Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taos, NM and Cairns

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairns: $2,501 a month against $2,793 in Taos, NM, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Taos, NM outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

135

Cost of Living Index in Taos, NM
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Taos, NM Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Cairns
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Cairns Living Index

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Taos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,793

/mo nomad

Cairns

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,501

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taos, NM 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 Taos, NM and in Cairns actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,793 per month in Taos, NM vs $2,501 in Cairns, rent included.

Taos, NM $2,793
Cairns $2,501

A couple spends around $4,132 per month in Taos, NM vs $3,716 in Cairns, rent included.

Taos, NM $4,132
Cairns $3,716

A family of three spends $5,471 per month in Taos, NM vs $4,931 in Cairns, rent included.

Taos, NM $5,471
Cairns $4,931

Taos, NM costs about 12% more than Cairns, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Taos, NM and Cairns sit above the global median – Taos, NM by 107%, Cairns by 85%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.74 $16.74

$17.37 A$25.00

-3.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 $67.1

$95.6 A$138

-29.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 $9.52

$12.62 A$18.15

-24.56%

Cappuccino

$3.98 $3.98

$4.23 A$6.08

-5.91%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$3.27 A$4.70

-32.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.75 A$3.95

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$7.13 A$10.25

-29.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 $5.44

$8.39 A$12.07

-35.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.83 A$2.64

-54.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.69 A$3.87

14.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.52 A$3.62

72.22%

Eggs

$3.99 $3.99

$5.33 A$7.68

-25.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.87 $11.87

$9.06 A$13.04

31.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$13.54 A$19.49

-28.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 $11.10

$14.90 A$21.44

-25.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$4.18 A$6.02

13.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.84 A$4.09

-48.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$3.70 A$5.32

14.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$5.91 A$8.50

-14.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.46 A$3.54

26.02%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.57 A$3.70

27.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.84 A$4.09

-27.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.51 A$3.61

-0.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.52 $10.52

$44.51 A$64.1

-76.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.72 $13.72

$13.87 A$19.95

-1.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$3.65 A$5.25

-31.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$5.25 A$7.55

-39.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.56 A$5.13

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.08 A$21.70

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.51 A$3.61

47.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.97 A$2.83

3.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.20 $32.20

$41.45 A$59.7

-22.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.23 A$1.77

-22.76%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$30.8K A$44.3K

-0.75%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$40.7K A$58.6K

-40.08%

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

$161 $161

$165 A$238

-2.96%

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

$62.8 $62.8

$34.27 A$49.32

83.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$64.9 A$93.4

-5.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.3 $95.3

$43.80 A$63.0

117.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.43 A$39.48

Cinema Ticket

$8.63 $8.63

$13.75 A$19.79

-37.24%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$2,100 A$3,022

-28.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K $25.2K

$14.1K A$20.3K

78.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 $54.6

$90.4 A$130

-39.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.88 $43.88

$71.4 A$103

-38.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$124 A$179

-16.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$130 A$187

-7.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,806 $1,806

$1,439 A$2,071

25.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$1,223 A$1,760

31.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,497 $3,497

$2,270 A$3,267

54.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,853 $2,853

$1,940 A$2,791

47.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,366 $4,366

$6,429 A$9,251

-32.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,376 $4,376

$4,919 A$7,078

-11.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,687 $2,687

$4,424 A$6,366

-39.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.3

6.32

-0.32%

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

Last update for Taos, NM: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cairns: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taos, NM

$1.6K 57.6%

Cairns

$1.2K 48.9% 23.9% $384

Groceries & Markets

Taos, NM

$365 13.1%

Cairns

$409 16.4% 12.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taos, NM

$285 10.2%

Cairns

$265 10.6% 7.1% $20

Eating Out

Taos, NM

$264 9.5%

Cairns

$304 12.2% 15.1% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Taos, NM

$145 5.2%

Cairns

$187 7.5% 29.1% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Taos, NM

$113 4%

Cairns

$71 2.9% 36.7% $41

Getting Around

Taos, NM

$14 * 0.5%

Cairns

$42 1.7% 200% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,806 in Taos, NM 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 65% 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 $67.0 in Taos, NM versus $96.0 in Cairns. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $409 – making Taos, NM the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Taos, NM

🇦🇺 Cairns

🕒 Local time

02:24 2:24 AM

18:24 6:24 PM

16 h ahead of Taos, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,000

153,181

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

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Taos, NM Cairns 12,760 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

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Taos, NM
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Taos, NM vs Cairns: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taos, NM costs about 12% more than Cairns, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,190 per month in Taos, NM 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,793 in Taos, NM and $2,501 in Cairns. That's a gap of about 12%.

Kindergarten costs $1,509 per month in Taos, NM and $2,100 in Cairns. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,793 in Taos, NM 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, Taos, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.