

Portland vs San Francisco
$34/mo more in San Francisco
PortlandSan FranciscoAbout 541 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- San Francisco leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 259 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,364/mo in San Francisco. $2,330/mo in Portland. +$408 a year.
Portland
$2,330
left each month
San Francisco
$2,364
+$34 vs Portland
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 1,022 households moved Portland → San Francisco (avg AGI $121,026). 1,611 went the other way. The whole move →
+$34 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Portland | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,208 | $10,475 | +$2,267 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,408 | $3,063 | +$654 |
| Take-home pay | $5,800 | $7,413 | +$1,613 |
| Rent | $1,416 | $2,635 | +$1,219 |
| Getting around | $517 | $558 | +$41 |
| Groceries | $424 | $512 | +$88 |
| Healthcare | $477 | $576 | +$99 |
| Utilities | $265 | $320 | +$55 |
| Everything else | $371 | $448 | +$77 |
| Left over | $2,330 | $2,364 | +$34 |
Salary to match Portland
$125,000
Gross pay in San Francisco that leaves the same amount as $98,500 in Portland.
Tax difference
+$360
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 29.3% in Portland, 29.2% in San Francisco.
More about San Francisco
Portland, OR in full
No sales tax, high income tax, and nine months of grey.
San Francisco, CA in full
Dense, walkable, cold in July, and priced for two incomes.
The other way
Start in San Francisco.
San Francisco → Portland →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in San Francisco than Portland?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, San Francisco leaves about $34 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,416 in Portland and $2,635 in San Francisco.
Does San Francisco have state income tax?
San Francisco is in California, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Portland to San Francisco?
The paycheck is taxed in California. 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 San Francisco 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.