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 | Portland | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,377/mo | $2,080/mo | 33.8% lower in A |
| Median home value | $411,600 | $783,300 | 47.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,498 | $98,657 | 27.5% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.3 | 106.8 | 7.9% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 124.0 | 159.5 | 22.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 101.0 | 101.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 103.6 | 101.0 | 2.7% 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 Portland, you'd need $131,706 in San Diego to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Portland, ME is about 24.1% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 39% lower in Portland than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in Portland, you'd need about $105,365 in San Diego to keep the same standard of living.