Living in Cairns

In Cairns, unemployment is 4.7% (2026).

Median rent was A$340 per week, and median monthly mortgage repayment was A$1,595 in August 2021. In August 2021, median household income was A$1,575 per week. The population of Cairns, in Australia, was 155,574 in 2021. Foreign-born residents accounted for 23.3% of the population in 2021.

Last checked 2026-10-0412 sources

Population155,574people30 Jun 2021Official source · ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas

Median gross salary (region)2,183EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · www.abs.gov.au

Median rent935.5EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · 2021 Cairns, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics

Unemployment rate4.7%country median 4.5% — 4% aboveIndependent source · DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026

PM2.5, annual mean5.8µg/m³country median 6.0 — 3% belowOfficial source · Queensland Air Monitoring 2025

Which Australia-wide rules apply when you move to Cairns?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in AustraliaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Cairns.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€1284

Utilities, 85 m² flat€122

Transport pass€96

Internet, 60 Mbps€49

Fitness club€31

Mobile plan, 10 GB€31

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	31.23 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹²Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	49.42 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹²Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	1,284 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹²Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	15.08 EUR	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹²Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	30.51 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Cairns. Jun 2026. Prices in Cairns¹⁰Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	96.27 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹²Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	121.9 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹²Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings	61,607 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics⁴Official
Main residence dwellings	55,662 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics⁴Official
Median weekly rent (AUD)	340 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia⁴Official
Median monthly rent (whole dwelling)	935.5 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	2021 Cairns, Census All persons QuickStats \| Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official

Is Cairns a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker54%strong on work, weak on safety · range 45–63%

Skilled employee64%strong on work, weak on safety · range 56–72%

Student41%strong on education, weak on safety · range 33–49%

Family61%strong on family, weak on safety · range 52–70%

Retirement58%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 47–69%

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 4.7% in March 2026. Median personal income was A$812 per week in August 2021.

What is the unemployment rate in Cairns?

The unemployment rate is 4.7 % (March 2026). Source: DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026¹¹

Unemployment across cities in AustraliaUnemployment in Cairns is 4.7%. Of 100 cities with data, 32 have unemployment of 4 to under 5%.

1–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1013–14

Cairns 4.7%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
People in full-time employment	42,674 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics⁴Official
Employment rate	59 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics⁴Official
Median household income (AUD/week)	1,575 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia⁴Official
Median personal income (AUD/week)	812 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia⁴Official
Median gross salary (regional)	2,183 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	www.abs.gov.au⁹Official
Unemployment rate	4.7 %country median 4.5%	31 Mar 2026	DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026¹¹Independent

What does a salary buy in Cairns?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€0of €0 take-home

Rent
Utilities
Transport
Internet
Mobile

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	outside the model's range
Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · 2021 Cairns, Census All persons QuickStats \| Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2021-12-31	− €935
Public transport pass€96 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €96
Utilities, 85 m²€122 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €122
Internet€49 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €49
Mobile plan€31 · market price · Cost of Living in Cairns. Jun 2026. Prices in Cairns · 2026-07-31	− €31
Left over	—

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Cairns Salary needed to live in Cairns

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Cairns. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Workforce Australia — Public employment service

Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Job Search

Open official service

Open the Australia service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Cairns. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
People who speak a language other than English at home	14.73 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia⁴Official

Language courses and integration in Cairns

1 exact course-location record is linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally

1verified local records

Multicultural Australia

View official record

Check courses in Cairns How the country programme works

Exact city-linked record checked 2026-08-10. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Cairns

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Cairns?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 5.8 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Queensland Air Monitoring 2025⁶

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

32°24°

31°23°

30°22°

28°20°

27°18°

26°17°

27°17°

29°19°

30°21°

31°22°

32°24°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

391

476

367

178

186

JFMAMJJASOND

Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours

JFMAMJJASOND

hours

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.55.8WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in AustraliaAnnual PM2.5 in Cairns is 5.8 µg/m³. Of 37 cities with data, 12 have annual PM2.5 of 5 to under 6 µg/m³.

