
Boise vs Portland
$324/mo more in Portland
BoisePortlandAbout 361 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Portland leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,305/mo in Portland. $1,981/mo in Boise. +$3,888 a year.
Boise
$1,981
left each month
Portland
$2,305
+$324 vs Boise
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 450 households moved Boise → Portland (avg AGI $67,480). 683 went the other way. The whole move →
+$324 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Boise | Portland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,000 | $8,167 | +$1,167 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,706 | $2,392 | +$686 |
| Take-home pay | $5,294 | $5,775 | +$481 |
| Rent | $1,383 | $1,416 | +$33 |
| Getting around | $524 | $517 | −$7 |
| Groceries | $388 | $424 | +$36 |
| Healthcare | $437 | $477 | +$40 |
| Utilities | $243 | $265 | +$22 |
| Everything else | $340 | $371 | +$31 |
| Left over | $1,981 | $2,305 | +$324 |
Salary to match Boise
$91,500
Gross pay in Portland that leaves the same amount as $84,000 in Boise.
Tax difference
−$4,081
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 24.4% in Boise, 29.3% in Portland.
More about Portland
Boise, ID in full
Outdoor access that rivals Denver, on wages that haven't caught up to the home prices.
Portland, OR in full
No sales tax, high income tax, and nine months of grey.
The other way
Start in Portland.
Portland → Boise →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Portland than Boise?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Portland leaves about $324 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,383 in Boise 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 Boise 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 Boise 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.