Kept

City vs city

Portland vs San Diego

$100,000 in Portland buys a lifestyle closer to $120,000 in San Diego, because San Diego's cost-of-living index is 146 versus 122.

Portland

No sales tax, relatively high income tax, and housing that cooled after the 2021 spike.

COL index
122
Typical 1-bed
$1,650/mo
Comfortable salary
$104,000
$100k take-home
$71,004
Full Portland guide

San Diego

Climate premium is real. Rents rival Los Angeles without the same density of ultra-high salaries.

COL index
146
Typical 1-bed
$2,450/mo
Comfortable salary
$124,000
$100k take-home
$73,957
Full San Diego guide

More comparisons: vs New York Cityvs San Franciscovs San Josevs Oaklandvs Los Angelesvs San Diego