Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairns and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairns: $2,501 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Cairns

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,501

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairns and in Sydney

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

A single person spends $2,501 per month in Cairns vs $3,152 in Sydney, rent included.

Cairns $2,501
Sydney $3,152

A couple spends around $3,716 per month in Cairns vs $4,710 in Sydney, rent included.

Cairns $3,716
Sydney $4,710

A family of three spends $4,931 per month in Cairns vs $6,268 in Sydney, rent included.

Cairns $4,931
Sydney $6,268

Cairns is about 21% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cairns and Sydney sit above the global median – Cairns by 85%, Sydney by 133%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.37 A$25.00

$17.57 A$25.29

-1.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.6 A$138

$91.5 A$132

4.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.62 A$18.15

$11.96 A$17.21

5.52%

Cappuccino

$4.23 A$6.08

$4.07 A$5.85

3.93%

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

$3.27 A$4.70

$2.85 A$4.10

14.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 A$3.95

$2.25 A$3.24

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 A$10.25

$7.60 A$10.94

-6.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.39 A$12.07

$7.43 A$10.69

12.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 A$2.64

$1.66 A$2.38

10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 A$3.87

$2.78 A$4.00

-3.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 A$3.62

$2.42 A$3.49

4.13%

Eggs

$5.33 A$7.68

$5.64 A$8.12

-5.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 A$13.04

$11.71 A$16.85

-22.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.54 A$19.49

$9.66 A$13.89

40.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.90 A$21.44

$16.75 A$24.10

-11.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 A$6.02

$4.07 A$5.85

2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.09

$3.25 A$4.68

-12.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 A$5.32

$3.44 A$4.96

7.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.91 A$8.50

$4.28 A$6.16

38.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.54

$3.28 A$4.72

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.70

$2.30 A$3.30

11.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 A$4.09

$2.30 A$3.31

23.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 A$3.61

$1.21 A$1.74

107.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.51 A$64.1

$43.71 A$62.9

1.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.87 A$19.95

$13.88 A$19.97

-0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.65 A$5.25

$3.90 A$5.62

-6.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 A$7.55

$3.91 A$5.63

34.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.56 A$5.13

$3.04 A$4.38

17.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.08 A$21.70

$150 A$216

-89.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 A$3.61

$3.38 A$4.86

-25.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 A$2.83

$1.56 A$2.24

26.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.45 A$59.7

$40.01 A$57.6

3.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.77

$1.40 A$2.01

-12.14%

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

$30.8K A$44.3K

$29.1K A$41.9K

5.74%

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

$40.7K A$58.6K

$30.1K A$43.4K

35.22%

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

$165 A$238

$223 A$320

-25.68%

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

$34.27 A$49.32

$27.16 A$39.08

26.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 A$93.4

$55.8 A$80.3

16.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.80 A$63.0

$74.6 A$107

-41.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.43 A$39.48

$23.99 A$34.52

14.34%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 A$19.79

$17.56 A$25.27

-21.70%

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

$2,100 A$3,022

$2,196 A$3,160

-4.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K A$20.3K

$28.2K A$40.6K

-50.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.4 A$130

$78.4 A$113

15.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.4 A$103

$68.4 A$98.5

4.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 A$179

$111 A$160

11.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$187

$134 A$193

-3.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 A$2,071

$2,500 A$3,598

-42.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 A$1,760

$1,709 A$2,460

-28.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,270 A$3,267

$4,946 A$7,117

-54.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 A$2,791

$3,022 A$4,349

-35.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,429 A$9,251

$13.2K A$18.9K

-51.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,919 A$7,078

$8,370 A$12.0K

-41.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,424 A$6,366

$4,113 A$5,919

7.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

5.84

8.22%

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

Last update for Cairns: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cairns

$1.2K 48.9%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2% 39.7% $486

Groceries & Markets

Cairns

$409 16.4%

Sydney

$379 12% 7.4% $30

Eating Out

Cairns

$304 12.2%

Sydney

$299 9.5% 1.8% $5.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairns

$265 10.6%

Sydney

$306 9.7% 15.5% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Cairns

$187 7.5%

Sydney

$177 5.6% 5.6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Cairns

$71 2.9%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 53.9% $38

Getting Around

Cairns

$42 1.7%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 317% $132

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,439 in Cairns versus $2,500 in Sydney. 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 8% 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 $91.0 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $379 – making Sydney the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Cairns

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

01:01 1:01 AM

1 h ahead of Cairns

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

153,181

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Cairns Sydney 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Cairns
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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 Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney costs about 26% 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 $4,728 in Sydney. 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 8% cheaper in Sydney – 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 $91.0 in Sydney. 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 $3,152 in Sydney. 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, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.