3–44–55–66–77–88–99–10

Cairns 5.8

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	5.8 µg/m³country median 6.0	31 Dec 2024	Queensland Air Monitoring 2025⁶Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan 31.7 · Feb 31.5 · Mar 30.9 · Apr 29.6 · May 28 · Jun 26.6 · Jul 26.2 · Aug 27 · Sep 28.7 · Oct 29.9 · Nov 31.1 · Dec 31.8 °C	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — CAIRNS AERO, 1991-2020³Official
Average night-time low by month	Jan 24 · Feb 24.1 · Mar 23.4 · Apr 22 · May 20.1 · Jun 18.5 · Jul 17.2 · Aug 17.3 · Sep 18.8 · Oct 20.8 · Nov 22.5 · Dec 23.7 °C	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — CAIRNS AERO, 1991-2020³Official
Average temperature by month	Jan 28 · Feb 27.9 · Mar 27.2 · Apr 25.9 · May 24.1 · Jun 22.6 · Jul 21.8 · Aug 22.3 · Sep 23.9 · Oct 25.5 · Nov 26.9 · Dec 27.8 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station CAIRNS AERO⁸Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 391.1 · Feb 475.5 · Mar 367.4 · Apr 178.1 · May 81 · Jun 42.6 · Jul 35.5 · Aug 26.6 · Sep 28.4 · Oct 63.4 · Nov 85.1 · Dec 185.9 mm	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — CAIRNS AERO, 1991-2020³Official
Average sunshine by month	Jan 6.9 · Feb 6.2 · Mar 6.6 · Apr 7 · May 7.1 · Jun 7 · Jul 7.5 · Aug 8.1 · Sep 9 · Oct 9 · Nov 8.6 · Dec 7.8 hours	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — CAIRNS AERO, 1991-2020³Official

Population and city profile

The city covered 254.1 km² in 2021. Population density was 646.1 people per km² in 2025.

How many people live in Cairns?

The published population was 155,574 people in June 2021. Source: ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas²

Foreign residents and their share come from different publications that count different groups (for example citizens of another country, or people born abroad, or of foreign origin), so 35,705 is not 31.8% of the population. Each row names its source.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport77%
Foreign residents23%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	254.1 km²	31 Dec 2021	Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area albers sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA.⁵Official
Foreign-resident share	31.8 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census GCP Significant Urban Areas for Australia (DataPack)⁴Official
Foreign residents	35,705 people	10 Aug 2021	Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality.⁴Official
Population density	646.1 people/km²	31 Dec 2025	Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation.⁷Official · significant urban area
Female residents	77,922 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics⁴Official
Male residents	75,504 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics⁴Official
Population	155,574 people	30 Jun 2021	ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas²Official

Population over time25 published observations, 2001–2025

100,671

123,398

146,124

168,851

164,149200120052011201520212025

Population rose 55.8% between 2001 and 2025, from 105,373 to 164,149.

International community in Cairns

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G09 PERSONS total across age groups and sex · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	153,425	100.0%
Australia	104,624	68.2%
Country of birth not stated	13,092	8.5%
England	6,203	4.0%
New Zealand	4,469	2.9%
Born elsewhere(d)	4,467	2.9%
Papua New Guinea	2,250	1.5%
Philippines	2,018	1.3%
India	1,785	1.2%
Japan	1,613	1.1%
Germany	1,053	0.7%

Show 42 more groups

Published group	People	Share
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)(c)	861	0.6%
South Africa	820	0.5%
Thailand	786	0.5%
Korea, Republic of (South)	708	0.5%
Scotland	701	0.5%
United States of America	676	0.4%
Italy	647	0.4%
Nepal	551	0.4%
Canada	511	0.3%
Netherlands	496	0.3%
Indonesia	405	0.3%
Ireland	396	0.3%
Vietnam	377	0.2%
France	360	0.2%
Malaysia	320	0.2%
Sri Lanka	277	0.2%
Fiji	272	0.2%
Hong Kong (SAR of China)(c)	271	0.2%
Taiwan	243	0.2%
Poland	215	0.1%
Zimbabwe	208	0.1%
Brazil	198	0.1%
Wales	197	0.1%
Myanmar	165	0.1%
Singapore	157	0.1%
Chile	130	0.1%
Samoa	116	0.1%
Croatia	102	0.1%
Egypt	82	0.1%
Mauritius	75	0.0%
Pakistan	74	0.0%
Malta	73	0.0%
Greece	64	0.0%
Iran	64	0.0%
Cambodia	61	0.0%
Turkey	60	0.0%
Lebanon	34	0.0%
Bangladesh	32	0.0%
Bosnia and Herzegovina	27	0.0%
Afghanistan	20	0.0%
Iraq	16	0.0%
North Macedonia	13	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁴

