Moving from Olympia to Portland
Moving to Portland costs you $480 a month
−$5,760 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Olympia leftover
$2,800
a month after tax and rent
Portland leftover
$2,320
−$480 vs Olympia
| Per month | Olympia | Portland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,208 | $8,193 | −$16 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,735 | $2,402 | +$667 |
| Take-home pay | $6,473 | $5,791 | −$683 |
| Rent | $1,575 | $1,417 | −$158 |
| Getting around | $541 | $517 | −$24 |
| Groceries | $430 | $424 | −$6 |
| Healthcare | $483 | $477 | −$6 |
| Utilities | $269 | $265 | −$4 |
| Everything else | $376 | $371 | −$5 |
| Left over | $2,800 | $2,320 | −$480 |
To break even in Portland, you'd need to earn
$107,500
Household gross, versus $98,500 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Olympia does now.
The tax difference alone
−$8,061
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 21.1% in Olympia, 29.3% in Portland.
More about Portland
Olympia, WA in full
No state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,875 and 156 sunny days; commutes average 26 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 → Olympia →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Portland than Olympia?
A one-bedroom is about $1,575 in Olympia versus $1,417 in Portland. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $480 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 Olympia 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.