Walking through the Cairns Central business district on a Tuesday morning, you'd see the backbone of the city's service and hospitality sector at work—many of them migrants whose voices have largely gone unheard as the cost-of-living crisis deepens.
Recent figures show rental prices in Cairns have jumped nearly 18 per cent in the past 18 months, with a one-bedroom apartment in the CBD now averaging $380 per week. For skilled migrant workers on temporary visas, many earning between $55,000 and $65,000 annually, the squeeze is becoming untenable.
"The calculation used to work," says a 34-year-old hospitality manager from Manila, who requested anonymity due to visa concerns. "Now I'm paying almost 40 per cent of my income on rent alone. My partner and I are seriously considering leaving Cairns, maybe returning home or trying Melbourne."
Her sentiment echoes through conversations at the Multicultural Communities Council office on Grafton Street, where intake coordinator Maria Hennessy reports a notable shift in client concerns over the past six months. "We're seeing more enquiries about migration pathways out of regional Australia," Hennessy explains. "People came here because Cairns offered opportunity and affordability. That equation has changed."
The Cairns Region Chamber of Commerce estimates that migrants comprise roughly 22 per cent of the city's workforce, with particularly high concentrations in hospitality, aged care, and construction. Many are on skilled migration visas with points-based criteria that require employment stability—but rising costs are forcing difficult choices.
At the Cairns Library's newcomer program on Bungalow Avenue, English conversation groups have become informal support networks. Participants discuss housing insecurity, childcare costs that have climbed 12 per cent, and uncertainty around visa extensions.
"These aren't people demanding special treatment," notes Dr Rebecca Walsh, a migration researcher at James Cook University. "They're asking for the same cost-of-living support ordinary Australians are advocating for. The difference is, migrants often lack family networks here and have fewer safety nets."
Local employers are also concerned. Hospitality venues along Shields Street report increasing difficulty retaining migrant staff—many citing better opportunities and lower costs elsewhere. One café owner admits she's losing trained workers to Brisbane monthly.
As Australia's migration debate continues at the national level, Cairns' migrant communities are making their own calculations. Without urgent intervention on housing affordability and cost-of-living support, many fear the region risks losing the skilled workers who've become essential to keeping the city functioning.
This article was compiled by AI from the sources linked above and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.
