Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairns and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairns: $2,501 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Cairns
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Cairns Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Cairns

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,501

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairns and in Melbourne

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 Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,501 per month in Cairns vs $2,821 in Melbourne, rent included.

Cairns $2,501
Melbourne $2,821

A couple spends around $3,716 per month in Cairns vs $4,235 in Melbourne, rent included.

Cairns $3,716
Melbourne $4,235

A family of three spends $4,931 per month in Cairns vs $5,650 in Melbourne, rent included.

Cairns $4,931
Melbourne $5,650

Cairns is about 11% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cairns and Melbourne sit above the global median – Cairns by 85%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.37 A$24.96

$17.43 A$25.04

-0.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.6 A$137

$84.6 A$121

13.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.62 A$18.12

$12.46 A$17.90

1.28%

Cappuccino

$4.23 A$6.07

$4.11 A$5.90

2.92%

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

$3.27 A$4.70

$3.06 A$4.39

6.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 A$3.94

$2.52 A$3.62

9.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 A$10.24

$9.80 A$14.08

-27.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.39 A$12.05

$8.57 A$12.31

-2.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 A$2.63

$1.48 A$2.13

23.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 A$3.86

$2.94 A$4.23

-8.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 A$3.62

$2.66 A$3.82

-5.26%

Eggs

$5.33 A$7.66

$5.54 A$7.96

-3.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 A$13.02

$10.51 A$15.10

-13.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.54 A$19.46

$9.65 A$13.86

40.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.90 A$21.41

$15.22 A$21.87

-2.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 A$6.01

$3.99 A$5.74

4.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.08

$3.02 A$4.34

-5.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 A$5.31

$3.10 A$4.46

19.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.91 A$8.49

$4.82 A$6.92

22.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.53

$3.03 A$4.35

-18.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.69

$2.44 A$3.51

5.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 A$4.08

$2.46 A$3.54

15.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 A$3.61

$1.63 A$2.34

53.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.51 A$64.0

$44.07 A$63.3

1.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.87 A$19.92

$12.70 A$18.25

9.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.65 A$5.24

$5.54 A$7.95

-34.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 A$7.54

$5.23 A$7.51

0.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.56 A$5.12

$3.74 A$5.37

-4.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.08 A$21.67

$138 A$198

-89.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 A$3.60

$4.51 A$6.49

-44.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 A$2.83

$1.36 A$1.95

44.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.45 A$59.6

$30.45 A$43.74

36.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.77

$1.47 A$2.12

-16.33%

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

$30.8K A$44.2K

$29.0K A$41.7K

6.18%

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

$40.7K A$58.5K

$26.5K A$38.0K

53.89%

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

$165 A$238

$234 A$336

-29.21%

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

$34.27 A$49.24

$27.93 A$40.12

22.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 A$93.3

$55.7 A$80.1

16.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.80 A$62.9

$49.40 A$71.0

-11.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.43 A$39.41

$21.48 A$30.86

27.70%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 A$19.76

$15.09 A$21.69

-8.88%

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

$2,100 A$3,017

$2,371 A$3,407

-11.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K A$20.2K

$30.2K A$43.4K

-53.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.4 A$130

$80.0 A$115

12.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.4 A$103

$50.7 A$72.8

40.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 A$178

$121 A$173

2.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$187

-0.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 A$2,068

$1,759 A$2,527

-18.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 A$1,758

$1,390 A$1,997

-11.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,270 A$3,262

$3,494 A$5,019

-35.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 A$2,787

$2,493 A$3,582

-22.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,429 A$9,236

$6,926 A$9,951

-7.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,919 A$7,067

$6,445 A$9,259

-23.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,424 A$6,356

$4,383 A$6,297

0.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

5.9

7.12%

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

Last update for Cairns: October 12, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cairns

$1.2K 48.9%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 13.6% $166

Groceries & Markets

Cairns

$409 16.4%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 6.1% $25

Eating Out

Cairns

$304 12.2%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 3.5% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairns

$265 10.6%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 19.9% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Cairns

$187 7.5%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 8.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Cairns

$71 2.9%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 11.6% $8.3

Getting Around

Cairns

$42 1.7%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 293% $122

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,439 in Cairns versus $1,759 in Melbourne. 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 1% higher in Cairns, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Cairns versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $384 – making Melbourne the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Cairns

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

13:41 1:41 PM

14:41 2:41 PM

1 h ahead of Cairns

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

153,181

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Cairns Melbourne 2,320 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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 Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne costs about 13% more than Cairns, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $4,231 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Melbourne – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Cairns and $85.0 in Melbourne. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,501 in Cairns and $2,821 in Melbourne. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Cairns – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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