Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Portland, ME: $3,262 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $20,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

158

Cost of Living Index in Portland, ME
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Portland, ME Living Index
239

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

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Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$3,262

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,262 per month in Portland, ME vs $4,941 in New York, NY, rent included.

Portland, ME $3,262
New York, NY $4,941

A couple spends around $4,710 per month in Portland, ME vs $7,225 in New York, NY, rent included.

Portland, ME $4,710
New York, NY $7,225

A family of three spends $6,158 per month in Portland, ME vs $9,509 in New York, NY, rent included.

Portland, ME $6,158
New York, NY $9,509

Portland, ME is about 34% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Portland, ME and New York, NY sit above the global median – Portland, ME by 140%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.87 $24.87

$28.55 $28.55

-12.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$118 $118

1.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.86 $14.86

$15.04 $15.04

-1.20%

Cappuccino

$6.12 $6.12

$6.53 $6.53

-6.28%

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

$3.01 $3.01

$3.96 $3.96

-23.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.01 $3.01

-17.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$8.16 $8.16

-1.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.04 $8.04

$9.84 $9.84

-18.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.37 $1.37

-19.71%

White Bread (500g)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.97 $4.97

-6.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.56 $8.56

$7.81 $7.81

9.60%

Eggs

$3.92 $3.92

$5.97 $5.97

-34.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$18.91 $18.91

-0.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 $10.33

$18.04 $18.04

-42.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 $16.45

$19.05 $19.05

-13.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$6.76 $6.76

-31.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.27 $2.27

-25.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.85 $5.85

$6.83 $6.83

-14.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 $6.84

$7.09 $7.09

-3.53%

Potato (1kg)

$6.36 $6.36

$4.22 $4.22

50.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.65 $4.65

-18.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.87 $2.87

11.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.60 $2.60

-2.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.12 $12.12

$18.77 $18.77

-35.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 $15.06

$20.13 $20.13

-25.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$3.45 $3.45

-45.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$4.02 $4.02

-36.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.91 $2.91

-31.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.5 $60.5

$139 $139

-56.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.08 $3.08

-34.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.12 $2.12

-25.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 $10.80

$41.96 $41.96

-74.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.17 $1.17

-11.11%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$34.5K $34.5K

-20.09%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.01%

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

$224 $224

$219 $219

1.98%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$74.2 $74.2

-6.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.4 $76.4

$70.2 $70.2

8.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 $51.8

$112 $112

-53.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.22 $39.22

$74.9 $74.9

-47.61%

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 $13.96

$22.14 $22.14

-36.95%

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

$1,263 $1,263

$3,558 $3,558

-64.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$75.6 $75.6

-30.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.2 $81.2

$51.2 $51.2

58.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$123 $123

-17.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$140 $140

-5.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 $2,102

$4,499 $4,499

-53.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 $1,703

$3,078 $3,078

-44.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 $3,156

$9,447 $9,447

-66.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 $2,524

$5,190 $5,190

-51.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,509 $5,509

$18.1K $18.1K

-69.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,978 $3,978

$6,693 $6,693

-40.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,598 $4,598

$5,220 $5,220

-11.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.86

-5.25%

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

Last update for Portland, ME: October 26, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Portland, ME

$1.7K 52.2%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 80.8% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Portland, ME

$470 14.4%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 19.8% $93

Eating Out

Portland, ME

$395 12.1%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 11.4% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portland, ME

$370 11.3%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 1.6% $5.8

Clothing & Footwear

Portland, ME

$166 5.1%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 5.7% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Portland, ME

$80 2.4%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 96.1% $77

Getting Around

Portland, ME

$78 2.4%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 110% $86

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,102 in Portland, ME versus $4,499 in New York, NY. 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 14% 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 Portland, ME versus $118 in New York, NY. Groceries tell a different story – $470 in Portland, ME vs $563 in New York, NY – so Portland, ME wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Portland, ME

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

10:37 10:37 AM

Same time as Portland, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

652,503

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Portland, ME New York, NY 470 km

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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

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

New York, NY costs about 51% more than Portland, ME, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,893 per month in Portland, ME and $7,412 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Portland, ME, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,102 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,262 in Portland, ME and $4,941 in New York, NY. That’s a gap of about 51%.

Kindergarten costs $1,263 per month in Portland, ME and $3,558 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,262 in Portland, ME and $4,941 in New York, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Portland, ME costs $3,262 versus $4,941 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, ME. 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.