Cost of Living: Bend, OR vs Salem, OR

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,006/mo in Bend, OR versus $3,939/mo in Salem, OR. In the model, rent is about 25.75% of gross in Bend, OR versus 19.29% in Salem, OR, so Salem, OR tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Bend, OR
$4,006/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Salem, OR
$3,939/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Bend, OR
25.75%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Salem, OR
19.29%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Bend, OR and Salem, OR.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Bend, OR
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Salem, OR
  • Lower home prices: Salem, OR
  • Higher median household income: Bend, OR

Cost of Living Index

Bend, OR: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Salem, OR: 104.2 (U.S. = 100)

Bend, OR has a lower cost-of-living index than Salem, OR, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Bend, OR: $1,679/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Salem, OR: $1,257/mo

Median rent in Bend, OR is $422/mo higher than in Salem, OR.

Median Home Price

Bend, OR: $646,800 · Salem, OR: $382,400

Median home price in Bend, OR is $264,400 higher than in Salem, OR.

Median Household Income

Bend, OR: $88,792 · Salem, OR: $71,900

Bend, OR has a higher median household income than Salem, OR by $16,892.

Bend, OR overview · Salem, OR overview · Popular comparisons