FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions – Moving to Adelaide

Disclaimer: This FAQ is put together using personal experiences and observations, and does not constitute full and proper advice. Please use this FAQ as a general guide only.

If you have other questions not covered in this FAQ, please feel free to send your queries through our contact form.

Cost of Living

Q: What is the cost of living like in Adelaide?

Statistics show that Adelaide is the second cheapest Australian capital city to live in, after Hobart in Tasmania.

Whether you’re buying a house or a car, you will find Adelaide to be cheaper than Singapore. Houses in Adelaide are also cheaper than in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Cars in Adelaide are not as cheap as the other cities, but still affordable.

Renting in Adelaide is cheaper than in Singapore and most other Australian cities. A typical 2 bedroom apartment in a reasonable suburb might cost between $200 and $300 per week. A typical 3-4 bedroom house might cost between $350 and $600 per week depending on the suburb you are staying in.

Public transport in Adelaide is slightly more expensive than in Singapore, but is cheaper than the other major Australian cities. Petrol prices in Adelaide are lower than Singapore’s, but slightly higher than those in some Australian cities.

Groceries and fresh food in Adelaide are slightly more expensive than in Singapore, and possibly more expensive than some Australian cities. When it comes to eating out, Adelaide is cheaper than other Australian cities. For fine dining, Adelaide is cheaper than Singapore, but not so for everyday family dining although portions of food is much bigger than in SIngapore. You will also be able find good quality wines in Adelaide for good prices.

Q: Can I find Asian foodstuffs/ingredients easily in Adelaide?

You should be able to find most (if not all) Asian foodstuffs or ingredients in one of the many Asian supermarkets in and around the city.

In recent years, more and more specialist supermarkets have sprouted up in Adelaide, providing foodstuff from Japan, Korea, China/HK, Southeast Asia, India, and various other African regions.

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Accommodation

Q: Where can I start searching for accommodation?

Try the following major real estate websites, which caters to buyers and renters: realestate.com.au and Domain. These websites also provide good estimates of how much rent one would pay, and also the market values of properties.

Q: What is the real estate market like in Adelaide?

It is quite clear, from statistics over the past decades, that real estate represents one of the best investment options, and house prices have rocketed over that period of time. However, in recent years, the real estate market has experienced a downturn (in some states).

Generally speaking, the real estate market in South Australia does not seem to have gone backwards, but has reached a plateau or rising slowly. House prices in certain (more desirable) areas in metropolitan Adelaide have continued to rise. Properties in a good number of country towns have also experienced growth in value, partly due to the growth in the resources sector, and also the trend towards owning a ‘holiday home’ away from urbanised centres.

It should be noted that home ownership is generally regarded as “The Australian Dream”.

Q: Should I buy or just rent?

This is a decision for each one to make, in conjunction with proper financial advice.

There are however 2 factors to take into consideration:

  • First home-owners’ grant (FHOG) by Australian governments (Federal & State)
    The FHOG is only available to citizens and permanent residents of Australia. If you’re on a visa other than a permanent one, do take into consideration waiting till you get your full PR visa before buying a house, with access to the FHOG. However, do check with your financial advisor if it is “worth the wait” for the FHOG (which is much lower than that given by the Singapore government).
  • Accessibility to home loans
    Obtaining a good home loan (with reasonable interest rates and clauses) may not be as easy as one might think. Generally speaking, to get the better value loans, banks in Australia would prefer to have evidence of continuous employment in Australia. So, for one just arriving in Australia and only working for a few months, the bank might be less likely to approve a hefty home loan. The other issue is that of equity – what percentage of the house value you are borrowing, as opposed to the percentage you will own with your upfront deposit. Obviously, you should consult a qualified financial advisor or mortgage broker for proper advice.

Q: What are the good areas around Adelaide to live in?

A judgment on whether an area is good for living in would depend on a few factors: transport options, general amenities, proximity to schools, and so-called ‘socio-economic factors’.

The following areas are commonly regarded as ‘desirable’:

  • Inner-city suburbs, being Adelaide & North Adelaide
  • Eastern suburbs, examples: Norwood, St Peters, Kensington, Magill, Payneham
  • Inner-south suburbs, examples: Parkside, Unley, Hyde Park, Malvern, Fullarton
  • Beach-side suburbs, examples: Glenelg, Henley Beach, Tennyson

Of course, desirable suburbs also attract higher demand and higher prices. There are other suburbs that may be broadly grouped as ‘eastern suburbs’ which are reasonably good, and not as pricey. It is best to seek out opinions from various people, including real estate agents.

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Transportation

Q: Is it easy to move around Adelaide?

Compared to Singapore (701 square kilometres), the Adelaide metropolitan area is sightly bigger (870 square kilometres). The distance from east to west is about 20 km, while north to south is about 90 km.

