Cost of Living: Portland, ME vs Los Angeles, CA

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 $3,974/mo in Los Angeles, CA. In the model, rent is about 21.67% of gross in Portland, ME versus 25.99% in Los Angeles, CA, so Portland, ME tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Portland, ME
$4,137/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Los Angeles, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Portland, ME
21.67%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Los Angeles, CA
25.99%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Portland, ME and Los Angeles, CA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Portland, ME: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Los Angeles, CA: 148.6 (U.S. = 100)

Portland, ME has a lower cost-of-living index than Los Angeles, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Portland, ME: $1,413/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Los Angeles, CA: $1,695/mo

Median rent in Los Angeles, CA is $282/mo higher than in Portland, ME.

Median Home Price

Portland, ME: $452,600 · Los Angeles, CA: $657,700

Median home price in Los Angeles, CA is $205,100 higher than in Portland, ME.

Median Household Income

Portland, ME: $76,174 · Los Angeles, CA: $74,785

Portland, ME has a higher median household income than Los Angeles, CA by $1,389.

Portland, ME overview · Los Angeles, CA overview · Popular comparisons