

Missoula vs Portland
$282/mo more in Portland
MissoulaPortlandAbout 405 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Portland leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,327/mo in Portland. $2,045/mo in Missoula. +$3,384 a year.
Missoula
$2,045
left each month
Portland
$2,327
+$282 vs Missoula
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 43 households moved Missoula → Portland (avg AGI $32,419). 76 went the other way. The whole move →
+$282 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Missoula | Portland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,750 | $8,203 | +$1,453 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,608 | $2,406 | +$798 |
| Take-home pay | $5,142 | $5,797 | +$655 |
| Rent | $1,210 | $1,416 | +$206 |
| Getting around | $492 | $517 | +$25 |
| Groceries | $385 | $424 | +$39 |
| Healthcare | $433 | $477 | +$44 |
| Utilities | $241 | $265 | +$24 |
| Everything else | $337 | $371 | +$34 |
| Left over | $2,045 | $2,327 | +$282 |
Salary to match Missoula
$93,000
Gross pay in Portland that leaves the same amount as $81,000 in Missoula.
Tax difference
−$4,408
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 23.8% in Missoula, 29.3% in Portland.
More about Portland
Missoula, MT in full
State income tax topping out at 5.9%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,440 and 189 sunny days; commutes average 19 minutes.
Portland, OR in full
No sales tax, high income tax, and nine months of grey.
The other way
Start in Portland.
Portland → Missoula →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Portland than Missoula?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Portland leaves about $282 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,210 in Missoula 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 Missoula 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 Missoula 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.