Cost of Living in Portland, Maine
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Portland, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 69,911
- Median household income
- $82,059
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 101.9
- Unemployment rate
- 2%
Is Portland a good place to live?
Portland is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 135 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better.
A typical worker in Portland keeps $3,745 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living2% above the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,889 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$2,663 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in Portland
Prices in the Portland-South Portland, ME area run 2% above the US average. Utilities is the biggest difference, at 35% above the US average.
- Housing5% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)3% below the US average
- Utilities35% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)3% above the US average
- All items2% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,889 | $22,668 |
| Food | $480 | $5,760 |
| Transportation | $379 | $4,548 |
| Healthcare | $363 | $4,356 |
| Utilities | $351 | $4,212 |
| Total before taxes | $3,462 | $41,544 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Portland | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,661 | $1,639 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,889 | $1,864 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,381 | $2,353 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,939 | $2,902 |
| 4 bedrooms | $3,132 | $3,092 |
Living in Portland
How Portland compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Portland | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $82,059 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $555,100 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,711 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 56.9% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 2% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 59.7% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 37.9 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 19.3 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 20.8% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 1.6% | 3.7% |
The 1-year survey doesn’t publish every measure for Portland, so that figure comes from the 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Home internet
7 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Portland, led by Spectrum, Redzone Wireless LLC, T-Mobile, Fidium Fiber. Fiber reaches 63.5% of homes and 65.5% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Portland
Pros
- Strong job market. Unemployment is 2%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2024 1-year).
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 19.3 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Highly educated workforce. 59.7% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 36.9% nationally.
- Remote-work friendly. 20.8% of workers work from home, against 13.3% nationally.
Cons
- Paychecks don't stretch far. A typical worker keeps $3,745 a year, less than in 135 of 178 large cities.
- Expensive rent. Median rent is $1,711 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
- Higher state income tax. $2,663 on a typical wage of $56,960, or 4.7%.
- Pricey homes to buy. The median home is worth $555,100, against $360,600 nationally.
What your job keeps in Portland
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $56,960
- Federal income tax
- −$4,655
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,357
- State income tax
- −$2,663
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$22,668
- Everyday costs
- −$18,872
a year, or $312 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Portland-South Portland, ME. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Portland-South Portland, ME area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse | $88,470 | $24,699 |
| Accountant | $79,790 | $19,213 |
| Teacher | $75,023 | $16,187 |
| Electrician | $71,660 | $14,048 |
| Plumber | $64,500 | $9,294 |
| Carpenter | $64,300 | $9,146 |
| Social worker | $63,952 | $8,891 |
| Truck driver | $59,900 | $5,908 |
| Medical assistant | $48,540 | −$2,453 |
| Nursing assistant | $48,180 | −$2,718 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Portland on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic $5,312
- Civil engineer $33,384
- Data scientist $30,620
- Dental assistant $6,894
- Dental hygienist $31,278
- Dentist $107,812
- Diesel mechanic $10,471
- Financial analyst $27,713
- Firefighter −$1,878
- HVAC technician $8,992
- Lawyer $50,537
- Licensed practical nurse $16,776
- Lineman $18,143
- Mechanical engineer $36,392
- Nurse practitioner $50,688
- Occupational therapist $23,472
- Paralegal $9,132
- Paramedic $10,368
- Pharmacist $56,958
- Pharmacy technician −$3,859
- Physical therapist $33,746
- Physician assistant $51,256
- Police officer $15,282
- Project manager $35,436
- Radiologic technologist $19,921
- Respiratory therapist $23,415
- Software engineer $49,764
- Speech-language pathologist $23,846
- Veterinarian $51,140
- Welder $10,707
Compare Portland with other cities
Compare Portland with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Portland
3 licensed interstate movers are based in Portland, and 8 more elsewhere in the Portland-South Portland, ME area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Portland, ME a good place to live?
Portland is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 135 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better. The typical worker here earns $56,960 and keeps $3,745 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Portland?
Prices in the Portland-South Portland, ME area are 2% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,889 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,573 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Portland?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $51,900 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Portland-South Portland, ME area earns $56,960.
What is the average rent in Portland?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,661 for a studio, $1,889 for a 1-bedroom and $2,381 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Portland at $1,711 a month (2024).
Does Portland have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $56,960, Maine state income tax comes to about $2,663 a year. Portland has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Portland?
7 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Portland, led by Spectrum, Redzone Wireless LLC, T-Mobile, Fidium Fiber. 63.5% of homes can get fiber and 65.5% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate