Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portland, OR and Issaquah, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Issaquah, WA: $3,081 a month against $3,305 in Portland, OR, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. The total is higher in Portland, OR despite lower rent and utilities.

160

Cost of Living Index in Portland, OR
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Portland, OR Living Index
150

Cost of Living Index in Issaquah, WA
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Issaquah, WA Living Index

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Portland, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$3,305

/mo nomad

Issaquah, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,081

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Portland, OR and in Issaquah, WA

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

A single person spends $3,305 per month in Portland, OR vs $3,081 in Issaquah, WA, rent included.

Portland, OR $3,305
Issaquah, WA $3,081

A couple spends around $4,993 per month in Portland, OR vs $4,453 in Issaquah, WA, rent included.

Portland, OR $4,993
Issaquah, WA $4,453

A family of three spends $6,680 per month in Portland, OR vs $5,826 in Issaquah, WA, rent included.

Portland, OR $6,680
Issaquah, WA $5,826

Portland, OR costs about 7% more than Issaquah, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Portland, OR and Issaquah, WA sit above the global median – Portland, OR by 144%, Issaquah, WA by 127%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.60 $24.60

$25.35 $25.35

-2.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.5 $89.5

$79.2 $79.2

13.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.83 $12.83

$11.72 $11.72

9.47%

Cappuccino

$6.01 $6.01

$4.80 $4.80

25.21%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$3.21 $3.21

-24.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.05 $2.05

-5.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.15 $8.15

$7.18 $7.18

13.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 $7.98

$6.90 $6.90

15.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.44 $1.44

-19.44%

White Bread (500g)

$4.76 $4.76

$5.37 $5.37

-11.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$5.77 $5.77

-15.60%

Eggs

$5.38 $5.38

$5.52 $5.52

-2.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$16.18 $16.18

15.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.14 $19.14

$15.31 $15.31

25.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.65 $28.65

$17.76 $17.76

61.32%

Apples (1kg)

$6.81 $6.81

$5.82 $5.82

17.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.25 $2.25

-9.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$4.10 $4.10

44.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.94 $8.94

$4.59 $4.59

94.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.32 $2.32

18.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.36 $2.36

-2.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.81 $1.81

83.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$3.05 $3.05

-15.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.29 $11.29

$12.33 $12.33

-8.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.12 $15.12

$18.79 $18.79

-19.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.68 $1.68

105.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 $5.15

$4.96 $4.96

3.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.81 $2.81

1.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.6 $99.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.65 $2.65

85.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.64 $1.64

17.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.74 $23.74

$30.47 $30.47

-22.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.34 $1.34

-5.97%

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

$33.6K $33.6K

$28.4K $28.4K

18.24%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.9K $26.9K

-2.92%

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

$312 $312

$227 $227

37.21%

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

$63.0 $63.0

$63.1 $63.1

-0.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.0 $69.0

$84.9 $84.9

-18.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.1 $63.1

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.17 $30.17

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 $14.71

$15.27 $15.27

-3.67%

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

$1,731 $1,731

$2,107 $2,107

-17.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K $24.6K

$31.5K $31.5K

-22.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.9 $64.9

$61.7 $61.7

5.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.37 $42.37

$44.65 $44.65

-5.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$84.0 $84.0

36.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$74.9 $74.9

75.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 $1,972

$2,079 $2,079

-5.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,535 $1,535

$1,682 $1,682

-8.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,489 $3,489

$3,231 $3,231

7.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,813 $2,813

$2,763 $2,763

1.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,837 $3,837

$4,117 $4,117

-6.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,407 $3,407

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,690 $4,690

$6,290 $6,290

-25.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.64

-1.05%

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

Last update for Portland, OR: October 19, 2026

Last update for Issaquah, WA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Portland, OR

$1.5K 46.4%

Issaquah, WA

$1.7K 54.6% 9.6% $147

Groceries & Markets

Portland, OR

$568 17.2%

Issaquah, WA

$485 15.7% 14.6% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portland, OR

$444 13.4%

Issaquah, WA

$375 12.2% 15.5% $69

Eating Out

Portland, OR

$382 11.5%

Issaquah, WA

$366 11.9% 4% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Portland, OR

$159 4.8%

Issaquah, WA

$119 3.9% 25% $40

Getting Around

Portland, OR

$126 3.8%

Issaquah, WA

$22 * 0.7% 82.4% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Portland, OR

$92 2.8%

Issaquah, WA

$31 * 1% 67% $62

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,972 in Portland, OR versus $2,079 in Issaquah, WA. 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 34% higher in Issaquah, WA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Portland, OR versus $79.0 in Issaquah, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $568 vs $485 – making Issaquah, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Portland, OR

🇺🇸 Issaquah, WA

🕒 Local time

19:20 7:20 PM

Same time as Portland, OR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

652,503

40,051

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Portland, OR Issaquah, WA 230 km

From you

Portland, OR
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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, OR vs Issaquah, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Portland, OR is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,958 per month in Portland, OR and $4,621 in Issaquah, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,305 in Portland, OR and $3,081 in Issaquah, WA. That's a gap of about 7%.

Kindergarten costs $1,731 per month in Portland, OR and $2,107 in Issaquah, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,305 in Portland, OR and $3,081 in Issaquah, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Issaquah, WA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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