Median rent is 15% lower in Eugene ($1,402/mo vs $1,655/mo). Buying is cheaper in Eugene, where the median home runs $460,400 versus $581,500. Households earn more in Portland ($90,919 vs $66,562 a year).
City A
Eugene, OR
City B
Portland, OR
How much would you need to earn in Portland, OR to maintain your standard of living from Eugene, OR?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Eugene
Oregon
Portland
Oregon
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Eugene at $1,402/mo compared to $1,655/mo in Portland (15% gap). Home buyers face a steeper market in Portland: the median home is $581,500 versus $460,400 in Eugene — 21% more expensive.
Metric
Eugene
Portland
Software Developer
Registered Nurse
Elementary Teacher
Electrician
Accountant
Higher wage highlighted · BLS OEWS 2023 (metro-level data)
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Eugene
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Portland
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Portland has cleaner air on average: 26.0 AQI (Good) compared to 44.0 AQI (Good) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Portland if you prioritize higher median household income ($90,919/yr).
Pick Eugene if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,402/mo median).
Pick Portland if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 26.0).
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
Median rent is $1,402/mo in Eugene, OR and $1,655/mo in Portland, OR. Eugene, OR has the lower rent by about 15%.
Median household income is $66,562 in Eugene, OR and $90,919 in Portland, OR. Portland, OR has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Portland, OR has better air quality on average: 26.0 AQI versus 44.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: June 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
