Question 1

Is New York or Portland cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Portland, OR is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $1,319/month less than in New York, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $2,910/mo in New York versus $1,922/mo in Portland.

Question 2

What salary do you need in New York vs Portland?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $121,000/year before tax in New York, NY and $89,000/year in Portland, OR — a difference of about $32,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is New York or Portland cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Portland, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $9,750/month in New York and $8,478/month in Portland, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to New York or Portland?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Portland costs less month to month, but cost is one of six factors — jobs, safety, climate, housing and amenities all differ too. Compare them against your own income and priorities rather than a single ranking.

Metric	New York41	Portland58
Est. monthly cost (single)	$5,741	$4,422
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$9,750	$8,478
Salary for comfort	$121,000/yr	$89,000/yr
Typical rent	$2,910	$1,922
Median home value	$751,700	$557,600
Median household income	$79,713	$88,792
Unemployment	5.2%	4.7%
Housing score	3	38
Jobs score	36	26
Safety score	47	53
Climate score	96	93
Amenities score	40	79
Population	8.5M	642.7K
Summer high / winter low	86° / 23°	80° / 38°

New York, NY vs Portland, OR