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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Boston skyline
King of Hearts. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License
Portland skyline
Bd2media. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License

Boston vs Portland

$15/mo less in Portland

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

BostonPortlandAbout 84 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Portland costs you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • Real winters

Same paycheck, two cities. $1,935/mo in Portland. $1,950/mo in Boston. −$180 a year.

Boston

$1,950

left each month

Portland

$1,935

−$15 vs Boston

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Portland wins 2 of 4Boston 2 · ties 0
$6,626Take-home · Boston$5,799
$2,549Rent · Portland$1,867
$2,127Other bills · Portland$1,997
$1,950Left over · Boston$1,935

Next

In 2022-2023, 2,659 households moved Boston → Portland (avg AGI $117,279). 1,961 went the other way. The whole move →

−$15 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthBostonPortland
Less leftMore left
Portland · this breakdownBoston · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Boston, MA and Portland, ME
Per monthBostonPortlandDifference
Gross pay$9,042$7,865−$1,177
Income and payroll tax$2,416$2,066−$350
Take-home pay$6,626$5,799−$827
Rent$2,549$1,867−$682
Getting around$445$510+$65
Groceries$464$410−$54
Healthcare$522$462−$60
Utilities$290$257−$33
Everything else$406$359−$47
Left over$1,950$1,935−$15

Salary to match Boston

$94,500

Gross pay in Portland that leaves the same amount as $108,500 in Boston.

Tax difference

+$9

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 26.7% in Boston, 26.3% in Portland.

More about Portland

Boston, MA in full

Great pay in medicine and research, brutal winters, tight housing stock.

Portland, ME in full

State income tax topping out at 7.15%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $2,223 and 185 sunny days; commutes average 25 minutes.

The other way

Start in Portland.

Portland → Boston →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Portland than Boston?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Portland leaves about $15 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $2,549 in Boston and $1,867 in Portland.

Does Portland have state income tax?

Portland is in Maine, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Boston to Portland?

The paycheck is taxed in Maine. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.

Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Boston and Portland changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.

Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.