Cleaner pricing in Cairns
What cleaners charge in Cairns (typically $30-$60/hr), the local factors that move the rate, and a sample quote you can use as a starting point.
No credit card required
Cairns cleaner pricing
What cleaners should charge in Cairns
Cairns cleaners serve Whitfield, Edge Hill, Trinity Beach, Palm Cove premium residential; Port Douglas (Mossman Shire) ultra-premium destination; reef and rainforest tourism (Hilton, Pullman, Shangri-La, Crystalbrook, Reef Hotel Casino, Sheraton Mirage, Pullman Palm Cove); JCU and Cairns Hospital institutional; HMAS Cairns and rental turnover; and heavy Airbnb turnover in CBD, Palm Cove, and Port Douglas. QLD does not require state-level cleaning licence. Post-cyclone mould remediation specialty (Jasper 2023 drove sustained demand). Wet-season humidity drives ongoing mould demand.
Hourly rate
$30-$60
per hour, weekday daytime
Call-out fee
$21-$45
within standard radius
After-hours
1.5-2x
evening, weekend, holiday
Job pricing
What to charge for common cleaner jobs in Cairns
Real-world price ranges for the jobs local tradies quote every week. Use the table as a starting point for your own quotes and adjust for parts, access, and your overheads. All figures in AUD.
Standard clean (3-bed home)
What's included
Includes mop, vacuum, dust, bathroom and kitchen wipe-down. 2-3 hour job for 1-2 cleaners.
Standard clean (per hour)
What's included
Hourly rate when scope is unclear. Most cleaners prefer fixed-price by home size.
Deep clean (3-bed home)
What's included
Includes inside oven, inside fridge, all glass, skirtings, light fittings. 5-7 hour job. Once-off or quarterly.
End-of-tenancy clean (3-bed)
What's included
Bond-back compliant. Includes all deep-clean items plus inside cupboards, behind appliances, blinds. Photo report optional.
Post-construction clean (3-bed)
What's included
Removes plaster dust, paint splatter, debris from every surface. 2-3 cleaner team for a full day. Specialist equipment needed.
Once-off Airbnb turnover (2-bed)
What's included
Standard turnover: linen change, bathroom, kitchen, common areas. Within 4 hours of check-out window.
Office clean (per square metre/month)
What's included
Standard 3x weekly, 4 hours per visit for 200sqm office. Floors, kitchens, bathrooms, desks. Window cleaning extra.
Carpet steam clean (per room)
What's included
Includes pre-treat, hot water extraction, deodorise. Stain treatment extra. Allow 4-6 hour dry time.
Window cleaning (per window, exterior)
What's included
Standard ground-floor; double-storey or high-access with pole or ladder runs higher. Frame wash extra.
Cairns quote factors
What to factor into your Cairns cleaner quote
Local context that should shape what you quote as a cleaner in Cairns. Tropical monsoon. Wet season Nov-Apr (26-32°C with 75-90% humidity, monsoonal rain ~2,000mm), dry season May-Oct (peak tourism), cyclone season Nov-Apr. UV + termite + salt-air + cyclone harshest in QLD. AC universal.
Whitfield, Edge Hill, Palm Cove premium tier
Whitfield (4870), Edge Hill (4870 heritage), Trinity Beach (4879), Palm Cove (4879 resort), Yorkeys Knob (4878) command A$66 to A$125/hour, 30 to 50% above standard Cairns. Port Douglas (4877 Mossman Shire) ultra-premium A$78 to A$155/hour. HNW clients expect dedicated team, key-holding service, eco-friendly products, discretion. Bonding (A$1,800 to A$4,200 annual), A$2M+ general liability, and Blue Card / Police checks are trust signals.
Tourism + Airbnb turnover volume
Reef and rainforest tourism drives constant turnover: Cairns CBD short-stay, Palm Cove resort precinct, Port Douglas destination rentals (pre-COVID 3M+ visitors/year). Quote per-turnover Airbnb cleans (A$160 to A$460 for studio, A$265 to A$780 for 1-bed, A$460 to A$1,440 for 2-bed) including linen service, restocking, guest report photos. Lock in 12-month contracts with 5 to 15 short-stay operators. Dry season (May to Oct) peak; wet season demand softens but remains strong vs Darwin.
