Cost of Living Comparison Between Taos, NM and Cairns Cost of Living Comparison Between Taos, NM and Cairns

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Taos, NM is 2.4% more expensive than Cairns without rent, and 23.4% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ™‚ Family of 3: Taos, NM is 2.1% cheaper than Cairns without rent, and 26.8% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Taos, NM
Cairns
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.95 $16.95
$11.67 A$17.88
45.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.5 $81.5
$81.9 A$125
-0.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.42 $9.42
$10.66 A$16.33
-11.63%
Cappuccino
$4.08 $4.08
$3.92 A$6.01
4.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.3 $2.3
$2.73 A$4.19
-15.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 $1.87
$2.26 A$3.46
-17.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.94 $4.94
$6.58 A$10.09
-24.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.41 $5.41
$7.07 A$10.83
-23.48%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Taos, NM
Cairns
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.06 $1.06
$1.7 A$2.61
-37.65%
White Bread (500g)
$2.9 $2.9
$2.51 A$3.85
15.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.28 $3.28
$2.71 A$4.15
21.03%
Eggs
$3.94 $3.94
$3.93 A$6.02
0.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.45 $12.45
$7.87 A$12.06
58.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.42 $10.42
$9.19 A$14.08
13.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.39 $16.39
$12.84 A$19.67
27.65%
Apples (1kg)
$4.8 $4.8
$2.99 A$4.58
60.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 $1.38
$2.31 A$3.53
-40.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.8 $3.8
$2.66 A$4.07
42.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.54 $4.54
$7.39 A$11.32
-38.57%
Potato (1kg)
$2.39 $2.39
$2.28 A$3.5
4.82%
Onion (1kg)
$2.52 $2.52
$2.23 A$3.42
13.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.94 $1.94
$2.27 A$3.47
-14.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.21 $2.21
$2.88 A$4.42
-23.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.82 $9.82
$29.83 A$45.69
-67.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.57 $13.57
$11.03 A$16.89
23.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 $1.74
$3.39 A$5.2
-48.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 $2.72
$3.52 A$5.39
-22.73%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Taos, NM
Cairns
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.96 $1.96
$3.22 A$4.94
-39.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$65.4 A$100
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.39 $3.39
$6.44 A$9.86
-47.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.78 $1.78
$3.13 A$4.8
-43.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.31 $29.31
$33.86 A$51.9
-13.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 $0.83
$1.15 A$1.77
-27.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.3K $31.3K
$22.7K A$34.8K
37.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$19.2K A$29.4K
36.56%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taos, NM
Cairns
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$179 $179
$153 A$234
16.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$52.3 $52.3
$37.09 A$56.8
40.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.5 $67.5
$59 A$90.3
14.40%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Taos, NM
Cairns
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$93.5 $93.5
$38.89 A$59.6
140.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$15.92 A$24.39
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.14 $9.14
$12.98 A$19.88
-29.58%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Taos, NM
Cairns
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,215 $1,215
$1,628 A$2,494
-25.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,979 $5,979
$12.1K A$18.5K
-50.60%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Taos, NM
Cairns
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 $53.3
$83 A$127
-35.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.9 $50.9
$66.2 A$101
-23.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.4 $96.4
$98.2 A$150
-1.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 $113
$135 A$206
-16.29%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Taos, NM
Cairns
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,668 $1,668
$1,193 A$1,828
39.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,606 $1,606
$1,110 A$1,701
44.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,429 $3,429
$2,042 A$3,128
67.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,984 $2,984
$1,858 A$2,847
60.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,587 $4,587
$6,035 A$9,246
-23.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,534 $4,534
$4,795 A$7,346
-5.43%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Taos, NM
Cairns
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,737 $2,737
$2,813 A$4,310
-2.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.49
6.96
-6.75%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Taos, NM: October 29, 2025

Last update for Cairns: October 27, 2025

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