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New York vs Portland cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ New York
๐บ๐ธ Portland
At a glance
- Where Portland is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (53%โ), Scooter rental (49%โ), Hotel night (44%โ)
- Where New York is clearly cheaper: Street food (23%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ New York 2 vs Portland 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | New York | Portland | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 20$20 | $ 21$21 | New York โ5% |
| Street food1 item | $ 10$10 | $ 13$13 | New York โ23% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 55$55 | $ 42$42 | Portland โ24% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6$6 | $ 5.5$5.5 | Portland โ8% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 9$9 | $ 7$7 | Portland โ22% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 19$19 | $ 14$14 | Portland โ26% |
| Bottled water | $ 2$2 | $ 2$2 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 3$3 | $ 2.5$2.5 | Portland โ17% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 23$23 | $ 13$13 | Portland โ43% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 14$14 | $ 9$9 | Portland โ36% |
| Transitone ride | $ 3$3 | $ 2.8$2.8 | Portland โ7% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 68$68 | $ 35$35 | Portland โ49% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 270$270 | $ 150$150 | Portland โ44% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 3,300$3,300 | $ 1,550$1,550 | Portland โ53% |
| Laundry | $ 4.5$4.5 | $ 4$4 | Portland โ11% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | $ 25$25 | Portland โ17% |
| Haircutcut | $ 42$42 | $ 35$35 | Portland โ17% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 100$100 | $ 90$90 | Portland โ10% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 80$80 | $ 85$85 | New York โ6% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 30$30 | $ 25$25 | Portland โ17% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, New York or Portland?
Portland is 39% cheaper than New York. Daily budget $467 vs $303; a month $10,297 vs $5,928.
Which is easier to travel, New York or Portland?
About the same: New York 1.6/5, Portland 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between New York and Portland?
With a short-term studio and living costs, New York is about $10,297 and Portland about $5,928 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.