Fast food prices in Cairns, QLD
Cairns, QLD is the 17th cheapest of 18 Queensland cities we track for fast food (Drive Thru Index 104, 4% above the national typical price).
11 restaurants, prices as of . Prices are in Australian dollars. See Cairns on the map
Key findings
- A McDonald's Big Mac typically costs $9.25 in Cairns, QLD ($9.25 to $9.65 across 4 restaurants). McDonald's here is 7% above its typical price in Australia.
- A Hungry Jack's Whopper typically costs $10.60 in Cairns, QLD ($10.60 across 1 restaurants). Hungry Jack's here is not enough restaurants to compare.
- A KFC Zinger Burger typically costs $8.45 in Cairns, QLD ($8.45 across 3 restaurants). KFC here is level with its typical price in Australia.
- A Red Rooster Quarter Chicken typically costs $8.25 in Cairns, QLD ($8.25 across 1 restaurants). Red Rooster here is not enough restaurants to compare.
- A Grill'd Simply Grill'd typically costs $14.50 in Cairns, QLD ($14.50 across 2 restaurants). Grill'd here is 4% above its typical price in Australia.
The scoop
McDonald's tops the city price ladderCairns, QLD ranks 30 of 30 cities for the McDonald's basket, where 1 = cheapest. Its median basket is $33.75, sitting 7% above the national typical price.
KFC is rock-steady in CairnsKFC has the most consistent prices here, with its priciest store 0% above its cheapest. The basket is $31.35 at both the cheapest and priciest Cairns, QLD locations.
Tiny Macca's spread, bigger headlineMcDonald's shows the biggest location gap in Cairns, QLD, but it is still only 1%. The basket runs from $33.40 at the cheapest store to $33.80 at the priciest store.
Big Mac prices barely budgeAcross 4 McDonald's stores compared in Cairns, QLD, the Big Mac range is $9.25 to $9.65. The cheapest-store Big Mac is $9.25, and the priciest-store Big Mac is also $9.25.
McDonald's has the larger footprintMcDonald's has the most restaurants in this view, with 4 stores compared. KFC has 3 stores compared across Cairns, QLD.
Every brand in Cairns
| Brand | Restaurants | Typical price | Range | Index | Cheapest restaurant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDonald's | 4 | Big Mac: $9.25 | $9.25 to $9.65 | 107 | Cairns City, 7-11 Martyn St |
| Hungry Jack's | 1 | Whopper: $10.60 | $10.60 to $10.60 | — | — |
| KFC | 3 | Zinger Burger: $8.45 | $8.45 to $8.45 | 100 | Shop 94, Cairns Central Shopping Centre, CNR 1-21 McLeod and Spence Streets |
| Red Rooster | 1 | Quarter Chicken: $8.25 | $8.25 to $8.25 | — | — |
| Grill'd | 2 | Simply Grill'd: $14.50 | $14.50 to $14.50 | 104 | Shop L01, 095-097, Cairns Central Shopping Centre 1, 21 McLeod St |
Cheapest and priciest restaurant of each brand
Compared on the same basket of items at each restaurant of the brand. The gap is how much more the priciest charges for that basket.
| Brand | Cheapest | Priciest | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| McDonald's | Cairns City, 7-11 Martyn St $9.25 Big Mac | Cairns Central Food Court, Cairns Central Shopping Ctr $9.25 Big Mac | 1% |
| KFC | Shop 94, Cairns Central Shopping Centre, CNR 1-21 McLeod and Spence Streets $8.45 Zinger Burger | Shop 94, Cairns Central Shopping Centre, CNR 1-21 McLeod and Spence Streets $8.45 Zinger Burger | 0% |
| Grill'd | Shop L01, 095-097, Cairns Central Shopping Centre 1, 21 McLeod St $14.50 Simply Grill'd | Shop L01, 095-097, Cairns Central Shopping Centre 1, 21 McLeod St $14.50 Simply Grill'd | 0% |
Every restaurant in Cairns, QLD
Each restaurant links to its full menu with prices.
