Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Adelaide vs Darwin

Adelaide vs Darwin

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Darwin 22% cheaper Moderate / Low

Adelaide

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Darwin

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Nomad Cost

$5,174

Adelaide

$4,025

Darwin

Internet

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Adelaide

Low

Darwin

Air Quality

5/5

Adelaide

5/5

Darwin

Healthcare

Low

Adelaide

Low

Darwin

Population

1.2m

Adelaide

118.5k

Darwin

Adelaide and Darwin are both in Australia, making this one of the most common comparisons for digital nomads planning a base in the region. This guide breaks down the key differences across cost, internet, safety, weather, and quality of life.

Cost of Living

The monthly savings are substantial — Darwin at $4025/mo costs 22% less than Adelaide at $5174/mo, adding up to $13788 over a year.

For families, Adelaide costs $6247.103259925843/mo compared to Darwin's $5634.15944423448/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Internet speeds are nearly identical — Adelaide at 80 Mbps and Darwin at 80 Mbps. Both handle video calls and uploads well.

Quality of Life

Adelaide has a stronger safety profile than Darwin, which may be a deciding factor for solo travelers or families.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Adelaide and Darwin.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Adelaide is January (around 28 degrees, 0mm rain, score 418), while Darwin peaks in June (31 degrees, 0mm rain, score 403). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

AdelaideDarwin

Nomad$5,174/mo$4,025/mo

Expat$2,865/mo$2,634/mo

Local$1,785/mo$1,610/mo

Family$6,247/mo$5,634/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

AdelaideDarwin

City Speed

80 Mbps

Country Speed80 Mbps80 Mbps

Environment & Health

AdelaideDarwin

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionLowLow

ClimateHighHigh

Humidity4975

Quality of Life

AdelaideDarwin

SafetyModerateLow

HealthcareLowLow

Monthly Weather Comparison

Adelaide

Darwin

Jan

28°

0mm418

34°

19mm162

Feb

28°

0mm418

38°

4mm239

Mar

29°

0mm418

38°

12mm239

Apr

17°

0mm378

37°

0mm383

May

17°

0mm378

35°

0mm363

Jun

12°

0mm354

31°

0mm403

Jul

12°

0mm345

32°

0mm403

Aug

14°

1mm364

34°

0mm383

Sep

15°

1mm364

36°

0mm381

Oct

21°

0mm398

39°

1mm355

Nov

23°

0mm395

40°

5mm322

Dec

25°

0mm418

40°

6mm301

Who Should Choose Adelaide?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Peak season in January — 28 degrees, score 418

Who Should Choose Darwin?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Smaller city feel with 118.5k residents
Peak season in June — 31 degrees, score 403

Overall Verdict

The data favors Adelaide as the more well-rounded choice. At $5174/mo versus Darwin's $4025/mo, that is a 22% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Adelaide Darwin

ItemAdelaideDarwinDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$12.57$14.27

12%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$67.96$74.75

McMeal or equivalent combo$8.65$10.87

20%

Cappuccino (regular)$3.38$3.46

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$5.44$6.8

20%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$6.49$5.78

11%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$2.47$2.37

Water (0.33L)$1.82$2.32

22%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.11$1.16

White bread (500g)$1.9$2.07

White rice (1kg)$2.07$2.31

10%

Eggs (12)$3.4$4.25

20%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$7.43$8.43

12%

Beef round (1kg)$14.45$14.78

Local cheese (1kg)$8.59$7.61

11%

Apples (1kg)$2.82$3.56

21%

Bananas (1kg)$2.59$2.91

11%

Oranges (1kg)$2.76$3.3

16%

Tomatoes (1kg)$4.51$4.3

Potatoes (1kg)$2.26$2.89

22%

Onions (1kg)$1.81$2.8

35%

Lettuce (1 head)$2.58$2.8

Water (1.5L bottle)$1.33$2.31

42%

Wine, mid-range bottle$11.55$13.59

15%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$4.1$4.38

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$4.62$4.93

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$26.61$26.5

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$2.89$2.04

29%

Monthly transport pass$71.36$43.14

40%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$3.4$3.81

11%

Taxi per 1km$1.65$1.05

36%

Taxi 1hr waiting$26.95$37.64

28%

Gasoline (1L)$1.36$1.34

Volkswagen Golf (new)$23,785.29$19,334.04

19%

Toyota Corolla (new)$20,288.54$18,311.95

10%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$210.07$170.7

19%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$48.5$60.68

20%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.17$0.42

60%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$41.43$43.09

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$15.04$20.9

28%

Cinema, 1 ticket$12.23$16.65

27%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$1,213.53$1,766.91

31%

International primary school/yr$14,174.09$7,588.64

46%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$67.56$64.56

Summer dress (chain store)$46.7$40.77

13%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$94.36$105.33

10%

Men's leather business shoes$101.37$113.26

10%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$1,117.53$1,062.41

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$781.52$634.27

19%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$2,089.71$2,355.88

11%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$1,385.59$1,770.3

22%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$3,782.81$3,086.42

18%

Price per m², outside centre$1,818.86$2,378.53

24%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$4,144.98$4,728.33

12%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$3.2$4.08

22%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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