Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portland, ME and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Portland, ME: $3,262 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$3,262

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Portland, ME and in Seattle, 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 Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,262 in Portland, ME versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Portland, ME $3,262
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,710 in Portland, ME versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Portland, ME $4,710
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,158 in Portland, ME versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Portland, ME $6,158
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Portland, ME costs roughly 14% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Portland, ME 140% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.87 $24.87

$25.30 $25.30

-1.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$101 $101

19.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.86 $14.86

$14.76 $14.76

0.68%

Cappuccino

$6.12 $6.12

$6.50 $6.50

-5.85%

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

$3.01 $3.01

$3.21 $3.21

-6.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.14 $3.14

-21.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.97 $7.97

1.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.04 $8.04

$8.13 $8.13

-1.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.17 $1.17

-5.98%

White Bread (500g)

$4.64 $4.64

$5.30 $5.30

-12.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.56 $8.56

$6.40 $6.40

33.75%

Eggs

$3.92 $3.92

$5.06 $5.06

-22.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$18.71 $18.71

0.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 $10.33

$18.72 $18.72

-44.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 $16.45

$22.88 $22.88

-28.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$6.06 $6.06

-23.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.95 $1.95

-12.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.85 $5.85

$5.51 $5.51

6.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 $6.84

$6.52 $6.52

4.91%

Potato (1kg)

$6.36 $6.36

$3.49 $3.49

82.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.29 $3.29

15.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.80 $2.80

13.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.58 $2.58

-1.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.49 $12.49

-2.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 $15.06

$14.87 $14.87

1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$4.19 $4.19

-55.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$5.80 $5.80

-56.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.05 $3.05

-35.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.5 $60.5

$106 $106

-42.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.58 $2.58

-21.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.64 $1.64

-3.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 $10.80

$30.12 $30.12

-64.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.41 $1.41

-26.24%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$36.8K $36.8K

-25.13%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.79%

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

$224 $224

$308 $308

-27.26%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$69.2 $69.2

0.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.4 $76.4

$86.1 $86.1

-11.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 $51.8

$76.5 $76.5

-32.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.22 $39.22

$35.50 $35.50

10.48%

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 $13.96

$18.02 $18.02

-22.53%

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

$1,263 $1,263

$2,746 $2,746

-54.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$79.2 $79.2

-33.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.2 $81.2

$54.3 $54.3

49.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$127 $127

-19.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$159 $159

-16.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 $2,102

$2,508 $2,508

-16.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 $1,703

$1,938 $1,938

-12.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 $3,156

$5,117 $5,117

-38.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 $2,524

$3,542 $3,542

-28.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,509 $5,509

$7,374 $7,374

-25.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,978 $3,978

$5,002 $5,002

-20.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,598 $4,598

$6,470 $6,470

-28.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.89

-5.66%

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

Last update for Portland, ME: October 26, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Portland, ME

$1.7K 52.2%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 13.8% $235

Groceries & Markets

Portland, ME

$470 14.4%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 16.4% $77

Eating Out

Portland, ME

$395 12.1%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 2.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portland, ME

$370 11.3%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 25.2% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Portland, ME

$166 5.1%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 13.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Portland, ME

$80 2.4%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 41.2% $33

Getting Around

Portland, ME

$78 2.4%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 64.7% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,102 in Portland, ME and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 41% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $120 in Portland, ME vs $101 in Seattle, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $470 vs $547, with Portland, ME cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Portland, ME

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

16:01 4:01 PM

13:01 1:01 PM

3 h behind Portland, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

652,503

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Portland, ME Seattle, WA 4,000 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Portland, ME
Seattle, WA

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

Portland, ME vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,262 in Portland, ME and $3,785 in Seattle, WA, so Portland, ME is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Portland, ME. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,102 in Portland, ME versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,262 per month in Portland, ME versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA – Portland, ME is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Portland, ME runs roughly 43% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Portland, ME wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.