

Atlanta vs Portland
$165/mo less in Portland
AtlantaPortlandAbout 2,161 miles apart, a flight.
- Portland costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,317/mo in Portland. $2,482/mo in Atlanta. −$1,980 a year.
Atlanta
$2,482
left each month
Portland
$2,317
−$165 vs Atlanta
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 155 households moved Atlanta → Portland (avg AGI $91,477). 123 went the other way. The whole move →
−$165 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Atlanta | Portland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,875 | $8,187 | +$312 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,993 | $2,400 | +$407 |
| Take-home pay | $5,882 | $5,787 | −$95 |
| Rent | $1,399 | $1,416 | +$17 |
| Getting around | $580 | $517 | −$63 |
| Groceries | $392 | $424 | +$32 |
| Healthcare | $441 | $477 | +$36 |
| Utilities | $245 | $265 | +$20 |
| Everything else | $343 | $371 | +$28 |
| Left over | $2,482 | $2,317 | −$165 |
Salary to match Atlanta
$101,500
Gross pay in Portland that leaves the same amount as $94,500 in Atlanta.
Tax difference
−$3,773
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.3% in Atlanta, 29.3% in Portland.
More about Portland
Atlanta, GA in full
Big-city pay at mid-market housing costs, with a 31-minute average commute.
Portland, OR in full
No sales tax, high income tax, and nine months of grey.
The other way
Start in Portland.
Portland → Atlanta →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Portland than Atlanta?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Portland leaves about $165 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,399 in Atlanta and $1,416 in Portland.
Does Portland have state income tax?
Portland is in Oregon, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Atlanta to Portland?
The paycheck is taxed in Oregon. 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 Atlanta 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.