Route comparison
Portland, OR vs Sacramento, CA: Cost of Living
Compare the cost of living between Portland, OR and Sacramento, CA. See the equivalent salary and median rent powered by BLS Regional Price Parities.
Portland, OR
OR
- Overall RPP (US=100)
- 108.8
- Housing RPP
- 128.5
- Goods RPP
- 109.1
- 2-BR median rent
- $2,024/mo
Oregon income tax 4.75%-9.9%. No state sales tax.
Sacramento, CA
CA
- Overall RPP (US=100)
- 109.9
- Housing RPP
- 131.5
- Goods RPP
- 108.9
- 2-BR median rent
- $2,072/mo
California income tax 1%-13.3%. Significantly cheaper than Bay Area.
Equivalent salary
Sacramento, CA is more expensive than Portland, OR by about 1.0% (RPP 108.8 to 109.9).
$60,000 in Portland, OR
-> $60,607
in Sacramento, CA
$100,000 in Portland, OR
-> $101,011
in Sacramento, CA
$150,000 in Portland, OR
-> $151,517
in Sacramento, CA
This tool provides estimates only. Equivalent-salary figures are derived from BLS Regional Price Parities (RPP) and HUD Fair Market Rents — they are averages, not guarantees. Actual cost of living varies by neighborhood, lifestyle, and individual circumstances. Not financial advice.
Migration signal: Portland, OR vs Sacramento, CA
IRS tax-return migration · 2021-2022Portland, OR
- Net people
- −9,476
- Net rank
- #48 of 65
- Top origin share
- 3%
- Top destination share
- 3%
Largest source: Marion County, OR. Largest destination: Marion County, OR.
Sacramento, CA
- Net people
- −9,301
- Net rank
- #47 of 65
- Top origin share
- 6%
- Top destination share
- 2%
Largest source: Santa Clara County, CA. Largest destination: Yuba County, CA.
Rent delta: Sacramento, CA is $48/mo higher for HUD FY2024 2-BR FMR than Portland, OR. Housing RPP moves from 128.5 to 131.5.
Migration figures are derived from IRS SOI county-to-county migration data for 2021-2022, mapped to metros via Census CBSA delineation. Small county-to-county flows are IRS-suppressed, so per-metro totals are lower bounds. Source: IRS SOI migration data.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Sacramento, CA cheaper or more expensive than Portland, OR?
- Sacramento, CA (RPP 109.9) is more expensive than Portland, OR (RPP 108.8) by about 1.0%.
- What salary do I need in Sacramento, CA if I earn $100,000 in Portland, OR?
- You would need approximately $101,011 in Sacramento, CA to maintain the same purchasing power as $100,000 in Portland, OR. Formula: $100,000 x (109.9 / 108.8).
- Which metro had stronger net migration, Portland, OR or Sacramento, CA?
- For 2021-2022, Portland, OR had a net loss of 9,476 people, while Sacramento, CA had a net loss of 9,301 people. IRS small-flow suppression means these are lower-bound research signals, not complete population-change totals.