City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Bend | Salem | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,649/mo | $1,224/mo | 34.7% higher in A |
| Median home value | $576,900 | $349,500 | 65.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $82,671 | $67,540 | 22.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 106.2 | 102.2 | 3.9% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 128.4 | 122.0 | 5.3% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 108.8 | 100.6 | 8.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 109.7 | 98.7 | 11.2% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Bend, you'd need $84,608 in Salem to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Salem, OR is about 15.4% cheaper overall than Bend, OR, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 26% lower in Salem than in Bend. If you earn $80,000 in Bend, you'd need about $67,687 in Salem to keep the same standard of living.