Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Portland, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in Portland, OR: $3,305 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Portland, OR
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Portland, OR Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Portland, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$3,305

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Portland, OR

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New York, NY and in Portland, OR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,938 per month in New York, NY vs $3,305 in Portland, OR, rent included.

New York, NY $4,938
Portland, OR $3,305

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $4,993 in Portland, OR, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Portland, OR $4,993

A family of three spends $9,608 per month in New York, NY vs $6,680 in Portland, OR, rent included.

New York, NY $9,608
Portland, OR $6,680

New York, NY costs about 49% more than Portland, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both New York, NY and Portland, OR sit above the global median – New York, NY by 264%, Portland, OR by 144%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$24.60 $24.60

1.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$89.5 $89.5

34.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$12.83 $12.83

7.09%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$6.01 $6.01

9.82%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.42 $2.42

57.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.94 $1.94

47.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$8.15 $8.15

-2.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$7.98 $7.98

26.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.16 $1.16

18.10%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$4.76 $4.76

-0.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$4.87 $4.87

57.91%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$5.38 $5.38

9.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$18.76 $18.76

2.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$19.14 $19.14

-6.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$28.65 $28.65

-33.58%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$6.81 $6.81

-1.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.03 $2.03

12.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$5.94 $5.94

7.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$8.94 $8.94

-24.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.76 $2.76

42.39%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.31 $2.31

95.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.32 $3.32

-15.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.59 $2.59

-3.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$11.29 $11.29

60.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$15.12 $15.12

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.45 $3.45

-5.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$5.15 $5.15

-27.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.86 $2.86

2.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

$99.6 $99.6

43.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$4.91 $4.91

-37.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.92 $1.92

12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$23.74 $23.74

74.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.26 $1.26

-11.11%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.1K $33.1K

$33.6K $33.6K

-1.39%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

-1.45%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$219 $219

$312 $312

-29.72%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$75.3 $75.3

$63.0 $63.0

19.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$69.0 $69.0

2.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$63.1 $63.1

83.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

$30.17 $30.17

124.13%

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$14.71 $14.71

45.28%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,432 $3,432

$1,731 $1,731

98.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$24.6K $24.6K

151.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$64.9 $64.9

15.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$42.37 $42.37

23.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$115 $115

1.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$131 $131

2.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,972 $1,972

120.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,535 $1,535

103.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$3,489 $3,489

161.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$2,813 $2,813

91.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$3,837 $3,837

402.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$3,407 $3,407

103.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$4,690 $4,690

11.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.57

4.26%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Last update for Portland, OR: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Portland, OR

$1.5K 46.4% 50.8% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Portland, OR

$568 17.2% 2.8% $15

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Portland, OR

$382 11.5% 6.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Portland, OR

$444 13.4% 21.6% $79

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Portland, OR

$159 4.8% 6.6% $11

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Portland, OR

$126 3.8% 25.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Portland, OR

$92 2.8% 41.5% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,972 in Portland, OR. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 12% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in New York, NY versus $89.0 in Portland, OR. Groceries tell a different story – $552 in New York, NY vs $568 in Portland, OR – so New York, NY wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Portland, OR

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

22:47 10:47 PM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

652,503

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Portland, OR 3,920 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Portland, OR

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

New York, NY vs Portland, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 49% more than Portland, OR, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,407 per month in New York, NY and $4,958 in Portland, OR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Portland, OR, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $3,432 per month in New York, NY and $1,731 in Portland, OR. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in New York, NY – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,938 in New York, NY and $3,305 in Portland, OR. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Portland, OR costs $3,305 versus $4,938 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Portland, OR. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.