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	153,425	100.0%
Australia	104,624	68.2%
Elsewhere (excludes country of birth not stated)	35,705	23.3%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁴

Citizenship

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	153,425	100.0%
Australian citizen	126,062	82.2%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁴

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	23.27 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia⁴Official
Households	55,662 households	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics⁴Official
Labour force participation rate	62.6 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics⁴Official
Median age	39 years	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia⁴Official
Median monthly mortgage repayment (AUD)	1,595 AUD/month	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia⁴Official

Alternatives for people set on Cairns

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Darwin as a Cairns alternative in the same country

Better on 3 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Foreign residents cannot be compared like for like.

Median gross pay, region: €3,017 Darwin vs €2,183 Cairns+38%
Unemployment: 3.3% Darwin vs 4.7% Cairns−30%
Basic utilities, 85 m²: €161 Darwin vs €122 Cairns+32%
Foreign residents: 37.4% Darwin vs 31.8% Cairnsno percentage
A meal out: €13 Darwin vs €15 Cairns−11%

Full comparison More about Darwin

Alternative cities in Australia

Other cities in Australia to compare with Cairns, nearest in population first.

All Australia cities

Toowoomba143,942 residents Darwin127,215 residents Townsville190,551 residents Ballarat111,973 residents Hobart226,653 residents Bendigo103,034 residents

How does Cairns compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Cairns's.

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Cairns in rankings

#7 of 30 in Most international cities in Australia #8 of 30 in Cities with the mildest winters #14 of 30 in Cities with the highest published annual rainfall #14 of 30 in Largest cities in Australia #15 of 30 in Cities with cleanest air in Australia

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Cairns when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Put Cairns's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Cairns?

The published population was 155,574 people in June 2021. Source: ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas.

Is the air quality good in Cairns?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 5.8 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Queensland Air Monitoring 2025.

What is the unemployment rate in Cairns?

The unemployment rate is 4.7 % (March 2026). Source: DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026.

What is the typical salary around Cairns?

The median gross salary is 2,183 EUR/month. Source: www.abs.gov.au.

How many foreign residents live in Cairns?

35,705 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality..

How much is public transport in Cairns?

A monthly transport pass is 96.27 EUR/month. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2.

Is Cairns a good place to live?

Cairns may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Australia live in Cairns?

The official country of birth distribution records 104,624 people (68.2%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Cairns, Australia: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 3fc7b50d715cd86913ef205b9b4796ff]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/cairns/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_cairns-australia-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_60b869e9fd15,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Cairns, Australia: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {3fc7b50d715cd86913ef205b9b4796ff},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/cairns/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Cairns, Australia: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/cairns/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 3fc7b50d715cd86913ef205b9b4796ff; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

2021 Cairns, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics abs.gov.au · checked 2026-10-03
ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas ABS Regional population, 2024-25 · abs.gov.au · checked 2026-09-19
BOM monthly climate statistics — CAIRNS AERO, 1991-2020 BOM monthly climate statistics · bom.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26
Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-08-10
Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area albers sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA. geo.abs.gov.au · checked 2016-07-01
Queensland Air Monitoring 2025 qld.gov.au · checked 2026-10-04
Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-06-30
WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station CAIRNS AERO WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
www.abs.gov.au abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-27
Cost of Living in Cairns. Jun 2026. Prices in Cairns numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27

Show 2 more sources

DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026 DEWR · dewr.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26
Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.