Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairns and Merthyr Tydfil Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairns and Merthyr Tydfil

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,317 per month in Cairns vs $2,208 in Merthyr Tydfil, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,472 per month in Cairns vs $3,061 in Merthyr Tydfil, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,627 per month in Cairns vs $3,915 in Merthyr Tydfil, rent included.

Cairns costs about 5% more than Merthyr Tydfil, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Cairns and Merthyr Tydfil sit above the global median – Cairns by 73%, Merthyr Tydfil by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 A$16.15

$20.20 £15.01

-42.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 A$113

$62.0 £46.07

31.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 A$15.16

$8.12 £6.04

33.99%

Cappuccino

$3.75 A$5.23

$3.72 £2.77

0.81%

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

$2.84 A$3.96

$2.29 £1.70

24.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 A$3.21

$1.74 £1.30

32.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 A$8.96

$5.16 £3.83

24.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 A$9.70

$4.54 £3.37

53.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.42

$1.85 £1.38

-5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 A$3.40

$1.68 £1.25

45.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.74

$2.82 £2.09

-4.96%

Eggs

$4.00 A$5.58

$5.49 £4.08

-27.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.18 A$11.40

$14.52 £10.80

-43.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 A$12.90

$8.93 £6.64

3.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 A$17.78

$14.14 £10.51

-9.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.15

$4.08 £3.03

-26.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.10

$1.54 £1.15

44.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.83

$3.17 £2.35

-13.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.39 A$10.30

$5.71 £4.24

29.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.11

$1.64 £1.22

35.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.25

$1.98 £1.48

17.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 A$3.16

$1.05 £0.78

116.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 A$3.99

$2.06 £1.53

38.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.71 A$40.01

$19.75 £14.68

45.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.50 A$16.02

$11.99 £8.91

-4.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 A$4.74

$3.47 £2.58

-2.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 A$4.86

$4.59 £3.41

-23.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 A$4.56

$3.39 £2.52

-3.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 A$90.5

$102 £75.5

-36.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 A$9.26

$8.32 £6.18

-20.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 A$4.44

$1.45 £1.08

120.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.95 A$47.31

$33.77 £25.10

0.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 A$1.53

$1.91 £1.42

-42.41%

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

$22.8K A$31.8K

$37.7K £28.0K

-39.50%

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

$19.1K A$26.7K

$44.8K £33.3K

-57.25%

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

$149 A$207

$380 £282

-60.84%

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

$37.35 A$52.1

$18.76 £13.95

99.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 A$81.6

$47.49 £35.30

23.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.65 A$53.9

$45.79 £34.04

-15.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 A$22.23

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 A$18.45

$14.68 £10.91

-9.81%

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

$1,636 A$2,280

$1,754 £1,304

-6.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$16.6K

$18.3K £13.6K

-35.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.6 A$116

$94.1 £70.0

-11.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 A$92.8

$52.9 £39.29

25.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$141

$92.9 £69.1

8.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 A$194

$120 £88.9

16.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 A$1,714

$812 £604

51.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 A$1,548

$781 £580

42.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 A$2,769

$1,181 £878

68.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,866 A$2,601

$1,033 £768

80.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,707 A$9,347

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,132 A$7,151

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,549 A$6,338

$1,606 £1,194

183.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.96

5.74

21.25%

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

Last update for Cairns: June 1, 2026

Last update for Merthyr Tydfil: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,230 in Cairns versus $812 in Merthyr Tydfil. 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 183% 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 $81.0 in Cairns versus $62.0 in Merthyr Tydfil. Groceries tell a different story – $356 in Cairns vs $358 in Merthyr Tydfil – so Cairns wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Merthyr Tydfil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cairns costs about 5% more than Merthyr Tydfil, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,476 per month in Cairns and $3,311 in Merthyr Tydfil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Cairns – 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 $81.0 in Cairns and $62.0 in Merthyr Tydfil. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Merthyr Tydfil, where all-in costs run around $2,208, than in Cairns at $2,317. In Merthyr Tydfil it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cairns it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Merthyr Tydfil – 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 Merthyr Tydfil. 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.