Vibrant. Welcoming. Safe. Innovative. Affordable. These are just a few descriptors of the beautiful city of Adelaide. Affectionately known as the 20-minute city, it is one of Australia’s greenest and low-cost cities. With less traffic congestion and pollution, it’s also one of the healthiest. Read on to discover why Adelaide is Australia’s best student city for international student living.
Adelaide’s low cost of living
Adelaide’s low cost of living means your money goes further – so you can put more of your earnings towards savings or enjoying the many benefits of the state. Compared to other Australian cities, rent in Adelaide is quite cheap, meaning you can live closer to campus, closer to the city, or closer to nature in the hills or near the beach.
Adelaide is more affordable than both Sydney and Melbourne (Economic Intelligence Unit Cost of Living Report 2018)
Those who choose to live further away from campus can take advantage of Adelaide’s public transport, giving students flexible living options. The money saved from rent and transport means you can dedicate more money towards your study resources or improve your quality of life with better household goods, food, and drink, or something to treat yourself.
Adelaide is a safe, friendly, and connected city
Adelaide’s community proved itself to be safe and responsible throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, recording very few cases of community transition, and as a result, South Australia has remained one of the safest places to live in the world. Thanks to this, restrictions to living and travel within the state are minimal, making it easy to get around.
It also means our campus opened up earlier than most others in Australia, allowing students to return to learning in person and giving them access to on-campus facilities.
Our campus has also never been more accessible due to the new Flinders Station train line extension, completed in 2020. You can now reach our campus from the city in just 22-minutes on the train – a six-song, ten-TikTok journey.
Vietnamese international student Lisa Pham – Bachelor of Arts (TESOL) – has loved the convenience of living in Adelaide.
“I can vouch that Adelaide is such a convenient city, with the easiest public transportation system, so it is extremely comfortable to get around. Adelaide is deemed as the most ‘liveable city in Australia’ after all. No matter where you are in the metro regions of Adelaide, you are no further than 40-minutes from the beach, and that has got to be exciting!”
It’s easy to have a healthy, balanced lifestyle in Adelaide
It’s easy to stay healthy and active in Adelaide. The central business district is surrounded by beautiful green and tree-filled parklands, with free exercise equipment, and an abundance of free playing fields, tennis, and basketball courts. The beach is just a quick bus or tram away, and in under an hour, you can be hiking in nature, heading up Mt Lofty walking trail, or through Morialta Conservation Park.
Flinders University students can also enjoy the luxury of an on-campus gym, can join one of our 23 sporting clubs, and even represent Flinders against other South Australian universities in competitions.
Discover the Flinders Sports and Fitness offerings here.
Alongside the fitness opportunities, it’s easy to maintain nutritional health in Adelaide. You can get amazing local, and affordable, fresh produce at the Adelaide Central Market in the city, which is the largest market in the southern hemisphere. The markets are easy to get to using public transport. Just hop on a tram once you’re in the city and you’ll be there in under 10-minutes.
If you’re feeling adventurous, jump in a car and head south to the Fleurieu Peninsula which is full of amazing food, wineries, breweries, and distilleries. You’re always close to a beach when you head down south so you can go for a long walk or a swim. Alternatively, head to the Barossa Valley, which is famous for its fine foods, and world-class wines.
Indian international student Sai Manoj – Master of Business Administration – embraced the balanced lifestyle that Adelaide provides.
“Adelaide is a great place to be in and experience Australia in its truest sense. If you are a nature lover you’ll love the great beaches and the hills. I particularly love how easy it is to get around in the city, and how it celebrates art and culture. Not to mention the great food — and the world’s best wine gets made here!”
Adelaide has a diverse culture and welcoming community
South Australia is called the festival state for a reason. We have an amazing blend of cultural events, art festivals, and cuisines. From mid-February through to mid-March, we host the largest arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere, the Adelaide Fringe Festival. During this event, the city comes to life every night with people, pop-up bars and restaurants filling the streets of the East End.
Chinese international student Skeat Yu – Master of Business (International Business) – greatly appreciated Adelaide’s warm and welcoming community.
“People in Adelaide are really nice, you receive a smile and greeting everywhere you go, and strangers are happy to help when you are in need. After a few months, you will realise that Adelaide has rubbed off on you and changed you for the better.”