Post-cyclone and wet-season mould remediation specialty
Cairns cyclone cycle (Larry 2006, Yasi 2011, Jasper 2023) plus 75 to 90% wet-season humidity drives ongoing mould remediation demand. Quote IICRC S520 (mould remediation) protocol work (HEPA vacuum, anti-microbial treatment, structural drying, content restoration) at A$54 to A$160/sqm. Insurance-backed work; build relationships with insurance assessors and QBCC-registered restoration builders. WorkCover Queensland oversight on commercial mould work.
Resort and hospitality commercial contracts
Reef and rainforest tourism drives hospitality commercial cleaning revenue: Hilton, Pullman, Shangri-La, Crystalbrook, Reef Hotel Casino, Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas, Pullman Palm Cove. Quote daily housekeeping (A$54 to A$115 per room) on rotating-roster schedules. Annual contracts at 10 to 15% discount with monthly invoicing. Specialist resort-grade requirements (back-of-house, F&B, banquet hall, spa) at premium.
HMAS Cairns + government rental turnover
HMAS Cairns naval base, defence accommodation, and QLD Government rentals drive rotation. Quote per-turnover end-of-lease cleans (A$460 to A$1,440 for 3-bed) including bond-back guarantee, oven detail, window track, full carpet shampoo. Build relationships with 5 to 10 property managers; lock in 12-month contracts.
Remote location reach (Port Douglas + Cape Tribulation)
Port Douglas (65km north, Mossman Shire) and Cape Tribulation/Daintree (~140km north) destination rentals require remote-site mobilisation. Quote remote callout (A$220 to A$780 per mobilisation) plus daily rate; specialist niche with limited competition. Cape Tribulation Daintree work involves ferry timing and limited road access.
Sample quote
A real Cairns cleaner quote you can copy
End-of-tenancy clean, 3-bed 2-bath house, 145sqm, standard condition. Replace the line items and rates with your own; the structure stays.
Bond-back full deep clean (2-cleaner team, 6 hours)
Inside oven (degrease + polish)
Inside fridge (empty and deep-clean)
Inside all cupboards (kitchen + bathrooms)
Internal windows + sills (all rooms)
Blinds (vacuum and wipe, 6 sets)
Photo report (every surface, attached to invoice)
FAQ
Cairns cleaner pricing questions, answered
Common questions about cleaner pricing in Cairns, with answers framed for tradies pricing their own work.
A$42 to A$78/hour for standard residential Cairns (CBD 4870, Parramatta Park, Bungalow, Manunda, Westcourt, Manoora, Mooroobool, Earlville, Smithfield 4878). A$66 to A$125/hour for premium (Whitfield 4870, Edge Hill 4870, Trinity Beach 4879, Palm Cove 4879). Port Douglas (4877 Mossman Shire) ultra-premium A$78 to A$155/hour. State minimum 2 to 3 hours on the quote. End-of-lease bond-back cleans A$460 to A$1,440 for 3-bed.
A$2M general liability and workers' comp at minimum. Whitfield, Edge Hill, Trinity Beach, Palm Cove luxury often require A$6M+ coverage. Port Douglas reef-front and resort fit-out commonly A$12M+. Quote certificate of currency (A$600 to A$1,800 per cycle) and bonding (A$1,800 to A$4,200 annual) as overhead. QLD Blue Card or Police checks (A$60 to A$96) differentiate at premium tier.
Yes, dominant recurring volume. Reef and rainforest tourism drives constant turnover: Cairns CBD, Palm Cove, Port Douglas (pre-COVID 3M+ visitors/year). Quote per-turnover Airbnb cleans (A$160 to A$460 studio, A$265 to A$780 1-bed, A$460 to A$1,440 2-bed) including linen service, restocking, guest report photos. Lock in 12-month contracts with 5 to 15 short-stay operators.
