbourne?

Melbourne has a similar climate to Adelaide, as its lowest temperature is also at 7°C, while its highest is at 27°C during summer. Melbourne is just a bit colder.

In addition, Melbourne usually experiences less rain. However, the climate here is a bit unpredictable in that you can experience intense heat and cold in just one day.

Which has a better climate: Adelaide or Melbourne?

Adelaide and Melbourne have very similar climates, to the point of having negligible differences. If we’re going to be nitpicky, though, Melbourne has less rain on the regular, while Adelaide is a bit hotter on average. 

To make your home cozy during the summer, hire one of the top local architects of Adelaide to help. 

Adelaide vs Melbourne: Cost of Living

Adelaide and Melbourne are both capital cities, so the cost of living in both is a bit higher than in other cities. While the cost is mostly similar for both, there are differences when it comes to the price of rent.

Where is it more expensive: Adelaide or Melbourne?

Based on numbers from Numbeo, Melbourne is more affordable than Adelaide in all aspects except rent. 

Expenses	Adelaide	Melbourne
Meal from inexpensive restaurant	25.00 A$	25.00 A$
Milk (one liter)	1.94 A$	2.12 A$
Loaf of white bread	3.43 A$	3.22 A$
Bottle of wine	20.00 A$	18.00 A$
Pack of 20 cigarettes	40.00 A$	40.00 A$
One-way ticket	4.50 A$	4.50 A$
Basic utilities for an apartment (electricity, water, garbage, etc.)	433.70 A$	289.42 A$
One-bedroom apartment within city center	2,047.43 A$	2,196.60 A$
One-bedroom apartment outside city center	1,471.21 A$	1,708.20 A$
Three-bedroom apartment within city center	3,889.18 A$	3,654.76 A$
Three-bedroom apartment outside city center	2,479.65 A$	2,561.34 A$

Where are real estate prices higher: Adelaide or Melbourne?

Melbourne has a higher median home value of $698,204 compared to Adelaide’s median home value of $646,045. This puts Melbourne at about 3% higher according to numbers by Property Update.

If you need assistance purchasing a new home in Adelaide, we’ve got you covered with a list of the best real estate agents in the city.

Adelaide vs Melbourne: Safety 

Being capital cities, it’s a bit expected for both Adelaide and Melbourne to have higher crime rates than the rest of the state. There’s a difference between the two in crime statistics, though. 

Which is safer: Adelaide or Melbourne?

Based on Numbeo’s crime statistics, Adelaide is safer, as its crime index is only 31.82, while Melbourne’s is at 43.96.

In addition, Adelaide has a higher score of 68.18 on the safety scale, while Melbourne only has 56.04.

A higher crime index means that the city is most likely to have cases of illegal activity. On the other hand, a higher score on the safety scale means the opposite.

Index	Adelaide	Melbourne
Crime Index	31.82	43.96
Safety Scale	68.18	56.04

In terms of the residents’ personal concerns about experiencing crime, Melbourne also fares worse when compared to Adelaide. 

	Adelaide	Perth
Level of crime	29.04	44.92
Worries about being mugged	37.89	24.05
Worries about having their car stolen	40.73	31.04
Worries about being attacked	42.04	27.95
Number of people with drug problems	55.24	45.33
Feeling safer walking alone during daytime	79.48	71.68
Feeling safer walking alone during nighttime	42.58	53.05

Adelaide may be safer than Melbourne, but we can never really be sure when it comes to security. To know the best companies to entrust your business or home with, we’ve made a list of the best security companies in Adelaide.

Which is safer: Adelaide or Melbourne?

Adelaide is safer than Melbourne, as it has a lower crime index and a higher score on the safety scale. Its residents also feel safer in the city compared to Melbourne. 

In addition, Adelaide has one of the most expensive healthcare facilities in the world. That speaks a lot for their dedication towards improving their residents’ wellbeing. 

