

Portland vs San Diego
$737/mo less in San Diego
PortlandSan DiegoAbout 921 miles apart, a flight.
- San Diego costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 266 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $1,593/mo in San Diego. $2,330/mo in Portland. −$8,844 a year.
Portland
$2,330
left each month
San Diego
$1,593
−$737 vs Portland
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 804 households moved Portland → San Diego (avg AGI $96,641). 936 went the other way. The whole move →
−$737 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Portland | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,208 | $8,521 | +$313 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,408 | $2,289 | −$119 |
| Take-home pay | $5,800 | $6,232 | +$432 |
| Rent | $1,416 | $2,292 | +$876 |
| Getting around | $517 | $650 | +$133 |
| Groceries | $424 | $468 | +$44 |
| Healthcare | $477 | $527 | +$50 |
| Utilities | $265 | $293 | +$28 |
| Everything else | $371 | $410 | +$39 |
| Left over | $2,330 | $1,593 | −$737 |
Salary to match Portland
$116,500
Gross pay in San Diego that leaves the same amount as $98,500 in Portland.
Tax difference
+$2,541
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 29.3% in Portland, 26.9% in San Diego.
More about San Diego
Portland, OR in full
No sales tax, high income tax, and nine months of grey.
San Diego, CA in full
The best climate in the country and rents that know it.
The other way
Start in San Diego.
San Diego → Portland →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in San Diego than Portland?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, San Diego leaves about $737 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,416 in Portland and $2,292 in San Diego.
Does San Diego have state income tax?
San Diego is in California, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Portland to San Diego?
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 Diego 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.