Living in the Cairns CBD
Cairns CBD is home to a younger demographic, including university students, mainly living in apartments or share-houses. Most residents in the city rent their property.
More than half of Cairns city residents are couples, families or single parents aged under 45, with a large proportion of residents under 35 without children or pets.
Most of Cairns' entertainment and hospitality venues are located in the CBD, with a number of casual or upmarket restaurants, cafes, bars, microbreweries and nightclubs within easy walking distance.
The CBD is home to Cairns' highest proportion of overseas born residents.
Median apartment prices in Cairns city are around $650,000 to purchase, or approximately $600 per week to rent*.
* source: realestate.com.au, August 2026
Why live in the Cairns CBD?
One of the most popular reasons to live in the Cairns CBD is proximity to the Esplanade; three kilometres of waterfront walking and cycling tracks and boardwalks with relaxing water view, striking public art, restaurants and laneway bars.
Art galleries, boutique gyms, and hole-in-the-wall cafes with locally grown coffee dot through the city, with Rusty's Market a short walk away, where locals frequent for fresh fruit, vegetables, and local produce like cured meat and fresh bread.
The city is also Cairns' business hub, with businesses, government departments, law firms and retail outlets basing themselves there along with shared and collaborative working spaces.
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