There isn't one single "fittest" city, as different studies highlight different areas, but Canberra, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, and Hobart consistently rank high for overall health/fitness due to factors like low obesity, good healthcare, sunlight, and access to activities, while Byron Bay leads in fitness engagement metrics like gyms and searches, and Sydney's Northern Beaches scores highest in wellbeing.
Key Takeaways
Adelaide has been ranked Australia's happiest city in the global Happy City Index, scoring highly across 82 measures of liveability and wellbeing.
Share: It's official: Canberra has been named the best city in the world for quality of life by Oxford Economics in 2025. The global index analysed 1,000 cities across the world, measuring everything from safety and housing to income, cultural access and overall wellbeing.
🏆 Tasmania has been named Australia's healthiest state, with Hobart topping the list as the healthiest capital city, according to a new study by Monash University.
28 November 2024
When Australian residents were asked to rate their home against factors including its location and condition, Tasmanians were revealed as the happiest with their overall living situation (54%), followed by: Australian Capital Territory (46%) South Australia (43%) Queensland (40%)
Hobart, Tasmania, is widely recognized as the cheapest major city, but smaller regional towns in Queensland and South Australia can offer even lower living costs.
Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is considered the safest city. According to Numbeo, its safety index is 73.6, which is higher than other cities in Australia. It also ranked as the 49th safest city in global rankings.
While subjective, Adelaide is frequently cited as Australia's most beautiful city, praised by Architectural Digest for its blend of surf, sand dunes, wine regions, and city architecture, though Sydney (harbor, Opera House), Melbourne (culture, laneways), and Hobart (nature, arts) are also strong contenders for natural and cultural beauty.
Melbourne holds the crown as Australia's most liveable city and ranks #4 worldwide, just behind Copenhagen, Vienna, and Zurich.
Brisbane has just been named as one of the friendliest cities in the world and we're the only Australian city to be listed in the top twenty. We've always known this about Brisbane but now the world is starting to discover it too.
Toorak – The Undisputed Richest Suburb in Melbourne
From multi-million-dollar mansions to elite private schools and exclusive shopping strips, it has long been regarded as the richest area in Melbourne. Toorak is also home to Australia's wealthiest business leaders, celebrities, and international investors.
Las Vegas, NV
Sin City reigns supreme as the nation's fun capital. "Las Vegas ranks No. 1 overall, leading the nation in both 'Entertainment and Recreation' and 'Nightlife and Parties' categories," says Lupo.
San Francisco was ranked as the healthiest city in the U.S. by a recent Wallethub study. The study analyzed various factors like health care, food, fitness and availability of green spaces when ranking more than 180 cities across the country. The study cites several reasons for San Francisco's title.
Copenhagen, Denmark: The cleanest city on the planet
Currently, the energy mix exceeds 30%, and it is expected to achieve energy independence by 2050. Notable features: Bicycle implementation: Copenhagen has 700,000 bicycles. 62% of its citizens use them.
The 5 best cities for healthcare
Sydney is the most expensive major city in Australia and the most expensive city overall.
Did you know, Australia has its own Hawaii! 🌸 beautiful, relaxed and remarkable- this is Lord Howe island, the perfect bucket list destination, just 2 hrs from Sydney!
The top seven Australian cities for expats are:
1. Which city in Australia has the highest crime rate? Rockhampton has the highest crime rate in Australia, with 132 per 1000 people. Some of the sources have also pointed to Alice Springs as the city with the highest crime rate.
What are the most popular places for British expats to live? Top choices include Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. Each offers a different lifestyle, climate, and cost of living. Regional areas may offer better value for money and relaxed pace of life, particularly for families or retirees.
Australia's Quiet Places
Yes, AUD 5,000 (around $3,300 USD) can be enough for a single person's month in Australia, especially in regional areas or if you're budget-conscious and can find work quickly, but it will be tight in major cities like Sydney or Melbourne, where it covers basics but leaves little for luxury, according to Anzuk Education and Reddit users, as city living costs, especially rent, can quickly consume most of that, requiring careful planning for accommodation, food, and activities.
The cheapest Australian capital city for renting is consistently Hobart, Tasmania, followed closely by Adelaide, South Australia, and sometimes Melbourne, depending on the data, while regional towns in South Australia and Western Australia often offer the absolute lowest rents for specific suburbs. These cities provide a blend of affordability and a reasonable standard of living compared to more expensive capitals like Sydney, making them top choices for budget-conscious renters.