Best places to retire in Australia
For retirees, Canberra ranks highest in Australia (retire score 64/100), balancing affordability, a mild climate and safety. The most affordable option is Canberra. Our retire score = 40% cost + 30% climate + 30% safety.
Top retirement cities in Australia
- Canberra — retire score 64/100 (cost 26, climate 98, safety 80)
- Melbourne — retire score 60/100 (cost 15, climate 100, safety 79)
- Bendigo — retire score 57/100 (cost 6, climate 100, safety 82)
- Ballarat — retire score 57/100 (cost 6, climate 100, safety 81)
- Hobart — retire score 56/100 (cost 2, climate 100, safety 83)
- City of Port Phillip — retire score 56/100 (cost 5, climate 100, safety 81)
- Geelong — retire score 55/100 (cost 2, climate 100, safety 82)
- Wollongong — retire score 54/100 (cost 2, climate 100, safety 78)
- Toowoomba — retire score 54/100 (cost 4, climate 100, safety 76)
- Sydney — retire score 54/100 (cost 5, climate 100, safety 73)
- Central Coast — retire score 53/100 (cost 1, climate 100, safety 74)
- Adelaide — retire score 52/100 (cost 0, climate 100, safety 75)
Retire score weights affordability, climate comfort and disaster+crime safety. It does not include healthcare quality or retirement-visa rules — verify those separately.
FAQ
Where is the best place to retire in Australia?
Canberra ranks highest in our retirement score (64/100), balancing affordability, mild climate and safety.
Is Australia a good place to retire?
Australia's best retirement city scores 64/100; the most affordable is Canberra (cost 26/100). We weigh cost, climate and natural-disaster + crime safety — not healthcare or visas, which you should check separately.
What's the cheapest place to retire in Australia?
Canberra has the lowest cost of living in Australia in our data.