Is Adelaide an expat refuge from a crazy world?

Posted on 7 Jun at 6 PM in Relocation
Story link: Is Adelaide an expat refuge from a crazy world?
Is Adelaide an expat refuge from a crazy world?

Is Adelaide an expat refuge from a crazy world?

If you’re thinking of the Australian city of Adelaide for your next relocation or retirement, checking on housing availability and costs of living are your first steps.

Once regarded as being the back of beyond, Adelaide is now a thriving city with job opportunities and a great social life, with property seeming like a bargain after the heights of similar homes in Sydney. Even long-stay expats in other major Oz cites are cashing in on their pricey properties and moving to Adelaide. As in every Australian city, the weather dominates the lifestyle, but what’s unusual about Adelaide is that it actually gets cold in winter, although its summer temperatures can hit up to 40 Celsius.

Adelaide's citizens tend to regard any destination over 20 minutes’ drive from the city is the other side of the moon. As its admittedly lovely beaches are 35 minutes way by car and the airport is 30-40 minutes’ drive, pre-planning is essential. Expats may find this a little odd, but the syndrome possibly originates with another strange fact – few residents live more than 10 minutes’ drive from their parents.

One of the first questions from would-be expats always involves the cost of living, reassuringly cheap in this neck of the Australian woods and including property prices. The city’s house prices are cheap compared with Australian cities in general, making it a major attraction, especially for expat retirees. A local comment says it all – ‘sell your Sydney house and buy four in Adelaide for the same money’. For a four-bedroomed family home including a back yard, the average cost is around Aus$500,000.

Another draw for expats who love the countryside is that Adelaide’s surroundings are simply amazing, from the beaches through the conservation parks to Kangaroo Island. The great outdoors gets a new meaning in Australia, with the Adelaide region one of the loveliest. Another advantage is that, compared with other major Oz cities, Adelaide is smaller and less congested. Massive traffic jams very rarely happen, allowing workers to get home in time for a cosy, relaxed evening at the local pub. The pace of life is slower, and life itself is more peaceful, a rarity in this ever more disruptive world. Aussies living in other states tend to refer to the city as either ‘boring’, or ‘a big country town’ – but that’s how its residents like it, along with a good number of expats.

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