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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Portland skyline
Bd2media. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License
Worcester skyline
Terageorge. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo source · License

Portland vs Worcester

$508/mo more in Worcester

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

PortlandWorcesterAbout 120 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Worcester leaves you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,449/mo in Worcester. $1,941/mo in Portland. +$6,096 a year.

Portland

$1,941

left each month

Worcester

$2,449

+$508 vs Portland

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Worcester wins 4 of 4Portland 0 · ties 0
$5,805Take-home · Worcester$6,169
$1,867Rent · Worcester$1,745
$1,997Other bills · Worcester$1,975
$1,941Left over · Worcester$2,449

Next

In 2022-2023, 88 households moved Portland → Worcester (avg AGI $58,386). 206 went the other way. The whole move →

+$508 / 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 monthPortlandWorcester
Less leftMore left
Worcester · this breakdownPortland · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Portland, ME and Worcester, MA
Per monthPortlandWorcesterDifference
Gross pay$7,875$8,343+$468
Income and payroll tax$2,070$2,174+$104
Take-home pay$5,805$6,169+$364
Rent$1,867$1,745−$122
Getting around$510$524+$14
Groceries$410$400−$10
Healthcare$462$450−$12
Utilities$257$250−$7
Everything else$359$350−$9
Left over$1,941$2,449+$508

Salary to match Portland

$91,000

Gross pay in Worcester that leaves the same amount as $94,500 in Portland.

Tax difference

+$419

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 26.3% in Portland, 26.1% in Worcester.

More about Worcester

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.

Worcester, MA in full

A flat 5% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $2,077 and 186 sunny days; commutes average 30 minutes.

The other way

Start in Worcester.

Worcester → Portland →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Worcester than Portland?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Worcester leaves about $508 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,867 in Portland and $1,745 in Worcester.

Does Worcester have state income tax?

Worcester is in Massachusetts, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Portland to Worcester?

The paycheck is taxed in Massachusetts. 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 Portland and Worcester 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.