Question 1

Is Portland or San Antonio cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

San Antonio, TX is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $725/month less than in Portland, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $1,922/mo in Portland versus $1,426/mo in San Antonio.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Portland vs San Antonio?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $89,000/year before tax in Portland, OR and $64,000/year in San Antonio, TX — a difference of about $25,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Portland or San Antonio cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

San Antonio, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $8,478/month in Portland and $6,946/month in San Antonio, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to Portland or San Antonio?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. San Antonio 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	Portland58	San Antonio68
Est. monthly cost (single)	$4,422	$3,697
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$8,478	$6,946
Salary for comfort	$89,000/yr	$64,000/yr
Typical rent	$1,922	$1,426
Median home value	$557,600	$219,700
Median household income	$88,792	$62,917
Unemployment	4.7%	4.0%
Housing score	38	69
Jobs score	26	59
Safety score	53	35
Climate score	93	96
Amenities score	79	54
Population	642.7K	1.5M
Summer high / winter low	80° / 38°	94° / 40°

Portland, OR vs San Antonio, TX