Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pocatello, ID and Port Macquarie

For one person, living is cheaper in Pocatello, ID: $1,929 a month against $2,450 in Port Macquarie, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Pocatello, ID
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Pocatello, ID Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Port Macquarie
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Port Macquarie Living Index

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Pocatello, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$1,929

/mo nomad

Port Macquarie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pocatello, ID and in Port Macquarie

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pocatello, ID and in Port Macquarie actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,929 in Pocatello, ID versus $2,450 in Port Macquarie.

Pocatello, ID $1,929
Port Macquarie $2,450

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,671 in Pocatello, ID versus $3,487 in Port Macquarie.

Pocatello, ID $2,671
Port Macquarie $3,487

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,413 in Pocatello, ID versus $4,525 in Port Macquarie.

Pocatello, ID $3,413
Port Macquarie $4,525

Living in Pocatello, ID costs roughly 21% less than in Port Macquarie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pocatello, ID 43% above, Port Macquarie 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.78 $14.78

$17.73 A$25.51

-16.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 $50.4

$87.3 A$126

-42.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 $9.91

$10.34 A$14.88

-4.16%

Cappuccino

$5.12 $5.12

$3.90 A$5.61

31.28%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.49 A$3.59

-17.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.67 A$2.40

-1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.08 $3.08

$6.19 A$8.91

-50.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 $4.87

$6.38 A$9.17

-23.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$2.03 A$2.92

-60.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.93 A$4.22

9.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.74 A$3.94

47.45%

Eggs

$4.22 $4.22

$5.29 A$7.62

-20.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 $8.77

$5.12 A$7.37

71.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 $12.02

$10.57 A$15.22

13.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.93 $16.93

$11.95 A$17.20

41.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.14 A$4.52

31.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$4.31 A$6.20

-69.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.40 A$3.45

54.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$4.95 A$7.12

-34.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 $0.57

$2.39 A$3.43

-76.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.39 A$3.44

3.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.60 A$2.30

16.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.50 A$2.16

28.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.98 $9.98

$42.49 A$61.1

-76.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 $8.89

$10.41 A$14.98

-14.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$4.13 A$5.95

-34.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$5.16 A$7.42

-34.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 A$4.16

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.7 A$116

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.66 A$5.26

-32.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.59 A$2.29

43.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.53 $24.53

$42.84 A$61.7

-42.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.30 A$1.88

-25.38%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.3K $37.3K

$26.2K A$37.6K

42.43%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.9K $23.9K

$22.0K A$31.6K

8.79%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$155 $155

$198 A$285

-21.73%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$48.83 $48.83

$30.80 A$44.33

58.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 $72.2

$61.3 A$88.3

17.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.68 $37.68

$51.5 A$74.1

-26.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.25 $15.25

$9.54 A$13.73

59.85%

Cinema Ticket

$12.59 $12.59

$10.92 A$15.71

15.29%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$481 $481

$1,823 A$2,624

-73.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K $20.2K

$18.6K A$26.7K

9.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.66 $49.66

$70.6 A$102

-29.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 $46.39

$54.9 A$79.0

-15.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 $79.5

$104 A$150

-23.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 $71.3

$107 A$154

-33.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 $1,095

$1,408 A$2,026

-22.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$870 $870

$1,201 A$1,729

-27.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 $1,694

$2,133 A$3,069

-20.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 $1,121

$1,693 A$2,437

-33.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,930 $1,930

$5,785 A$8,324

-66.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,985 $1,985

$4,938 A$7,106

-59.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,910 $3,910

$2,769 A$3,984

41.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

5.33

21.20%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Pocatello, ID: October 12, 2026

Last update for Port Macquarie: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Pocatello, ID

$870 45.1%

Port Macquarie

$1.2K 49% 38% $331

Groceries & Markets

Pocatello, ID

$345 17.9%

Port Macquarie

$350 14.3% 1.3% $4.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pocatello, ID

$276 14.3%

Port Macquarie

$290 11.9% 5.1% $14

Eating Out

Pocatello, ID

$249 12.9%

Port Macquarie

$280 11.4% 12.3% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Pocatello, ID

$111 5.8%

Port Macquarie

$151 6.2% 36.2% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Pocatello, ID

$63 3.3%

Port Macquarie

$73 3% 16.6% $10

Getting Around

Pocatello, ID

$14 * 0.7%

Port Macquarie

$104 4.2% 650% $90

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,095 in Pocatello, ID and $1,408 in Port Macquarie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pocatello, ID pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Pocatello, ID vs $87.0 in Port Macquarie for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $350 per month, with Pocatello, ID cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Pocatello, ID

🇦🇺 Port Macquarie

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

04:49 4:49 AM

17 h ahead of Pocatello, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,320

47,793

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pocatello, ID Port Macquarie 12,670 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Pocatello, ID
Port Macquarie

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Pocatello, ID vs Port Macquarie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pocatello, ID is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 41% higher in Pocatello, ID, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,095 in Pocatello, ID versus $1,408 in Port Macquarie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Pocatello, ID versus $1,823 in Port Macquarie. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pocatello, ID – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $87.0 in Port Macquarie. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,929 in Pocatello, ID versus $2,450 in Port Macquarie, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Pocatello, ID but tight or insufficient in Port Macquarie. The gap between the two cities makes Pocatello, ID the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Pocatello, ID and Port Macquarie are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Pocatello, ID gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Port Macquarie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.