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 | New York | Portland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,714/mo | $1,377/mo | 24.5% higher in A |
| Median home value | $732,100 | $411,600 | 77.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $76,607 | $71,498 | 7.1% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 108.1 | 98.3 | 10.0% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 133.1 | 124.0 | 7.4% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 104.3 | 101.0 | 3.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 103.6 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in New York, you'd need $84,376 in Portland to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Portland, ME is about 15.6% cheaper overall than New York, NY, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 27% lower in Portland than in New York. If you earn $80,000 in New York, you'd need about $67,501 in Portland to keep the same standard of living.