Cost of Living: Portland, ME vs Philadelphia, PA

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 $4,337/mo in Philadelphia, PA. In the model, rent is about 21.67% of gross in Portland, ME versus 19.29% in Philadelphia, PA, so Philadelphia, PA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Portland, ME
$4,137/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Philadelphia, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Portland, ME
21.67%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Philadelphia, PA
19.29%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Portland, ME and Philadelphia, PA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Portland, ME: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Philadelphia, PA: 95.2 (U.S. = 100)

Philadelphia, PA 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) · Philadelphia, PA: $1,257/mo

Median rent in Portland, ME is $156/mo higher than in Philadelphia, PA.

Median Home Price

Portland, ME: $452,600 · Philadelphia, PA: $232,400

Median home price in Portland, ME is $220,200 higher than in Philadelphia, PA.

Median Household Income

Portland, ME: $76,174 · Philadelphia, PA: $60,698

Portland, ME has a higher median household income than Philadelphia, PA by $15,476.

Portland, ME overview · Philadelphia, PA overview · Popular comparisons