Portland vs Sacramento
Portland, OR · Sacramento, CA
Portland is 2% cheaper than Sacramento overall.
Home Price
Portland: $490,000
Sacramento: $480,000
Monthly Rent
Portland: $1,395/mo
Sacramento: $1,450/mo
COL Index
Portland: 123
Sacramento: 126
Median Income
Portland: $81,200
Sacramento: $78,600
Side-by-Side Comparison
Median Home Price
Monthly Rent (Median)
Median Household Income
Property Tax Rate
Cost of Living Index
100 = national average
Avg. Commute
Unemployment Rate
Median Age
What This Means For You
Buying Power
A $100,000 salary in Portland has the same purchasing power as $102,439 in Sacramento — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Homes in Sacramento cost 2% more (-$10,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.
Renting
Renting in Portland saves you $55/month — $660 per year. Median rent: $1,395/mo in Portland vs $1,450/mo in Sacramento.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, Portland owners pay roughly $4,508/year in property taxes vs $3,504/year in Sacramento. That's a $1,004 annual difference.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $81,200 in Portland and $78,600 in Sacramento. Incomes are similar, so cost of living differences matter more.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 26 minutes in Portland vs 28 minutes in Sacramento. Commute times are nearly identical.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Portland to Sacramento, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in Portland | Equivalent in Sacramento | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $51,220 | +$1,220 |
| $75,000 | $76,829 | +$1,829 |
| $100,000 | $102,439 | +$2,439 |
| $150,000 | $153,659 | +$3,659 |
| $200,000 | $204,878 | +$4,878 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
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Rent vs Buy
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Cost of Living
Full cost of living comparison tool
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Property Tax Calculator
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Portland Calculators
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Related Comparisons
Portland vs Sacramento: Common Questions
Is Portland or Sacramento cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, Portland is cheaper overall. Portland has a COL index of 123 while Sacramento scores 126 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between Portland and Sacramento?
The median home price in Portland is $490,000 vs $480,000 in Sacramento — a difference of $10,000 (2%).
What salary do I need in Sacramento to match my Portland income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Portland is equivalent to $102,439 in Sacramento in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
Sacramento has a lower property tax rate (0.73% vs 0.92%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $3,504/year vs $4,508/year.
Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.