McDonald's
| Restaurant | Big Mac | Basket index | Price level (national) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairns City, 7-11 Martyn St | $9.25 | 106 | $$$$$ |
| Esplanade, 59-63 Esplanade | $9.65 | 107 | $$$$$ |
| Manoora, 157 Pease St | $9.25 | 107 | $$$$$ |
| Cairns Central Food Court, Cairns Central Shopping Ctr | $9.25 | 107 | $$$$$ |
Hungry Jack's
| Restaurant | Whopper | Basket index | Price level (national) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westcourt Plaza Mulgrave Road | $10.60 | 106 | $$$$$ |
KFC
| Restaurant | Zinger Burger | Basket index | Price level (national) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shop 94, Cairns Central Shopping Centre, Cnr 1-21 McLeod and Spence Streets | $8.45 | 100 | $$$$$ |
| Shop F6, Stockland Cairns, 483-541 Mulgrave Road | $8.45 | 100 | $$$$$ |
| Martyn St & Florence St, Parramatta Park | $8.45 | 100 | $$$$$ |
Red Rooster
| Restaurant | Quarter Chicken | Basket index | Price level (national) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raintrees S/c. Cnr. Cochrane & Alfred Sts. | $8.25 | 106 | $$$$$ |
Grill'd
| Restaurant | Simply Grill'd | Basket index | Price level (national) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shop L01, 095-097, Cairns Central Shopping Centre 1, 21 McLeod St | $14.50 | 104 | $$$$$ |
| 77 Esplanade | $14.50 | 104 | $$$$$ |
Nearby in Queensland
- Caboolture
- Toowoomba
- Southport
- Browns Plains
- Robina
- Chermside
- Maroochydore
- Loganholme
- Burpengary
- Helensvale
- Brisbane
- Townsville
Questions people ask
- How much is a McDonald's Big Mac in Cairns, QLD?
- As of 2026-10-01, a Big Mac costs $9.25 to $9.65 at 4 McDonald's restaurants in Cairns, QLD, typically $9.25.
- Where is the cheapest McDonald's in Cairns, QLD?
- The cheapest McDonald's in Cairns, QLD is at Cairns City, 7-11 Martyn St, Cairns, comparing the same basket at 4 restaurants (Drive Thru Index, 2026-10-01).
- How much is a Hungry Jack's Whopper in Cairns, QLD?
- As of 2026-10-01, a Whopper costs $10.60 at 1 Hungry Jack's restaurants in Cairns, QLD, typically $10.60.
- How much is a KFC Zinger Burger in Cairns, QLD?
- As of 2026-10-01, a Zinger Burger costs $8.45 at 3 KFC restaurants in Cairns, QLD, typically $8.45.
- Where is the cheapest KFC in Cairns, QLD?
- The cheapest KFC in Cairns, QLD is at Shop 94, Cairns Central Shopping Centre, CNR 1-21 McLeod and Spence Streets, Cairns, comparing the same basket at 3 restaurants (Drive Thru Index, 2026-10-01).
- How much is a Red Rooster Quarter Chicken in Cairns, QLD?
- As of 2026-10-01, a Quarter Chicken costs $8.25 at 1 Red Rooster restaurants in Cairns, QLD, typically $8.25.
- How much is a Grill'd Simply Grill'd in Cairns, QLD?
- As of 2026-10-01, a Simply Grill'd costs $14.50 at 2 Grill'd restaurants in Cairns, QLD, typically $14.50.
How these prices are measured
Every day we check the menu at every restaurant of each chain, through the same ordering app its customers use, and record each item's pickup price. Restaurants are compared on a basket of items every full-menu restaurant of that brand sells. An index of 100 is the brand's typical (median) restaurant in the country, so 95 means 5% cheaper and 110 means 10% pricier. Brands are only ever compared with themselves, never with each other.
Citing this data: Source: Drive Thru Index (https://drivethruindex.com/prices/queensland/cairns), prices checked 2026-10-01. You are welcome to quote any figure on this page.