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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Cairns vs Darwin in 2026: cost index 100 vs 116, rent $1,820 vs $2,350, income $66,000 vs $80,000, QoL 63 vs 55.
Cairns vs Darwin in 2026: cost index 100 vs 116, rent $1,820 vs $2,350, income $66,000 vs $80,000, QoL 63 vs 55.
Cairns: cost index 100 (-13 vs national avg 113), rent $1,820/month.
Queensland region average cost index: 108. Cairns is -8 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 63/100 — safety 58, healthcare 62, walkability 55.
Safety score: 58/100 (crime rate 68.2/1k). National average: 66/100.
Here's the surprising part: Cairns has a cost index of 100 — 13 points below the Australia national average of 113. Median income is $66,000 with rent at $1,820/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 33%. Financially, that's significant.
On quality of life, Cairns scores a composite score of 63/100 — reflecting its safety (58), healthcare (62), and walkability (55) metrics. And here's the trade-off: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Australia is a good example of that tension.
Cairns has a cost index of 100 (national avg: 113), rent $1,820/mo, median income $66,000/yr, and a quality of life score of 63/100.
The Queensland region of average QoL score is 59/100. Cairns leads with 63/100, reflecting safety, healthcare access, walkability, and green space.
Our index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Sub-categories cover housing, food, transport, utilities, and healthcare. Data sources include ABS, CoreLogic, ATO.
Cairns: cost index 100, rent $1,820/mo, income $66,000/yr, QoL 63/100. Darwin: cost index 116, rent $2,350/mo, income $80,000/yr, QoL 55/100.