Multnomah County · Oregon
Portland cost of living (OR)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Portland costs 5.4% above the national average — all-items price level 105.4, rank 21 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $105,421 here. Housing is the reason, at 125.1.
- All items
- 105.4US average = 100
- Housing
- 125.125.1% above the national average
- Goods
- 105.25.2% above the national average
- Other services
- 100.1in line with the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 105.2 | +5.2% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 125.1 | +25.1% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 107.0 | +7.0% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 100.1 | +0.1% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
Reading the Portland price level
What the 105.4 figure actually means for a household here.
Portland prices sit 5.4% above the US average — an all-items parity of 105.4, rank 21 of 94 covered metros. Moderately above average. The median covered metro reads 100.8.
Housing drives it: 125.1, 25.1% above average. Other services pull the other way at 100.1. The spread between the cheapest and dearest component is 25.0 points, so the headline number hides real variation — a renter and an owner in Portland do not face the same cost gap versus the rest of the country.
A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $105,421 here to buy the same basket. Run it the other way: the $85,876 median household income in Portland is worth $81,460 in national-average dollars, 3.7% above the $78,538 US median. Local pay more than covers the local price level.
Parities are published for Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA as a whole. Neighbourhood prices inside that metro diverge widely, and BEA revises the series annually.
What your salary is worth in Portland, OR
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (105.4 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
- $81,460
- Needed to match US average
- $90,531
- Monthly difference
- $388
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$85,876 median household income in Portland is worth $81,460 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 105.4.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this area.
- Is Portland expensive?
- Yes — 5.4% above the US average, rank 21 of 94 covered metros. housing is the component furthest from average at 125.1.
- What salary do you need to live in Portland, OR?
- $105,421 to match a $100,000 national-average salary. The local median household earns $85,876, worth $81,460 after adjusting for the 105.4 price level.
- Why is the cost of living high in Portland?
- Housing at 125.1 versus other services at 100.1. A 25.0-point spread between components means one category, not general inflation, sets the headline figure.
More Portland data
Other Portland datasets on this site.
- Portland population and income
- Portland sales tax rate
- Portland property tax
- Portland home values and rent
- Portland crime rates
- Portland public schools
- Portland weather normals
- Portland commute times
- Portland jobs and wages
Statewide: Oregon cities · Oregon ZIP codes · Oregon sales tax · Oregon counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.