Moving from Bismarck to Portland
Moving to Portland costs you $1,016 a month
−$12,192 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Bismarck leftover
$3,329
a month after tax and rent
Portland leftover
$2,313
−$1,016 vs Bismarck
| Per month | Bismarck | Portland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,917 | $8,182 | +$265 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,700 | $2,398 | +$697 |
| Take-home pay | $6,216 | $5,784 | −$433 |
| Rent | $1,090 | $1,417 | +$327 |
| Getting around | $534 | $517 | −$17 |
| Groceries | $348 | $424 | +$76 |
| Healthcare | $392 | $477 | +$85 |
| Utilities | $218 | $265 | +$47 |
| Everything else | $305 | $371 | +$66 |
| Left over | $3,329 | $2,313 | −$1,016 |
To break even in Portland, you'd need to earn
$118,000
Household gross, versus $95,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Bismarck does now.
The tax difference alone
−$7,427
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 21.5% in Bismarck, 29.3% in Portland.
More about Portland
Bismarck, ND in full
State income tax topping out at 2.5%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,298 and 196 sunny days; commutes average 18 minutes.
Portland, OR in full
No sales tax, high income tax, and nine months of grey.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Portland on Portland wages.
Portland → Bismarck →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Portland than Bismarck?
A one-bedroom is about $1,090 in Bismarck versus $1,417 in Portland. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $1,016 a month lower in Portland. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Portland have state income tax?
Portland is in Oregon, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Bismarck to Portland?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Oregon tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.