Rent in Cairns council area
- Median weekly rent
- $600
- Change over a year
- +9.1%
- New leases
- 1,666 in the quarter
June quarter 2026, new leases only, published by Residential Tenancies Authority (Queensland).
Is your rent fair?
Put in what you pay and see how it stacks up against new leases in the Cairns council area
Every kind of home
June quarter 2026
| Home | Median | New leases | 1 year | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All homes | $600 | 1,666 | +9.1% | +57.9% |
| 1-bedroom units | $420 | 204 | +13.5% | +61.5% |
| 2-bedroom units | $510 | 404 | +4.1% | +45.7% |
| 3-bedroom units | $660 | 87 | +10.0% | +53.5% |
| 2-bedroom houses | $580 | 48 | +16.0% | +58.9% |
| 3-bedroom houses | $660 | 278 | +6.5% | +50.0% |
| Houses, 4 or more bedrooms | $760 | 363 | +7.0% | +46.2% |
| 2-bedroom townhouses | $510 | 48 | +10.9% | +59.4% |
| 3-bedroom townhouses | $630* | 13 | n/a | n/a |
* Small sample: 10 to 29 new leases.
How the median rent has moved
Sep 2016 to Jun 2026
Show as a table
| Quarter | All homes | 2-bedroom units | 3-bedroom houses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2026 | $600 | $510 | $660 |
| Mar 2026 | $580 | $520 | $650 |
| Dec 2025 | $560 | $500 | $650 |
| Sep 2025 | $550 | $480 | $620 |
| Jun 2025 | $550 | $490 | $620 |
| Mar 2025 | $530 | $500 | $600 |
| Dec 2024 | $530 | $470 | $595 |
| Sep 2024 | $500 | $465 | $570 |
| Jun 2024 | $490 | $450 | $580 |
| Mar 2024 | $500 | $450 | $570 |
| Dec 2023 | $480 | $450 | $550 |
| Sep 2023 | $460 | $420 | $540 |
| Jun 2023 | $450 | $425 | $530 |
| Mar 2023 | $450 | $410 | $520 |
| Dec 2022 | $440 | $400 | $500 |
| Sep 2022 | $430 | $380 | $490 |
| Jun 2022 | $420 | $375 | $475 |
| Mar 2022 | $420 | $380 | $480 |
| Dec 2021 | $395 | $360 | $450 |
| Sep 2021 | $395 | $350 | $450 |
| Jun 2021 | $380 | $350 | $440 |
| Mar 2021 | $380 | $340 | $425 |
| Dec 2020 | $360 | $330 | $420 |
| Sep 2020 | $355 | $320 | $410 |
| Jun 2020 | $350 | $310 | $400 |
| Mar 2020 | $365 | $325 | $400 |
| Dec 2019 | $360 | $315 | $400 |
| Sep 2019 | $350 | $310 | $395 |
| Jun 2019 | $350 | $310 | $390 |
| Mar 2019 | $350 | $315 | $390 |
| Dec 2018 | $350 | $310 | $390 |
| Sep 2018 | $350 | $310 | $380 |
| Jun 2018 | $340 | $300 | $380 |
| Mar 2018 | $350 | $310 | $380 |
| Dec 2017 | $340 | $300 | $375 |
| Sep 2017 | $340 | $295 | $375 |
| Jun 2017 | $330 | $295 | $375 |
| Mar 2017 | $330 | $300 | $370 |
| Dec 2016 | $330 | $290 | $370 |
| Sep 2016 | $330 | $300 | $365 |
How it compares
June quarter 2026
| Area | Median | 1 year | New leases |
|---|---|---|---|
| the Cairns council area | $600 | +9.1% | 1,666 |
| Queensland | $650 | +8.3% | 53,770 |
- Ranks 10 of 41 in Queensland from dearest to cheapest, among places with 30 or more new leases.
- At the 2021 Census, renting households here paid a median of $340 a week, 22% of the median household income. That figure counts every renting household, old leases and new.
- Since the Census (Sep 2021 to Jun 2026), rents on new leases here rose +51.9%. Wages in Queensland rose +18.6% over the same time (ABS Wage Price Index).
Get the full rental report for the Cairns council area
Everything behind these numbers, in a 6-page PDF for $39.
Made for landlords setting a rent, buyers weighing up areas and agents who need to back up an appraisal. It covers new leases only, from state bond data.
Suburbs in this council area
June quarter 2026, all homes
| Name | Median weekly rent | New leases | 1 year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Cove | $780 | 33 | +36.8% |
| Redlynch | $765 | 65 | +9.4% |
| Trinity Park | $755 | 35 | +4.9% |
| Kewarra Beach | $730 | 61 | +5.8% |
| Brinsmead | $725* | 22 | n/a |
| Machans Beach | $700* | 14 | n/a |
| Smithfield | $700 | 85 | +9.4% |
| Gordonvale | $695 | 37 | n/a |
| Trinity Beach | $690 | 72 | +3.0% |
| Bayview Heights | $680* | 18 | n/a |
| Mount Sheridan | $680 | 50 | +6.3% |
| Clifton Beach | $670 | 47 | +8.1% |
| Bentley Park | $660 | 77 | +3.1% |
| Edmonton | $625 | 76 | +2.5% |
| Freshwater | $615* | 18 | n/a |
| Stratford | $610* | 13 | n/a |
| White Rock (Cairns) | $600 | 38 | +9.1% |
| Cairns City | $580 | 63 | +9.4% |
| Edge Hill | $580 | 48 | +16.0% |
| Whitfield | $580 | 45 | +16.0% |
| Earlville | $550 | 32 | +14.6% |
| Mooroobool | $550 | 43 | 0.0% |
| Yorkeys Knob | $540 | 38 | +8.0% |
| Cairns North | $530 | 139 | +10.4% |
| Holloways Beach | $515 | 32 | +1.0% |
| Bungalow | $500 | 40 | +11.1% |
| Westcourt | $500 | 54 | +8.7% |
| Manoora | $460 | 66 | +2.2% |
| Manunda | $440 | 85 | +10.0% |
| Woree | $420 | 66 | −6.7% |
| Parramatta Park | $363 | 123 | −1.6% |
| Kanimbla | Under 10 leases | 9 | n/a |
* Small sample: 10 to 29 new leases.
Smaller places
Too few new leases for a figure of their own, but they're counted in this council's figures
Aeroglen, Aloomba, Babinda, Barron, Barron Gorge, Bartle Frere, Bellenden Ker, Bramston Beach, Caravonica, Deeral, East Russell, East Trinity, Ellis Beach, Eubenangee, Fishery Falls, Fitzroy Island, Glen Boughton, Goldsborough, Green Hill, Green Island, Kamerunga, Lamb Range, Little Mulgrave, Macalister Range, Mirriwinni, Mount Peter, Ngatjan, Packers Camp, Portsmith, Waugh Pocket, Woopen Creek, Wooroonooran (Cairns) and Wrights Creek.