Cumberland County · Maine
Cost of living in Portland, ME
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Portland-South Portland, ME, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Living in Portland, ME costs 1.9% above the national average — an all-items price level of 101.9. To match the buying power of a $100,000 national-average salary you would need about $101,858 here.
- All items
- 101.9US average = 100
- Housing
- 105.25.2% above the national average
- Goods
- 97.22.8% below the national average
- Other services
- 103.23.2% above the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 97.2 | -2.8% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 105.2 | +5.2% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 134.6 | +34.6% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 103.2 | +3.2% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
What your salary is worth in Portland, ME
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (101.9 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $72,777
- Needed to match US average
- $75,506
- Monthly difference
- $115
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
The median household in Portland earns $74,129. Deflated by the local price level, that is $72,777 in national-average dollars — the BEA calls this real income, and it is simply income × 100 ÷ 101.9.
More on Portland
Same city, other datasets.
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Portland-South Portland, ME. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.