You need $78,000/yr
to live in Cairns
Based on government bond data
1BR median rent
$450/wk
Annual change
—
Rental stress
No
Location
Cairns, QLD
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Rent trend
Quarterly median rent
Can you afford it?
Enter your gross salary to check
$85,000
Weekly take-home
$1,254/wk
Weekly rent
$485/wk
Rent share
39%
You'd have $769/wk left after rent
Weekly budget breakdown
$874/week total
Rent
$450/wk
Groceries
$180/wk
Transport
$55/wk
Utilities
$55/wk
Insurance
$45/wk
Other
$89/wk
Rent details
1 BR
$450/wk
2 BR
$700/wk
3 BR
$850/wk
Annual change
—
Quarterly change
—
Suburb snapshot
ABS Census 2021
Median household income
$1,627/wk
Median age
44
Avg household size
1.9
Rent-to-income
30%
Nearby suburbs
Parramatta Park
QLD
$320/wk
$48,534/yr
—
Bungalow
QLD
$525/wk
$91,000/yr
—
Westcourt
QLD
$490/wk
$83,200/yr
—
Cairns North
QLD
$550/wk
$78,000/yr
—
Manunda
QLD
$430/wk
$62,400/yr
—
Edge Hill
QLD
$520/wk
$72,800/yr
—
About renting in Cairns
Cairns is located in Cairns, QLD. The median weekly rent is $485, meaning a single person needs to earn at least $78,000 per year to keep rent below 30% of income.
How is the salary needed calculated?
The salary needed uses the 30% rule: annual income required = (weekly rent x 52) / 0.3. This is a widely used affordability benchmark — spending more than 30% of gross income on rent is considered "rental stress".
Where does the rent data come from?
Rent data comes from government bond lodgement records — NSW DCJ, QLD RTA, and VIC DFFH. This covers actual bonds lodged, making it one of the most reliable rent data sources in Australia.