If you’re looking for good food, the vibrant colours of Chinatown, located next to the Central Market, will catch your eye. And the mouth-watering smells from the various restaurants will keep you returning regularly!
In most suburbs in Adelaide, you’ll be able to find plenty of international cuisines and markets such as Indian, Pakistani, Afghani, Vietnamese, African, and many more.
Adelaide is a great place to work and build a career
It’s easy to work while you study in Adelaide due to how easy the city is to navigate, and with a lower cost of living, you won’t always need to take that extra shift meaning you can be flexible. You can get a job in the city and take shifts around your classes, with only half an hour of travel time needed.
This also means it’s easy to complete career-based internships due to ease of travel. Flinders University can help you find an internship placement. Simply speak with your faculty’s work-integrated learning teams to get started.
Discover more about Flinders Work Integrated Learning and career support services here.
Master of Civil Engineering alumnus Ben Bai found his experiences studying at Flinders helped him to achieve his post-graduate career ambitions.
“My time at Flinders was one of the most important chapters in my life’s book,” says the Chinese student. “I would say I found Flinders more welcoming than my previous degree and uni in South Australia.”
For Ben it was the soft skills that he picked up at Flinders that helped him most in the workplace environment.
“I think the soft skills like communication were really helpful and important to me,” says Ben of his time at Flinders. “They gave us a lot of presentations to do and group assignments – they helped me express myself, and learn the importance of teamwork.”
No. 1 SA university for full-time employment (The Good Universities Guide 2021 (postgraduate), public SA-founded universities only)
This kind of collaboration set Ben up to be future-ready and prepared when he stepped into his industry job.
“It’s going to be slightly different in real life than at uni, but it did teach me to have a good attitude and to always be positive – skills that I have transferred into real life.”
Ben transitioned his industry placement at City West Torrens Council into a full time role, and hasn’t looked back since.
“I love the work/life balance in Adelaide. I just think it’s a great city and I love working and living here,” says Ben of his adopted city. “I got permanent residency, everyone is friendly and I found a job here – so I’m really happy.”
Discover Ben’s Civil Engineering career journey with Flinders University here.
There’s also never been a better time to start a career in Adelaide after you’ve completed your studies. In recent years, Adelaide has been seen as an innovation hub, with many new start-ups becoming extremely successful very quickly.
Heard of StudyAdelaide? They offer a wealth of support activities for Adelaide-based international students – check them out here.
Roland Peddie, the co-founder of Adelaide-based 3D printing software company Makers Empire, believes the city’s recent success can be attributed to the generosity of locals when it comes to sharing time and resources.
“People are willing to share their experience and knowledge without necessarily expecting anything in return,” says Peddie.
Adelaide is also entering a new era of online connectivity due to its rollout of the Ten Gigabit project, set to give the state some of the fastest internet in the world. Now truly is the time to plan and build your career in Adelaide.
Completing university education in South Australia has non-career benefits that can help with other parts of life, giving you more time towards building your career. Those who graduate from a South Australian institution may be eligible for an extra year of post-study visa rights, giving international students the chance to continue growing in Adelaide before making their next move.
You can find out more about these benefits from the Department of Home Affairs website here.
Why choose to study in Adelaide?
Adelaide has been consistently rated as one of the world’s most liveable cities for many years. You’ll avoid the headaches of a big city like Sydney or Melbourne without missing any of the benefits. The growing hospitality scene has meant Adelaide has some of the best food and drink locations in the country.
With only a ten-minute walk between the popular East and West End, it’s easy to have a great time. In under an hour, you can travel to see the city, or the beaches and lush forests and vineyards in the Adelaide Hills.
Adelaide’s central and hills areas are Australia’s most liveable metropolitan locations (Ipsos Life in Australia Liveability Index 2020)
Due to South Australia’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the living restrictions in Adelaide are minimal, and the state has remained very safe compared to the rest of the world. Adelaide is a wonderful place to live as a student while you experience all the benefits of Australian culture and begin building your career.
If you’d like to get in touch with our friendly staff to discuss how you can transition from interstate to study in South Australia at the NO.1 SA University for overall experience* contact us here for a chat.