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Cairns vs Melbourne cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฆ๐บ Cairns
๐ฆ๐บ Melbourne
At a glance
- Where Melbourne is clearly cheaper: Half-day tour (50%โ), Entry ticket (31%โ), Laundry (25%โ)
- Where Cairns is clearly cheaper: Transit (91%โ), Beer (36%โ), Cocktail & wine (25%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: getting around โ Cairns 3 vs Melbourne 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Cairns | Melbourne | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | A$ 25$16.7 | A$ 24$16 | similar |
| Street food1 item | A$ 15$10 | A$ 15$10 | similar |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | A$ 55$36.7 | A$ 55$36.7 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | A$ 5.5$3.67 | A$ 5.6$3.73 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | A$ 9$6 | A$ 14$9.33 | Cairns โ36% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | A$ 15$10 | A$ 20$13.3 | Cairns โ25% |
| Bottled water | A$ 3$2 | A$ 4$2.67 | Cairns โ25% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | A$ 4.5$3 | A$ 4.8$3.2 | Cairns โ6% |
| Taxi5 km in town | A$ 19$12.7 | A$ 18$12 | Melbourne โ5% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | A$ 10$6.67 | A$ 11$7.33 | Cairns โ9% |
| Transitone ride | A$ 0.5$0.33 | A$ 5.7$3.8 | Cairns โ91% |
| Scooter rentalper day | A$ 35$23.3 | A$ 40$26.7 | Cairns โ13% |
| Hotel night3-star | A$ 145$96.7 | A$ 190$127 | Cairns โ24% |
| Studio rent (month) | A$ 2,100$1,400 | A$ 2,150$1,433 | similar |
| Laundry | A$ 10$6.67 | A$ 7.5$5 | Melbourne โ25% |
| SIM card1 week data | A$ 30$20 | A$ 30$20 | similar |
| Haircutcut | A$ 30$20 | A$ 38$25.3 | Cairns โ21% |
| Massage1 hour | A$ 80$53.3 | A$ 85$56.7 | Cairns โ6% |
| Half-day tourper person | A$ 180$120 | A$ 90$60 | Melbourne โ50% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | A$ 55$36.7 | A$ 38$25.3 | Melbourne โ31% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Cairns or Melbourne?
Cairns and Melbourne cost about the same. Daily budget $227 vs $255; a month $5,741 vs $5,229.
Which is easier to travel, Cairns or Melbourne?
About the same: Cairns 1.8/5, Melbourne 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Cairns and Melbourne?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Cairns is about $5,741 and Melbourne about $5,229 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.