Adelaide vs Melbourne: Healthcare

Local healthcare facilities are an important factor to consider when choosing a city, as it’s a great indicator of the city’s dedication to providing wellness for its people. 

How is Melbourne’s healthcare system?

Melbourne has world-class healthcare facilities, with more than 200 hospitals all over the city and regional Victoria. 

It also has an excellent health and well-being profile, and they’ve handled the COVID-19 pandemic properly as we’ve seen in its year-end reports.

Some of their most-known hospitals include The Royal Melbourne Hospital and The Alfred, both of which rank 1st and 2nd in Newsweek’s Best Hospitals of 2021.

How is Adelaide’s healthcare system?

Adelaide has a remarkable healthcare system, which particularly shone after the COVID-19 pandemic. It helped in making them part of 2021’s most liveable cities according to the Economist.

According to the same source, they have a record score of 100 for healthcare. In addition, they’re praised for being able to respond to the needs of various marginalized populations of the city well. 

Which hospital was the most expensive to build in the world?

Adelaide is home to the hospital that’s the most expensive to build in the world, the Royal Adelaide Hospital. 

It has world-class medical technology, rooms, and professionals. By seeing its architecture and its great track record, it’s easy to see that the investment was worth it. 

Aside from this, it’s also home to many medical centers. If you need non-urgent medical assistance, check out our list of the best medical centers in Adelaide.

Adelaide vs Melbourne: Transportation and Location

Adelaide and Melbourne are both excellent when it comes to public transportation, especially when it comes to their train and bus systems. 

Is Adelaide’s public transportation good?

Adelaide’s public transportation is one of the best in the world, as it is affordable, fast, and well-planned. This is thanks to the fact that their public transport system is owned by one company, Adelaide Metro. 

Adelaide Metro’s stations are strategically located around the best spots of the city. It’s easy to visit the CBD and other spots of the city because their trams, buses, and train stops are conveniently placed. 

In fact, Adelaide has once been dubbed as a “20-minute city.” While the number of private cars is on the rise, you can still expect commuting time here to be faster than in most cities in the world.

Is Melbourne’s public transportation good?

Melbourne’s strength lies in having the largest suburban train system in all of Australia. Reaching the outskirts of the city is convenient because of this.

In addition, the tickets for the train are free if you’re transporting around the CBD. This makes it more affordable for workers needing daily transportation. 

However, a minor issue is that the placement of the stations tends to stretch out as you get farther from the center. For example, stations like Hurstbridge and Sunbury are quite far from destinations near its center.

This results in the need to ride a bus or a tram to get to where you want to be. This also adds a little more to your everyday transportation budget.

Which has a better transportation system: Adelaide or Melbourne?

Both Adelaide and Melbourne have well-designed public transportation, especially if you’re traveling within the CBD. 

However, Adelaide has an advantage when it comes to the speed of traveling due to lower passenger density and its better-planned stops. 

Adelaide vs Melbourne: Job Market and Opportunities

Adelaide and Melbourne are both cities with great potential for all. There’s only a slight difference in terms of the industries that the cities mainly thrive in. 

Where can you earn more: Adelaide or Melbourne?

Based on statistics by Numbeo, Melbourne has a higher average salary of 5,405.06 A$, while Adelaide has 4,382.25 A$. This is a significant difference of close to 19%.

According to data by REMPLAN, the top industries of Melbourne include professional and scientific services, financial and insurance services, and public administration and safety.

On the other hand, Adelaide’s top industries are health care and social assistance, public administration and safety, and professional and scientific services. 

Final Verdict: Which city is better: Adelaide or Melbourne?

Adelaide and Melbourne both offer amazing opportunities for work, entertainment, and more. In the end, which city is a better choice differs from case to case. 

Adelaide is better than Melbourne if you want a more laid-back city that has a great transportation system, a wine and live music culture, and safer neighborhoods.

Planning to move from Adelaide? Check out our list of the best removalists in Adelaide here.

Melbourne is better than Adelaide if you want to earn more and if you prefer a cheaper cost of living. 

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