Yes, high-margin insurance-backed specialty. Cairns cyclone cycle (Larry 2006, Yasi 2011, Jasper 2023) plus 75 to 90% wet-season humidity drives ongoing mould demand. Quote IICRC S520 protocol work (HEPA vacuum, anti-microbial treatment, structural drying) at A$54 to A$160/sqm. Insurance-backed work; build relationships with insurance assessors and QBCC-registered restoration builders. WorkCover Queensland oversight on commercial mould work.
Yes, dominant commercial volume in Cairns. Reef and rainforest tourism drives hospitality contracts: Hilton, Pullman, Shangri-La, Crystalbrook, Reef Hotel Casino, Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas, Pullman Palm Cove. Quote daily housekeeping (A$54 to A$115 per room) on rotating-roster schedules. Annual contracts at 10 to 15% discount with monthly invoicing. Specialist resort-grade requirements (back-of-house, F&B, spa) at premium.
Hourly rates are $30 to $66 in the US, £15-35 in the UK, A$36-60 in Australia, R80-250 in South Africa, and C$30-55 in Canada. Most experienced cleaners prefer fixed-price by home size because hourly invites time-padding disputes.
By the job for standard, deep, or end-of-tenancy cleans where the scope is known. By the hour only for ad-hoc tidying where the customer wants to direct work in real-time. Fixed-price protects both sides.
Most cleaners bring their own basic supplies (vacuum, mop, microfibre, eco-friendly products). Some hourly bookings use customer supplies. Always confirm on the quote so there is no on-arrival argument.
Two or three for regular weekly bookings. Pricing is fairly consistent in any one area. The bigger variables are insurance, vetting, and whether the same cleaner attends every visit (better) or a rotating team (cheaper but variable).
Yes. Public liability insurance covers breakages and damage; workers comp covers injury on your property. Hire only insured cleaners; the cost of an uninsured cleaner damaging a hardwood floor or a flat-screen TV wipes out years of savings.
Keep going
More cleaner resources
The full international pricing guide, ready-to-send templates, and the main cleaners page.
Full cleaner pricing guide
International rates across 8 countries, plus all common jobs and a 10-question FAQ.
QuoteGenio for Cleaners
Send branded quotes and invoices from your phone in 2 minutes. Built for cleaners.
Cleaner Quote Template
Cleaner quote with room count, extras (oven, fridge, windows), supplies, and travel levy.
Testimonials
Trusted by tradespeople in Cairns
Real cleaners and other tradies in Cairns use QuoteGenio to quote and invoice from their phone.
“Keeping track of who has paid and who has not used to be a mess. Now I can see everything at a glance and follow up properly.”
Jason Petersen
Handyman · Port Elizabeth
“Quoting per head with add-ons for staffing and equipment is straightforward. Clients can see exactly what they are paying for and they stop haggling on the total.”
Amira Hassan
Caterer · Dubai
“Quoting used to take me forever. Now I can put something together quickly and send it before I leave the site. Clients respond much faster.”
Ryan Cheslin
Painter · Dubai
Read more
Guides on pricing and quoting
Long-form posts from the QuoteGenio blog that go deeper on quote writing, pricing strategy, and getting paid.
What a Free Quoting Tool for Tradespeople Should Do
Not every free quoting tool for tradespeople earns its keep. A plain checklist of what to look for, what to avoid, and what tradies actually use.
Convert a Quote to an Invoice in One Tap, No Retyping
The one-tap convert flow eliminates the retyping, the duplicate invoice numbers, and the mismatched line items that cost tradies hours each week.
Voice to Quote: Dictate a Job, Get Priced Line Items
Hold the mic, describe the job in your own words, release. The AI drafts a priced quote. What Voice to Quote is, when to use it, and when not to.
Free forever plan
Start quoting faster. Win more jobs.
Create professional quotes in minutes, send instantly, and stay on top of your work without the admin slowing you down.
Free to start. No credit card required.