Living in the Cairns CBD

Like most cities, the Cairns CBD and the edge of the city have more young people, share-housers, renters, university students and fewer families than the suburbs. More than half of Cairns city residents are couples, families or single parents aged under 45, with a large proportion of these under 35 and without family commitments.

Most of the options for nightlife in Cairns are centred around the CBD with a number of small and large bars, microbreweries and nightclubs in the city.

If you're living in the Cairns CBD, you're likely yo be living in an apartment with very few houses available in the central Cairns area unless you're lucky enough to rent or buy one of the few remaining houses on the Cairns Esplanade, or surrounding streets a few blocks back from the waterfront.

The CBD and nearby suburbs are multicultural places and home to our city’s highest proportion of overseas born residents.

Median house prices in the Cairns city and surrounds*

City apartment - $399,000 to buy
Renting a unit in Cairns City - $545 per week.

^{* source: realestate.com.au, September 2022}

Why live in the Cairns CBD?

One of the best reasons to live in the Cairns CBD is proximity to the beautiful Cairns Esplanade. The well-photographed Esplanade features three kilometres of waterfront walking and cycling tracks and boardwalks with relaxing water view, striking public art, restaurants and bars. It's pretty special to be able to look out over such a beautiful natural environment while still living in a city.

A short wander into the CBD will take you to world-class art galleries, amazing restaurants, boutique gyms and studios, laneway bars, and hole-in-the-wall cafes with local coffee that has been grown, ground and brewed nearby.

Also nearby is Rusty’s Market, open Friday through Sunday for produce, food stalls and more, is also a city draw card for locals and tourists alike.

The city is also the commercial hub of Cairns with many businesses, government departments, law firms and retail outlets basing themselves in the CBD. If you don't have an office in the CBD, there are a number of interesting, new work spaces in the CBD for people who are working remotely or starting a new business endeavour.

What locals love about living in the Cairns city centre

In the city, my backyard is the laneway cafes, shops and beautiful parks. Walking everywhere, I am constantly discovering new street art, hidden bars and tropical gardens. I can walk to the beautiful Cairns Esplanade, overlooking the ocean and swimming lagoon, and I have easy access to the reef from Cairns Marlin Marina.
In the evenings, I can pick from restaurants with a huge variety of cuisine from around the world. If I want to cook I walk to Rusty’s markets for my local fresh, and tropical produce. Never have to worry about parking as I can walk to world-class performances in venues such as the Cairns Performing Arts Centre, Munro Martin Parklands and live music bars and clubs. I rarely need to leave the city!
Ellen, CBD