Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairns and Hamilton

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $2,253 a month against $2,501 in Cairns, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Cairns
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Cairns Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

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Cairns

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,501

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,253

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairns and in Hamilton

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cairns and in Hamilton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,501 per month in Cairns vs $2,253 in Hamilton, rent included.

Cairns $2,501
Hamilton $2,253

A couple spends around $3,716 per month in Cairns vs $3,331 in Hamilton, rent included.

Cairns $3,716
Hamilton $3,331

A family of three spends $4,931 per month in Cairns vs $4,408 in Hamilton, rent included.

Cairns $4,931
Hamilton $4,408

Cairns costs about 11% more than Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cairns and Hamilton sit above the global median – Cairns by 85%, Hamilton by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.37 A$25.00

$17.21 CA$24.33

0.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.6 A$138

$65.7 CA$92.8

45.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.62 A$18.15

$11.87 CA$16.77

6.32%

Cappuccino

$4.23 A$6.08

$3.37 CA$4.77

25.52%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 A$4.70

$2.22 CA$3.14

47.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 A$3.95

$1.69 CA$2.39

62.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 A$10.25

$4.99 CA$7.05

42.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.39 A$12.07

$6.03 CA$8.52

39.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 A$2.64

$1.89 CA$2.67

-3.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 A$3.87

$2.12 CA$2.99

26.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 A$3.62

$3.13 CA$4.43

-19.49%

Eggs

$5.33 A$7.68

$3.33 CA$4.70

60.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 A$13.04

$7.88 CA$11.13

14.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.54 A$19.49

$11.30 CA$15.98

19.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.90 A$21.44

$14.24 CA$20.13

4.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 A$6.02

$3.81 CA$5.38

9.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.09

$1.27 CA$1.79

123.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 A$5.32

$3.98 CA$5.63

-7.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.91 A$8.50

$3.82 CA$5.40

54.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.71 CA$3.83

-9.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.70

$1.91 CA$2.69

34.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 A$4.09

$1.95 CA$2.75

45.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 A$3.61

$1.33 CA$1.88

88.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.51 A$64.1

$12.49 CA$17.65

256.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.87 A$19.95

$13.95 CA$19.72

-0.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.65 A$5.25

$2.65 CA$3.74

37.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 A$7.55

$3.77 CA$5.33

39.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.56 A$5.13

$2.56 CA$3.62

39.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.08 A$21.70

$84.1 CA$119

-82.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 A$3.61

$3.36 CA$4.76

-25.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 A$2.83

$1.28 CA$1.82

53.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.45 A$59.7

$23.24 CA$32.85

78.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.77

$1.21 CA$1.71

1.65%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.8K A$44.3K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

11.45%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$40.7K A$58.6K

$19.6K CA$27.7K

107.73%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$165 A$238

$152 CA$214

9.11%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$34.27 A$49.32

$41.21 CA$58.3

-16.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 A$93.4

$50.2 CA$70.9

29.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.80 A$63.0

$36.85 CA$52.1

18.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.43 A$39.48

$17.62 CA$24.91

55.68%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 A$19.79

$10.23 CA$14.46

34.41%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,100 A$3,022

$600 CA$848

250.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K A$20.3K

$16.6K CA$23.4K

-14.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.4 A$130

$47.93 CA$67.8

88.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.4 A$103

$30.45 CA$43.05

134.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 A$179

$83.8 CA$118

48.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$187

$114 CA$161

14.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 A$2,071

$1,251 CA$1,769

15.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 A$1,760

$1,123 CA$1,588

8.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,270 A$3,267

$2,042 CA$2,887

11.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 A$2,791

$1,873 CA$2,647

3.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,429 A$9,251

$2,695 CA$3,810

138.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,919 A$7,078

$2,668 CA$3,771

84.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,424 A$6,366

$2,860 CA$4,044

54.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

4.6

37.39%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cairns: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cairns

$1.2K 48.9%

Hamilton

$1.1K 49.9% 8.2% $100

Groceries & Markets

Cairns

$409 16.4%

Hamilton

$335 14.9% 18.1% $74

Eating Out

Cairns

$304 12.2%

Hamilton

$266 11.8% 12.4% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairns

$265 10.6%

Hamilton

$243 10.8% 8.2% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Cairns

$187 7.5%

Hamilton

$124 5.5% 33.6% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Cairns

$71 2.9%

Hamilton

$57 2.5% 19.6% $14

Getting Around

Cairns

$42 1.7%

Hamilton

$104 4.6% 150% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,439 in Cairns versus $1,251 in Hamilton. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 55% higher in Cairns, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Cairns versus $66.0 in Hamilton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $335 – making Hamilton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Cairns

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

11:16 11:16 AM

14 h behind Cairns

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

153,181

519,949

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Cairns Hamilton 14,830 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

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Cairns
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cairns vs Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cairns costs about 11% more than Hamilton, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,751 per month in Cairns and $3,380 in Hamilton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hamilton, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Cairns, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Cairns and $66.0 in Hamilton. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Hamilton, where all-in costs run around $2,253, than in Cairns at $2,501. In Hamilton it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cairns it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hamilton costs $2,253 versus $2,501 in Cairns. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Hamilton. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cairns makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.