Moving from Portland to Olympia
You'd keep $482 more a month in Olympia
+$5,784 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Portland leftover
$2,329
a month after tax and rent
Olympia leftover
$2,811
+$482 vs Portland
| Per month | Portland | Olympia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,208 | $8,224 | +$16 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,408 | $1,740 | −$668 |
| Take-home pay | $5,800 | $6,484 | +$684 |
| Rent | $1,417 | $1,575 | +$158 |
| Getting around | $517 | $541 | +$24 |
| Groceries | $424 | $430 | +$6 |
| Healthcare | $477 | $483 | +$6 |
| Utilities | $265 | $269 | +$4 |
| Everything else | $371 | $376 | +$5 |
| Left over | $2,329 | $2,811 | +$482 |
To break even in Olympia, you'd need to earn
$90,500
Household gross, versus $98,500 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Portland does now.
The tax difference alone
+$8,078
A year, in state and local income tax. Washington has no wage income tax.
More about Olympia
Portland, OR in full
No sales tax, high income tax, and nine months of grey.
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.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Olympia on Olympia wages.
Olympia → Portland →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Olympia than Portland?
A one-bedroom is about $1,417 in Portland versus $1,575 in Olympia. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $482 a month higher in Olympia. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Olympia have state income tax?
Olympia is in Washington, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Portland to Olympia?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Washington 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.