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 Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,377/mo | $2,526/mo | 45.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $411,600 | $1,149,600 | 64.2% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,498 | $136,010 | 47.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.3 | 104.8 | 6.2% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 124.0 | 147.2 | 15.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 101.0 | 101.6 | 0.5% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 103.6 | 101.4 | 2.2% 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 Portland, you'd need $143,934 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Portland, ME is about 30.5% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 49% lower in Portland than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in Portland, you'd need about $115,147 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.