The average price of a 7-day trip to Cairns is $2,015 for a solo traveler, $3,619 for a couple, and $6,785 for a family of 4. Cairns hotels range from $36 to $120 per night with an average of $66, while most vacation rentals will cost $120 to $400 per night for the entire home. Average worldwide flight costs to Cairns International Airport (CNS) are between $1,253 and $2,482 per person for economy flights and $3,932 to $7,789 for first class. Depending on activities, we recommend budgeting $22 to $53 per person per day for transportation and enjoying local restaurants.
See below for average, budget, and luxury trip costs. You can also look up flight costs from your airport for more tailored flight pricing.
The Cheapest Times to Visit Cairns, QL, AU
On average, these will be the cheapest dates to fly to CNS and stay in a Cairns hotel:
- January 29th to March 25th (except the week of March 12th)
- April 9th to May 6th
- August 6th to October 7th
- October 22nd to December 2nd
The absolute cheapest time to take a vacation in Cairns is usually mid to late August.
Average Cairns Trip Costs
Average Solo Traveler
The average cost for one person to visit Cairns for a week is $1,105-$3,041($158-$434 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $22 to $53 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $699 to $2,184 for economy
Lodging: $42 to $67 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room
or $67 to $81 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Average Couple’s Trip
The average cost for a couple to visit Cairns for a week is $3,066-$6,192($438-$885 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $44 to $106 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,398 to $4,368 for economy
Lodging: $42 to $67 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room
or $67 to $81 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Average Family Vacation
The average cost for 4 people to visit Cairns for a week is $3,916-$11,024($559-$1,575 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $88 to $212 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $2,796 to $8,736 for economy
Lodging: $84 to $134 per night for two 2 or 3-star hotel rooms
or $101 to $113 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental
Traveling Cheap to Cairns
How cheap can you make a vacation to Cairns? The cheapest trip to Cairns is about $141 per person per day for travelers willing to take standby flights, deal with inconvenience, and otherwise limit travel expenses. About 3% of rentals are available in the $0 to $100 range for an entire place, and vacation rentals can be booked for as low as $60 per night. These inexpensive rentals must be booked as early as possible and may not be in the most desirable areas. 1-star hotels are more likely to be available, with rooms starting at around $32.
Even cheaper trips are possible depending on where you live and whether you can drive. Check the cheapest times to fly for more saving ideas.
Budget Solo Traveler
The lowest cost for one person to visit Cairns for a week is $989-$2,973($141-$425 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $14 to $27 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $699 to $2,184 for economy
Lodging: $32 to $36 per night for one 1-star hotel room
or $60 to $100 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Budget Couple’s Trip
The lowest cost for a couple to visit Cairns for a week is $1,786-$5,346($255-$764 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $28 to $54 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,398 to $4,368 for economy
Lodging: $32 to $36 per night for one 1-star hotel room
or $60 to $100 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Budget Family Vacation
The lowest cost for 4 people to visit Cairns for a week is $3,572-$10,332($510-$1,476 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $56 to $108 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $2,796 to $8,736 for economy
Lodging: $64 to $72 per night for two 1-star hotel rooms
or $90 to $140 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental
Overall it is easy to travel to Cairns cheaply.
The Cost of a Luxury Cairns Trip
There is no true ceiling on the cost of a luxury trip, so our estimates are based on what most people do in Cairns.
Luxury Solo Traveler
The high-end price for one person to visit Cairns for a week is $2,674-$10,446($382-$1,492 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $44 to $117 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,880 to $4,827 for first class
Lodging: $81 to $120 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room
or $400 to $800 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Luxury Couple’s Trip
The high-end price for a couple to visit Cairns for a week is $4,862-$16,092($695-$2,299 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $88 to $234 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $3,760 to $9,654 for first class
Lodging: $81 to $120 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room
or $400 to $800 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Luxury Family Vacation
The high-end price for 4 people to visit Cairns for a week is $9,724-$30,264($1,389-$4,323 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $176 to $468 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $7,520 to $19,308 for first class
Lodging: $162 to $240 per night for two 4 or 5-star hotel rooms
or $600 to $1,280 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Cairns Hotel Prices
The cost of staying in Cairns is lower than the average city. On average hotels are less expensive than vacation rentals. Luxury vacation rentals are more expensive in Cairns due to very high property costs. The graphs below show how much cost can vary depending on the type of experience you’re looking for.
Cairns Lodging Cost by Star Status
The average price for the class of hotel is on the (y) axis. The hotel class (out of 5 stars) is on the (x) axis.
Key
Prices are based on Cairns hotel averages and may not reflect current prices. In some cases, we extrapolate prices to estimate costs, and hotels with your desired star rating may not be available.
Vacation Rental Prices
The percent of vacation rentals in the price range is on the left (y) axis. Price range is on the bottom (x) axis.
Key
There are a healthy amount of vacation rentals serving all budgets in Cairns.
Flight Costs to Cairns
Averaging flights around the world, prices go from a high of $2,482 average in late December to a low of $1,253 in mid to late August. Median flight price is $1,560. These prices are based on millions of flights. For Cairns our data includes 105 originating airports, and 75 airlines. The area has more variance in price compared with other locations. Flying to Cairns from an airport like Provincetown Municipal (PVC) in Provincetown, MA (the United States) for an average $8,032 trip fare will obviously cost a lot more than from an airport like Brisbane International (BNE) in Brisbane (Australia) at an average of just $145.
Average Flight Cost by Season
Key
Average Flight Cost by Day of Week
Key
The cheapest day to fly in is typically Tuesday, and the cheapest day to fly back is usually Monday. Click here to see data for the cost of flights from your airport. In Cairns, the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive week is about $1,229, so you can easily save about 98% simply by using our free flight guides and booking in advance.
Daily Expenses Budget
Daily vacation expenses vary more based on what you’re interested in doing. A fine dining restaurant with drinks around Cairns can easily cost $200 per person or more, while a standard nice meal might be about $14 per person. Private tours can cost $409 per day, but self-guided tours to see the outdoor sights can be free. Costs vary wildly, so recommendations are made based on the cost of living and averages we see for this type of vacation.