Boston vs Portland - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Boston Portland
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3467
$2572
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$7682
$6077
🏠 One person rent
$2394
$1546
🏘️ Family rent
$3923
$2651
🍽️ Food expenses
$726
$653
🚐 Transport expenses
$146
$159
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5787
$4802
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
5 km
10 km
🎓 Higher education
100
89
😀 Quality of life
92
90
🏙️ Population
676K
653K

The cost of living in Boston is 35% more expensive than in Portland. Cities ranked 32nd and 662nd ($3467 vs $2572) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 28th and 590th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.7 months in Boston compared to 1.9 months in Portland. Ranked 15th vs 32nd best cities to live in the United States, and 89th vs 141st among the best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Boston vs Portland infographic

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Prices in Boston vs Portland

Prices for goods and services in Boston and Portland are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Boston Portland
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$21.3
$16.4
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$93.5
$71.8
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$13.1
$10.4
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.4
$7.36
 Cappuccino
$5.78
$5.04
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.16
$2.45
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2739
$1608
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2042
$1292
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$4881
$2860
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3321
$2275
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$144
$130
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$222
$198
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$68.4
$60.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.53%
6.64%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$11569
$3653
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6730
$3326
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.4
$2.82
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$90.4
$96.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$18
$20.1
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.95
$1.12
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.21
$1.07
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.86
$3.69
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.86
$4.21
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.16
$4.12
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$17.4
$15.4
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.3
$13.1
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$20.7
$18.9
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.07
$4.99
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.14
$2.18
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.77
$5.01
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.47
$4.52
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.73
$2.83
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.78
$2.81
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.76
$1.92
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.74
$3.16
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.1
$17.9
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.72
$3.33
🚬 Cigarette pack
$13.4
$11.1
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.76
$9.21
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$8.03
$8.06
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.03
$6.97
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2
$3.02
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$81
$39.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$16.1
$14.3
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$164
$189
💇 Haircut, simple
$21.7
$32.6
👖 Brand Jeans
$60.7
$60.4
👟 Brand Sneakers
$100
$107
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2437
$1700
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$25118
$16661

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Cities near Boston

Distance City Cost of living
4 km or 2.5 mi Cambridge
$3756
4.4 km or 2.7 mi Chelsea
$3040
4.5 km or 2.8 mi Somerville
$3647
5.6 km or 3.5 mi Everett
$2916
5.7 km or 3.5 mi Brookline
$3093
6.9 km or 4.3 mi Revere
$2932
7.4 km or 4.6 mi Malden
$3008
7.6 km or 4.7 mi Medford
$2349
10 km or 6.2 mi Belmont
$2951
10 km or 6.2 mi Arlington
$2847
10 km or 6.2 mi Watertown
$2913
11 km or 6.9 mi Melrose
$2826
12 km or 7.5 mi Milton
$2938
12 km or 7.5 mi Winchester
$2755
12 km or 7.7 mi Newton
$2790
13 km or 7.8 mi Saugus
$2897
13 km or 8.1 mi Quincy
$3122
14 km or 8.6 mi Stoneham
$2778
14 km or 8.9 mi Waltham
$2817
15 km or 9.4 mi Lynn
$3172
15 km or 9.5 mi Woburn
$2735
16 km or 9.6 mi Dedham
$2869
16 km or 10 mi Needham
$2797
16 km or 10 mi Lexington
$2746
16 km or 10 mi Wakefield
$2846
18 km or 11 mi Braintree
$2925
18 km or 11 mi Weymouth
$2920
19 km or 12 mi Reading
$2773
19 km or 12 mi Hingham
$2869
20 km or 12 mi Burlington
$2443
20 km or 13 mi Wellesley
$2798
21 km or 13 mi Norwood
$2804
22 km or 14 mi Peabody
$2878
22 km or 14 mi Randolph
$2848
22 km or 14 mi Salem
$3005
23 km or 14 mi Wilmington
$2607
23 km or 14 mi Marblehead
$2853
23 km or 14 mi Canton
$2815
25 km or 16 mi Natick
$2961
26 km or 16 mi Stoughton
$2803

Cities near Portland

Distance City Cost of living
8.1 km or 5.1 mi Milwaukie
$2298
11 km or 6.7 mi Lake Oswego
$2289
11 km or 6.9 mi Beaverton
$2215
13 km or 8.2 mi Tigard
$2245
14 km or 8.7 mi Vancouver
$2372
17 km or 11 mi West Linn
$2288
18 km or 11 mi Tualatin
$2246
18 km or 11 mi Gresham
$2363
18 km or 11 mi Oregon City
$2293
25 km or 16 mi Hillsboro
$2035
33 km or 21 mi Newberg
$2212
35 km or 21 mi Forest Grove
$2121
44 km or 27 mi Woodburn
$2234
54 km or 33 mi McMinnville
$2212
64 km or 40 mi Keizer
$2406
71 km or 44 mi Salem
$2482
72 km or 45 mi Longview
$2092
104 km or 65 mi Albany
$2109
116 km or 72 mi Corvallis
$2019
116 km or 72 mi The Dalles
$2155
136 km or 84 mi Centralia
$2577
165 km or 102 mi Springfield
$1974
166 km or 103 mi Eugene
$2252
168 km or 105 mi Lacey
$2534
171 km or 106 mi Olympia
$2435
177 km or 110 mi Spanaway
$2307
181 km or 113 mi Redmond
$2589
184 km or 114 mi Lakewood
$2417
185 km or 115 mi Aberdeen
$1778
187 km or 116 mi Puyallup
$2774
190 km or 118 mi University Place
$2655
192 km or 120 mi Tacoma
$2348
195 km or 121 mi Bend
$2797
201 km or 125 mi Federal Way
$2449
202 km or 125 mi Auburn
$2172
206 km or 128 mi Yakima
$1908
210 km or 131 mi Kent
$2819
210 km or 131 mi Des Moines
$2512
211 km or 131 mi Maple Valley
$2515
216 km or 134 mi SeaTac
$2489