Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portland, ME and Oak Harbor, WA

For one person, living costs are similar in Portland, ME and in Oak Harbor, WA: $3,262 and $3,321 a month, rent and utilities included.

158

Cost of Living Index in Portland, ME
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Portland, ME Living Index
159

Cost of Living Index in Oak Harbor, WA
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Oak Harbor, WA Living Index

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Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$3,262

/mo nomad

Oak Harbor, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,321

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Portland, ME and in Oak Harbor, WA

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 Oak Harbor, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,262 in Portland, ME versus $3,321 in Oak Harbor, WA.

Portland, ME $3,262
Oak Harbor, WA $3,321

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,710 in Portland, ME versus $4,592 in Oak Harbor, WA.

Portland, ME $4,710
Oak Harbor, WA $4,592

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,158 in Portland, ME versus $5,863 in Oak Harbor, WA.

Portland, ME $6,158
Oak Harbor, WA $5,863

Living in Portland, ME costs roughly 2% less than in Oak Harbor, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Portland, ME 140% above, Oak Harbor, WA 144% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.87 $24.87

$17.65 $17.65

40.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$71.2 $71.2

68.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.86 $14.86

$18.51 $18.51

-19.72%

Cappuccino

$6.12 $6.12

$5.35 $5.35

14.39%

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

$3.01 $3.01

$2.33 $2.33

29.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.53 $1.53

61.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.80 $7.80

3.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.04 $8.04

$7.60 $7.60

5.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.63 $1.63

-32.52%

White Bread (500g)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.45 $4.45

4.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.56 $8.56

$6.86 $6.86

24.78%

Eggs

$3.92 $3.92

$5.64 $5.64

-30.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$19.88 $19.88

-5.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 $10.33

$12.82 $12.82

-19.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 $16.45

$24.85 $24.85

-33.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$8.19 $8.19

-43.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.33 $1.33

27.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.85 $5.85

$6.93 $6.93

-15.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 $6.84

$6.78 $6.78

0.88%

Potato (1kg)

$6.36 $6.36

$4.21 $4.21

51.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.62 $4.62

-17.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.61 $2.61

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.17 $2.17

17.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.86 $9.86

22.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 $15.06

$14.21 $14.21

5.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.72 $2.72

-30.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$4.03 $4.03

-36.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.03 $2.03

-2.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.5 $60.5

$59.2 $59.2

2.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.27 $3.27

-38.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.90 $1.90

-16.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 $10.80

$27.38 $27.38

-60.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.16 $1.16

-10.34%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$27.5K $27.5K

0.33%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

0.90%

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

$224 $224

$391 $391

-42.79%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$61.4 $61.4

13.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.4 $76.4

$97.5 $97.5

-21.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 $51.8

$34.29 $34.29

50.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.22 $39.22

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 $13.96

$14.86 $14.86

-6.06%

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

$1,263 $1,263

$1,347 $1,347

-6.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$58.8 $58.8

-10.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.2 $81.2

$37.05 $37.05

119.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$131 $131

-21.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$196 $196

-32.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 $2,102

$2,300 $2,300

-8.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 $1,703

$1,578 $1,578

7.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 $3,156

$3,235 $3,235

-2.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 $2,524

$2,299 $2,299

9.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,509 $5,509

$4,057 $4,057

35.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,978 $3,978

$4,130 $4,130

-3.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,598 $4,598

$3,305 $3,305

39.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

-7.14%

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

Last update for Portland, ME: October 26, 2026

Last update for Oak Harbor, WA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Portland, ME

$1.7K 52.2%

Oak Harbor, WA

$1.6K 47.5% 7.4% $125

Groceries & Markets

Portland, ME

$470 14.4%

Oak Harbor, WA

$528 15.9% 12.3% $58

Eating Out

Portland, ME

$395 12.1%

Oak Harbor, WA

$331 10% 16.4% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portland, ME

$370 11.3%

Oak Harbor, WA

$550 16.6% 48.8% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Portland, ME

$166 5.1%

Oak Harbor, WA

$190 5.7% 14.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Portland, ME

$80 2.4%

Oak Harbor, WA

$64 1.9% 19.7% $16

Getting Around

Portland, ME

$78 2.4%

Oak Harbor, WA

$80 2.4% 2.2% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,102 in Portland, ME and $2,300 in Oak Harbor, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portland, ME pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $120 in Portland, ME vs $71 in Oak Harbor, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $470 vs $528, with Portland, ME cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Portland, ME

🇺🇸 Oak Harbor, WA

🕒 Local time

12:04 12:04 PM

09:04 9:04 AM

3 h behind Portland, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

652,503

24,622

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Portland, ME Oak Harbor, WA 4,000 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Portland, ME
Oak Harbor, WA

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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 Oak Harbor, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portland, ME wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Oak Harbor, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Portland, ME the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Portland, ME, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,102 in Portland, ME versus $2,300 in Oak Harbor, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,263 in Portland, ME versus $1,347 in Oak Harbor, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Oak Harbor, WA – a meal for two runs $71 versus $120 in Portland, ME. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Portland, ME is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Portland, ME and Oak Harbor, WA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.