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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Merthyr Tydfil is about 5% cheaper than Cairns, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.20 £15.01

$11.59 A$16.15

74.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 £46.07

$81.4 A$113

-23.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 £6.04

$10.88 A$15.16

-25.37%

Cappuccino

$3.72 £2.77

$3.75 A$5.23

-0.80%

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

$2.29 £1.70

$2.84 A$3.96

-19.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.30

$2.30 A$3.21

-24.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.16 £3.83

$6.43 A$8.96

-19.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 £3.37

$6.96 A$9.70

-34.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 £1.38

$1.74 A$2.42

6.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 £1.25

$2.44 A$3.40

-31.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 £2.09

$2.68 A$3.74

5.22%

Eggs

$5.49 £4.08

$4.00 A$5.58

37.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.52 £10.80

$8.18 A$11.40

77.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 £6.64

$9.26 A$12.90

-3.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.14 £10.51

$12.76 A$17.78

10.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.08 £3.03

$2.98 A$4.15

36.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 £1.15

$2.23 A$3.10

-30.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 £2.35

$2.75 A$3.83

15.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.71 £4.24

$7.39 A$10.30

-22.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 £1.22

$2.23 A$3.11

-26.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 £1.48

$2.33 A$3.25

-15.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 £0.78

$2.27 A$3.16

-53.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 £1.53

$2.86 A$3.99

-27.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.75 £14.68

$28.71 A$40.01

-31.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.99 £8.91

$11.50 A$16.02

4.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.47 £2.58

$3.40 A$4.74

2.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 £3.41

$3.49 A$4.86

31.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.39 £2.52

$3.27 A$4.56

3.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 £75.5

$64.9 A$90.5

56.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 £6.18

$6.64 A$9.26

25.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 £1.08

$3.19 A$4.44

-54.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.77 £25.10

$33.95 A$47.31

-0.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.10 A$1.53

73.64%

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

$37.7K £28.0K

$22.8K A$31.8K

65.28%

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

$44.8K £33.3K

$19.1K A$26.7K

133.94%

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

$380 £282

$149 A$207

155.39%

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

$18.76 £13.95

$37.35 A$52.1

-49.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.49 £35.30

$58.6 A$81.6

-18.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.79 £34.04

$38.65 A$53.9

18.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 A$22.23

Cinema Ticket

$14.68 £10.91

$13.24 A$18.45

10.88%

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

$1,754 £1,304

$1,636 A$2,280

7.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K £13.6K

$11.9K A$16.6K

54.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.1 £70.0

$83.6 A$116

12.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 £39.29

$66.6 A$92.8

-20.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 £69.1

$101 A$141

-8.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 £88.9

$139 A$194

-13.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$812 £604

$1,230 A$1,714

-33.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$781 £580

$1,111 A$1,548

-29.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 £878

$1,987 A$2,769

-40.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 £768

$1,866 A$2,601

-44.65%

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)

$1,606 £1,194

$4,549 A$6,338

-64.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

6.96

-17.53%

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

Last update for Merthyr Tydfil: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cairns: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $812 in Merthyr Tydfil versus $1,230 in Cairns. 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 $62.0 in Merthyr Tydfil versus $81.0 in Cairns. Groceries tell a different story – $358 in Merthyr Tydfil vs $356 in Cairns – 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

Merthyr Tydfil vs Cairns: 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 $3,311 per month in Merthyr Tydfil and $3,476 in Cairns. 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 $62.0 in Merthyr Tydfil and $81.0 in Cairns. 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.