Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Cairns

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.

155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Cairns
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Cairns Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Cairns

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,501

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Cairns

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

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

Sydney $3,152
Cairns $2,501

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

Sydney $4,710
Cairns $3,716

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

Sydney $6,268
Cairns $4,931

Sydney costs about 26% more than Cairns, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.29

$17.37 A$25.00

1.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$132

$95.6 A$138

-4.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.21

$12.62 A$18.15

-5.23%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.85

$4.23 A$6.08

-3.78%

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

$2.85 A$4.10

$3.27 A$4.70

-12.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$2.75 A$3.95

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$10.94

$7.13 A$10.25

6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.69

$8.39 A$12.07

-11.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$1.83 A$2.64

-9.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$2.69 A$3.87

3.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.49

$2.52 A$3.62

-3.97%

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.12

$5.33 A$7.68

5.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.85

$9.06 A$13.04

29.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.89

$13.54 A$19.49

-28.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.10

$14.90 A$21.44

12.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.85

$4.18 A$6.02

-2.63%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.68

$2.84 A$4.09

14.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.96

$3.70 A$5.32

-7.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.16

$5.91 A$8.50

-27.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$2.46 A$3.54

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$2.57 A$3.70

-10.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.31

$2.84 A$4.09

-19.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.74

$2.51 A$3.61

-51.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$62.9

$44.51 A$64.1

-1.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.97

$13.87 A$19.95

0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.62

$3.65 A$5.25

6.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.63

$5.25 A$7.55

-25.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.38

$3.56 A$5.13

-14.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

$15.08 A$21.70

896.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.86

$2.51 A$3.61

34.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

$1.97 A$2.83

-20.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.6

$41.45 A$59.7

-3.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.23 A$1.77

13.82%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$30.8K A$44.3K

-5.43%

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

$30.1K A$43.4K

$40.7K A$58.6K

-26.04%

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

$223 A$320

$165 A$238

34.56%

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

$27.16 A$39.08

$34.27 A$49.32

-20.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.3

$64.9 A$93.4

-14.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$107

$43.80 A$63.0

70.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.52

$27.43 A$39.48

-12.54%

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 A$25.27

$13.75 A$19.79

27.71%

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

$2,196 A$3,160

$2,100 A$3,022

4.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.6K

$14.1K A$20.3K

100.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

$90.4 A$130

-13.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$98.5

$71.4 A$103

-4.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$124 A$179

-10.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$130 A$187

3.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,598

$1,439 A$2,071

73.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,460

$1,223 A$1,760

39.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,946 A$7,117

$2,270 A$3,267

117.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,349

$1,940 A$2,791

55.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$6,429 A$9,251

104.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.0K

$4,919 A$7,078

70.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,919

$4,424 A$6,366

-7.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

6.32

-7.59%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cairns: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

Cairns

$1.2K 48.9% 28.4% $486

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

Cairns

$409 16.4% 8% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

Cairns

$265 10.6% 13.4% $41

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

Cairns

$304 12.2% 1.8% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

Cairns

$187 7.5% 5.9% $10

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Cairns

$42 1.7% 76% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Cairns

$71 2.9% 35% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,500 in Sydney versus $1,439 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 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 $91.0 in Sydney versus $96.0 in Cairns. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $379 vs $409 – making Sydney the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Cairns

🕒 Local time

03:40 3:40 AM

02:40 2:40 AM

1 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

153,181

💱 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

Sydney Cairns 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Sydney vs Cairns: 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 $4,728 per month in Sydney and $3,751 in Cairns. 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 $91.0 in Sydney and $96.0 in Cairns. 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 $3,152 in Sydney and $2,501 in Cairns. 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.