Cost per day · Australia
Cairns on $60, $170 or $450 a day
How much does Cairns cost per day? Budget travellers get by on about $60 a day, mid-range trips run around $170, and luxury starts near $450 — accommodation, food, transport and activities included.
That makes Cairns the 18th most expensive of 100 cities for a mid-range trip — see all 100 ranked.
Cairns is the gateway to two World Heritage sites that meet nowhere else: the Great Barrier Reef, an hour offshore, and the Daintree, the oldest tropical rainforest on earth. The town itself is a relaxed tropical base of a lagoon pool, an esplanade, a night market and a hundred reef boats leaving every morning.
Cairns has some of Australia's cheapest beds, and the Esplanade Lagoon, the boardwalk and the night markets are free. The reef is the expense — one good boat day is worth planning the budget around.
🗺️ What to Do
The reef and the rainforest's rivers in one building, downtown
Get tickets on Tiqets →The ancient rainforest, a river cruise for crocodiles and the beach where it meets the reef
Get tickets on Tiqets →A coral cay forty-five minutes away, with snorkelling and a glass-bottom boat
Get tickets on Tiqets →🏨 Where to Stay
Big party hostel with a lagoon pool and bar on the main strip
Hostel with a pool and a tropical garden near the centre
Simple rooms facing the esplanade and the mudflats' birdlife
Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Town and lagoon ~$45
Day 2: The reef ~$180
Day 3: Rainforest swimming ~$30
Swim in the free Esplanade Lagoon instead of the sea. Choose an outer-reef trip over Green Island if you can only do one. Backpacker bars along the esplanade serve cheap dinners with a drink.
Mid-range buys an esplanade hotel with a pool, a full-day outer-reef cruise with snorkelling and a dive, the Kuranda railway and Skyrail, and a day in the Daintree.
🗺️ What to Do
The ancient rainforest, a river cruise for crocodiles and the beach where it meets the reef
Get tickets on Tiqets →A coral cay forty-five minutes away, with snorkelling and a glass-bottom boat
Get tickets on Tiqets →Up the gorge by heritage train, down over the canopy by cableway
Get tickets on Tiqets →🏨 Where to Stay
Central hotel with a rooftop wildlife dome
Esplanade resort with a lagoon pool and a rooftop bar
On the marina beside the Reef Fleet Terminal
Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Outer reef ~$300
Day 2: Kuranda ~$230
Day 3: Daintree ~$240
Outer reefs like Moore, Norman and Saxon are worth the extra over inner islands. Ride the Kuranda Scenic Railway up and the Skyrail cableway down. Go to Cape Tribulation with a guide who knows where the cassowaries are.
Luxury Cairns is a reef-view suite in Port Douglas, a helicopter over the reef, a private boat to Michaelmas Cay and a lodge in the Daintree canopy.
🗺️ What to Do
Over the Atherton Tablelands as the sun comes up, with transfers
Get tickets on Tiqets →Sail to a sand cay full of seabirds on the outer reef
Get tickets on Tiqets →The reef and the Daintree with an overnight, guided throughout
Get tickets on Tiqets →🏨 Where to Stay
Design hotel in the centre of Cairns
Lagoon-pool resort on Four Mile Beach
Treehouses above the Mossman River in the Daintree
Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Reef from the air ~$1300
Day 2: Tablelands ~$900
Day 3: Daintree in style ~$1100
Silky Oaks Lodge in the Daintree and the resorts of Port Douglas are where the money goes. A scenic flight over Heart Reef is unforgettable. A private charter to the outer reef means no crowds at all.
About Cairns
Tropical monsoon: dry, warm winters (June–September, 26°C by day), hot wet summers (31°C, heavy rain and cyclone risk December–March).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28° | 28° | 27° | 26° | 24° | 22° | 21° | 22° | 24° | 26° | 27° | 28° |
| 17d | 18d | 18d | 14d | 11d | 7d | 6d | 5d | 4d | 5d | 8d | 12d |
| mid | low | low | mid | mid | high | high | high | high | high | mid | mid |
The town centre is small and walkable. Reef boats leave from the Reef Fleet Terminal on the esplanade; tours pick up from hotels. Hire a car for the Daintree and Port Douglas. No metro.
A travel eSIM gets you online the moment you land in Australia — data plans start at $4 — no roaming bill, no queue for a local SIM, and nothing to swap in and out of your phone. Install it before you fly.
The compact centre along the esplanade, with the lagoon pool, the night markets and the reef terminal.
Best for midrangeAround the marina and the Reef Fleet Terminal, with the best hotels and seafood restaurants.
Best for luxuryThe streets of hostels, bars and tour shops in the town centre.
Best for budgetA palm-lined beach village with resorts and good restaurants, twenty-five minutes north.
Best for luxuryA string of beach suburbs north of the airport, quieter than town.
Best for midrangeAn hour north up the coast road, the upscale base for the outer reef and the Daintree.
Best for luxury- ✓Wear a stinger suit when swimming from November to May
- ✓Use reef-safe sunscreen and never touch or stand on coral
- ✓Obey crocodile warning signs at every river and beach
- ✓Book outer-reef trips early in the dry season
- ✓Respect Aboriginal sites and follow Traditional Owners' guidance at Mossman Gorge
- ✓Wear a hat and SPF 50 — the tropical sun burns fast
- ✗Swim in rivers, creeks or unnetted beaches
- ✗Feed wildlife, including cassowaries
- ✗Take shells or coral from the reef
- ✗Drive the Bloomfield Track without a 4WD
- ✗Leave food out at campsites
- ✗Expect much open late in town outside the main strip
Travel Insurance for Cairns
Travel insurance is strongly recommended for any trip to Cairns. Safety is rated Safe town. The dangers are natural: box jellyfish from November to May (swim in stinger nets or wear a stinger suit), estuarine crocodiles in rivers and on beaches, and strong sun. — even in safe destinations, unexpected medical emergencies or trip cancellations can be costly. Make sure your policy covers emergency medical treatment, hospitalisation, trip cancellation, and emergency evacuation.
Visa note: UK and EU passports need an eVisitor (free); US, Canadian and Japanese passports need an ETA (via app, small fee). New Zealanders need neither.. Some countries require proof of travel insurance as part of the visa application.
Get travel insurance for Cairns →FAQ: Cairns Travel Questions
Is Cairns safe to visit? ▾
Safe town. The dangers are natural: box jellyfish from November to May (swim in stinger nets or wear a stinger suit), estuarine crocodiles in rivers and on beaches, and strong sun.
When is the best time to visit Cairns? ▾
June–October, the dry season: sunny, warm and stinger-free, with the clearest reef visibility from August. The wet season (December–March) is hot, humid and stormy. Tropical monsoon: dry, warm winters (June–September, 26°C by day), hot wet summers (31°C, heavy rain and cyclone risk December–March).
How much does a trip to Cairns cost per day? ▾
- budget: $60–$110/day
- midrange: $170–$300/day
- luxury: $450–$1000/day
Do I need a visa to visit Australia? ▾
UK and EU passports need an eVisitor (free); US, Canadian and Japanese passports need an ETA (via app, small fee). New Zealanders need neither.
How do I get around Cairns? ▾
The town centre is small and walkable. Reef boats leave from the Reef Fleet Terminal on the esplanade; tours pick up from hotels. Hire a car for the Daintree and Port Douglas. No metro. Taxi base fare ~$4. Day pass ~$8.
Is tipping expected in Cairns? ▾
Tipping is not expected. Rounding up or 10% for great service in restaurants is appreciated.
What currency is used in Australia? ▾
The local currency is AUD, and the official language is English.