City comparison
Portland, OR is about 10 miles (10 km) from Vancouver, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 9 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Portland, OR to Vancouver, WA takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Portland has a population of 646,101, vs 190,700 in Vancouver — about 3.4× larger by population. By land area, Portland covers about 135 sq mi vs 49 sq mi for Vancouver.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Vancouver | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,530/mo | $1,525/mo | 0.3% higher in Portland |
| Median home value | $523,100 | $403,400 | 29.7% higher in Portland |
| Median household income | $85,876 | $73,626 | 16.6% higher in Portland |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 105.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 108.6 | 108.6 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 100.5 | 100.5 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 100.5 | 100.5 | ≈ 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 Portland, you'd need $99,982 in Vancouver to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Portland and Vancouver have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Portland, you'd need about $79,986 in Vancouver to keep the same standard of living.