Adelaide is sometimes called a “20-minute city”, in that (almost) everything is within a 20-minutes’ drive away. But, if you decide to use public transport, it might take longer, much longer as buses and trains are not as frequent as in Singapore.

Most buses run arterial routes (from one side of the metropolitan area through the city to the other side), with some ring-route (routes running around the city without entering it) bus services, and other routes servicing suburban regions. There is a train system with a few main lines, mainly linking the city to outer southern suburbs, outer northern suburbs and Port Adelaide. A single tramline runs from the city centre down to the beachside suburb & tourist area of Glenelg. Check out the Adelaide Metro website for more details on public transportation in the Adelaide metropolitan area.

Buying and owning a car is relatively cheap in Adelaide. A brand new Toyota Corolla will cost you around $25,000 to $27,000 to buy (including taxes & duties), with annual expenses of around $3000 (assuming 1 full tank of petrol lasts 2 weeks, and including registration and insurance) (as at February 2009). Many people own second-hand cars, which would obviously be cheaper. There are many ways to find a good bargain on cars, including websites like: carsales.com.au, carsguide.com.au and CarPoint Australia.

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Employment

Q: Where can I start looking for jobs?

Try the following online job search portals: CareerOne, SEEK, and MyCareer.

Alternatively, seek out recruitment agencies and place yourself in their list of candidates. Ensure you have an updated curriculum vitae and a cover letter ready.

Q: Are recruitment agencies a good way of getting jobs?

Recruitment agencies assist you in getting employment in 2 ways – permanent placement and short term contracts.

  • With permanent placements, recruitment agencies are retained by businesses to recruit new employees on their behalf. The agencies might go through their list of candidates to find a match or go out to place an advertisement (both online and in print media). The successful placement of an employee (with various conditions met) results in placement fee from the recruiting business.
  • With short-term contracts, recruitment agencies will put candidates on their payroll (or other similar arrangements), and contract them out to businesses to fulfill short-term employment requirements (such as backfilling a temporarily vacated position). The agency is paid an agreed per hour rate for the candidate from the business, and after taking their ‘cut’, passes on the salary to the candidate.

When conducting your own job search (via print or online media), we only get a percentage of all available job vacancies, as recruitment agencies may not advertise jobs that they have a suitable candidate for. As such, by putting yourself in candidates lists of various agencies will give you a better chance of getting a job, whether permanent or short-term contract.

Q: What sorts of jobs are available in South Australia?

A quick survey of jobs in South Australia will reveal a huge demand for tradespersons (e.g. electricians, mechanical fitters, plumbers, etc.). Professionals such as engineers, accountants and nurses are also in high demand. All over Australia, there is a shortage of medical practitioners, but it is extremely difficult to obtain permanent residency by virtue of a medical profession.

There has been talk of a looming resource boom in South Australia, which will lead to an explosion of new vacancies in the mining sector. However, due to the current Global Financial Crisis, China’s demand for raw materials has declined, thus the anticipated boom has not hit South Australia yet though many feel that it will just a matter of time.

It is important for prospective job seekers to note that Adelaide hosts only a few head offices of major corporations while the rest are based in Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane. As such, when it comes to executive level jobs, supply will definitely outstrip demand. Thus, it is not uncommon to see people move interstate to pursue a career higher up in the corporate food-chain.

Q: How is the current Global Financial Crisis (GFC) affecting the economy (or job market) in South Australia?

Like all other states in Australia, and most countries around the world, South Australia is impacted by the GFC. However, statistics published since the beginning of the GFC seems to show that South Australia is not as badly hit as other states in Australia.

Many economic academics feel that Australia is fundamentally a sound economy with good government regulations, and comparatively good debt position. As such, the Australian economy may not suffer as badly as the USA and Europe.

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Education & Childcare

Q: Where can I get some information on schools, kindergartens and childcare centres?

Try the following websites:

Q: Which school should I send my child to?

Unfortunately, we cannot (and should not) answer this question. This is something you need to consider with your family.

There are many variables in selecting a school, including but not restricted to:

  • Do you want a public school or a private school?
  • Do you want your child to have religious input from the school?
  • Are there particular academic interests you would like your child to pursue?
  • Are there particular non-academic interests you would like your child to pursue?
  • Is travelling an issue for you?

Q: What is the difference between private & public schools?

Generally speaking, public schools are cheaper to attend than private schools, and fully secular in their education. Only private schools are allowed to provide religious input in their education.

It should be noted that sending your child to a public school is not in itself inferior to attending a private school.

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Other General Questions

Q: Where can I play sports in Adelaide?

It can be said that the national past-time of Australia is sports.

There are many different sporting clubs around Adelaide, which you can join and participate. You can also find a suitable sporting venue to hire to play a particular sport with friends. It is a common sight to see groups of people coming together to play sports on a casual basis.

Also, there are many swimming centres in Adelaide and the suburbs. These swimming centres are typically run by the local city councils in the suburbs, and each council area would have at least one for the residents.

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