Rent in Cairns council area
Median weekly rent for new leases, Sep qtr 2026.
Median weekly rent by kind of home
All homes: $580 a week in the Sep qtr 2026 from 1,729 new bonds · up 5.5% in a year · dashed line and shading = our outlook and its likely range
2-bed house: $600 a week in the Sep qtr 2026 from 46 new bonds · up 15.4% in a year
3-bed house: $670 a week in the Sep qtr 2026 from 319 new bonds · up 8.1% in a year
4-bed house: $775 a week in the Sep qtr 2026 from 328 new bonds · up 10.7% in a year
2-bed townhouse: $530 a week in the Sep qtr 2026 from 57 new bonds · up 11.6% in a year
3-bed townhouse: $650 a week in the Sep qtr 2026 from 26 new bonds · up 0.0% in a year
1-bed unit: $420 a week in the Sep qtr 2026 from 245 new bonds · up 10.5% in a year
2-bed unit: $530 a week in the Sep qtr 2026 from 402 new bonds · up 10.4% in a year
3-bed unit: $660 a week in the Sep qtr 2026 from 76 new bonds · up 8.2% in a year
Where rents are heading
Our outlook for the Dec qtr 2026: $603 a week (likely $585 to $622). By the Sep qtr 2027: $625 (up 7.8% on today; likely $588 to $664).
How sure: when we tested this on the last two years of council areas in QLD, the real figure one quarter later landed in the likely range 75.1% of the time (average miss 3.6%, 342 tests). Every outlook is recorded when it's made and checked when the real figure comes out. See our record.
Latest quarter by type and bedrooms, Sep qtr 2026
Not enough bonds to split by type.
Figures: median of new rental bonds lodged with the Residential Tenancies Authority (Queensland). Rents are what tenants agreed to pay at the start of a lease. See credits.