---
title: "Cairns vs Geelong for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cairns-vs-geelong
description: "Under balanced weights Geelong edges it, 68 to 67, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Cairns is stronger on nothing outright; Geelong on getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Cairns vs Geelong for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Geelong edges it, 68 to 67, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Cairns is stronger on nothing outright; Geelong on getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Cairns | Geelong | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 13 | 13 | tie |
| Safety | 82 | 82 | tie |
| Healthcare | 91 | 91 | tie |
| Internet | 70 | 79 | Geelong |
| Visa ease | 42 | 42 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 51 | 62 | Geelong |
| Climate | 58 | 50 | Cairns |
| Air quality | 98 | 98 | Cairns |
| Quality of life | 98 | 98 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Cairns | Geelong | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $3,350 | $3,350 | tie |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Cairns | Geelong | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.94 | 0.94 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 79.3 | 79.3 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 89 | 89 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 83.1 yrs | 83.1 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Cairns | Geelong | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 40.6 Mbps | 63.9 Mbps | Geelong |
| Upload | 10.9 Mbps | 23.2 Mbps | Geelong |

## Visa

| Metric | Cairns | Geelong | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Cairns | Geelong | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 37 | 71 | Geelong |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 | Geelong |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Cairns | Geelong | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 7 | 6 | Cairns |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 5.8 µg/m³ | 6.1 µg/m³ | Cairns |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Cairns or Geelong?

Geelong is cheaper: about $3,350 per month versus $3,350 for one person.

### Is Cairns or Geelong safer?

Cairns scores higher on safety (82 vs 82), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Cairns or Geelong?

Geelong: a measured median of 63.9 Mbps versus 40.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Cairns](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/cairns) · [Geelong](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/geelong). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cairns-vs-geelong