Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Portland, OR: $3,305 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Portland, OR
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Portland, OR Living Index
184

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

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Portland, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$3,305

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,305 per month in Portland, OR vs $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Portland, OR $3,305
Seattle, WA $3,782

A couple spends around $4,993 per month in Portland, OR vs $5,636 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Portland, OR $4,993
Seattle, WA $5,636

A family of three spends $6,680 per month in Portland, OR vs $7,489 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Portland, OR $6,680
Seattle, WA $7,489

Portland, OR is about 13% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Portland, OR and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Portland, OR by 144%, Seattle, WA by 179%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.60 $24.60

$24.52 $24.52

0.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.5 $89.5

$98.2 $98.2

-8.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.83 $12.83

$14.79 $14.79

-13.25%

Cappuccino

$6.01 $6.01

$6.52 $6.52

-7.82%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$3.23 $3.23

-25.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.17 $3.17

-38.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.15 $8.15

$7.85 $7.85

3.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 $7.98

$8.03 $8.03

-0.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.21 $1.21

-4.13%

White Bread (500g)

$4.76 $4.76

$5.14 $5.14

-7.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$6.05 $6.05

-19.50%

Eggs

$5.38 $5.38

$4.88 $4.88

10.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$19.18 $19.18

-2.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.14 $19.14

$18.91 $18.91

1.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.65 $28.65

$23.31 $23.31

22.91%

Apples (1kg)

$6.81 $6.81

$5.99 $5.99

13.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.93 $1.93

5.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$5.25 $5.25

13.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.94 $8.94

$6.57 $6.57

36.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.62 $3.62

-23.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$3.31 $3.31

-30.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.78 $2.78

19.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.51 $2.51

3.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.29 $11.29

$12.18 $12.18

-7.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.12 $15.12

$14.83 $14.83

1.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$4.22 $4.22

-18.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 $5.15

$5.77 $5.77

-10.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.95 $2.95

-3.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.6 $99.6

$106 $106

-6.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.65 $2.65

85.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.72 $1.72

11.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.74 $23.74

$29.72 $29.72

-20.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.49 $1.49

-15.44%

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

$33.6K $33.6K

$35.9K $35.9K

-6.42%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.2K $26.2K

-0.57%

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

$312 $312

$302 $302

3.39%

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

$63.0 $63.0

$70.1 $70.1

-10.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.0 $69.0

$85.3 $85.3

-19.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.1 $63.1

$77.8 $77.8

-18.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.17 $30.17

$34.58 $34.58

-12.75%

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 $14.71

$17.84 $17.84

-17.54%

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

$1,731 $1,731

$2,973 $2,973

-41.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K $24.6K

$31.3K $31.3K

-21.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.9 $64.9

$76.6 $76.6

-15.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.37 $42.37

$54.1 $54.1

-21.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$128 $128

-10.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$164 $164

-19.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 $1,972

$2,445 $2,445

-19.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,535 $1,535

$1,947 $1,947

-21.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,489 $3,489

$4,744 $4,744

-26.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,813 $2,813

$3,469 $3,469

-18.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,837 $3,837

$7,367 $7,367

-47.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,407 $3,407

$5,127 $5,127

-33.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,690 $4,690

$6,506 $6,506

-27.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.89

-4.64%

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

Last update for Portland, OR: October 19, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Portland, OR

$1.5K 46.4%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 26.8% $412

Groceries & Markets

Portland, OR

$568 17.2%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 3.9% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portland, OR

$444 13.4%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 3% $13

Eating Out

Portland, OR

$382 11.5%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 4.7% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Portland, OR

$159 4.8%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 19.6% $31

Getting Around

Portland, OR

$126 3.8%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 2.9% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Portland, OR

$92 2.8%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 22.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,972 in Portland, OR versus $2,445 in Seattle, 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 39% higher in Seattle, WA, 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 $89.0 in Portland, OR versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. Groceries tell a different story – $568 in Portland, OR vs $546 in Seattle, WA – so Seattle, WA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Portland, OR

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

14:17 2:17 PM

Same time as Portland, OR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

652,503

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Portland, OR Seattle, WA 230 km

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,305 in Portland, OR, $3,782 in Seattle, WA – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,958 per month in Portland, OR and $5,673 in Seattle, WA. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,305 in Portland, OR and $3,782 in Seattle, WA. That's a gap of about 14%.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Portland, OR. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,305 in Portland, OR and $3,782 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,305 in Portland, OR to $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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