Cost of Living: Portland, ME vs Houston, TX
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,137/mo in Portland, ME versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 21.67% of gross in Portland, ME versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Houston, TX tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Portland, ME and Houston, TX.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Houston, TX
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Houston, TX
- Lower home prices: Houston, TX
- Higher median household income: Portland, ME
Cost of Living Index
Portland, ME: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)
Houston, TX has a lower cost-of-living index than Portland, ME, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Portland, ME: $1,413/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo
Median rent in Portland, ME is $165/mo higher than in Houston, TX.
Median Home Price
Portland, ME: $452,600 · Houston, TX: $253,400
Median home price in Portland, ME is $199,200 higher than in Houston, TX.
Median Household Income
Portland, ME: $76,174 · Houston, TX: $62,894
Portland, ME has a higher median household income than Houston, TX by $13,280.
Portland, ME overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons