

McAllen vs Portland
$424/mo less in Portland
McAllenPortlandAbout 1,956 miles apart, a flight.
- Portland costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- Real winters
Same paycheck, two cities. $1,932/mo in Portland. $2,356/mo in McAllen. −$5,088 a year.
McAllen
$2,356
left each month
Portland
$1,932
−$424 vs McAllen
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
−$424 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | McAllen | Portland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,208 | $7,860 | +$1,651 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,142 | $2,064 | +$922 |
| Take-home pay | $5,066 | $5,796 | +$729 |
| Rent | $863 | $1,867 | +$1,004 |
| Getting around | $532 | $510 | −$22 |
| Groceries | $363 | $410 | +$47 |
| Healthcare | $408 | $462 | +$54 |
| Utilities | $227 | $257 | +$30 |
| Everything else | $317 | $359 | +$42 |
| Left over | $2,356 | $1,932 | −$424 |
Salary to match McAllen
$102,500
Gross pay in Portland that leaves the same amount as $74,500 in McAllen.
Tax difference
−$5,191
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 18.4% in McAllen, 26.3% in Portland.
More about Portland
McAllen, TX in full
No state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,027 and 237 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.
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 → McAllen →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Portland than McAllen?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Portland leaves about $424 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $863 in McAllen 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 McAllen 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 McAllen 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.