Car hire prices at Cairns Airport

A good price at Cairns Airport in October 2026 is around £59 a day for a Compact car like a Toyota Corolla Hybrid when booked about a month ahead. An Economy car such as a Suzuki Swift is about £63 a day, while an Intermediate like a Kia Sportage averages £66. Leaving your booking to the last 2 weeks keeps the Compact steady at £59 a day. Across the year, prices swing from £56 a day in February 2027 to £124 in January 2027. If your quote is higher, check our price checker for your exact dates.

Booking late saves about 44% at Cairns Airport, where prices across the year drop from £87 a day 9 months before travel to £60 in the last 2 weeks. For October 2026, a Compact is £59 a day booked a month before pickup and stays at £59 2 weeks before travel. If you have not booked yet, you have not missed anything. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 48% of our customers book within 16 days of pickup.

Simba Car Hire is the cheapest company at Cairns Airport for an Intermediate car, averaging £39 a day, but it does not yet have enough reviews for a score. Bargain Car Rentals costs £43 a day from 657 prices and holds an 86/100 score from 37 reviews, though it requires a credit card. Hertz sits at £138 a day from 3,072 prices with a 91/100 score. All 9 rental desks are based directly at the airport.

The cheapest company can cost you a longer queue or a bigger deposit, so check the review score and desk wait beside each car in the results before you book.

Hertz is the best-reviewed company at Cairns Airport, scoring 91 out of 100 from 40 reviews, with desk waits averaging 18 minutes. Hertz averages £138 a day for an Intermediate car over the last 12 months, making it one of the pricier options. The cheapest supplier, Simba Car Hire, averages £39 a day but does not yet have enough reviews for a score. Bargain Car Rentals combines a lower rate of £43 a day with an 86/100 score from 37 reviews and a 25-minute wait.

Review scores are CarTrawler customers' own, from the last five months; the score and the desk wait sit beside each car in the results.

At Cairns Airport, card deposits range from £106 with Avis and Budget up to £528 with Hertz, Sixt and East Coast, and only 1 of the 9 desks takes a debit card. Two desks accept debit cards for some cars only, while 6 counters refuse debit cards completely. Extras charged at the desk are listed under each car with their price. Filter for a debit card on the results page before comparing prices.

If you bring your own child seat, check your airline's rules first: most carry one free, some charge.

The main trap at Cairns Airport is arriving with only a debit card, as 6 of the 9 rental counters refuse them entirely for the security deposit. You will need a credit card in the lead driver's name to avoid being turned away at collection. Desk queues can also stretch out, with Bargain Car Rentals averaging a 25-minute wait. On long tropical drives where overtaking spots are rare, getting stuck behind a slow road train will test your patience far more than the counter line.

Cars are collected at the International Terminal at Cairns Airport, which is not always the terminal you land in.

Fuel is full tank out, full tank back on 95% of prices at Cairns Airport, so there is no fuel charge to be surprised by.

Cairns Airport has Intermediate cars like the Kia Sportage at about £66 a day for October 2026, which fit 5 people and 4 bags for long drives. A Compact car like a Toyota Corolla Hybrid seats 5 but takes 3 bags at £59 a day, while a Fullsize like a Toyota Camry Hybrid takes 5 bags at £96. Automatic cars make up 99% of cars offered at no extra charge. Hybrid models make up 19% of cars offered, so finding a car that uses less fuel is straightforward.