City comparison
Portland, ME vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 13.5% higher than in Portland, ME. Someone earning $100,000 in Portland, ME would need about $113,500 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,658 in Portland, ME. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 27% in Portland, ME.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $584 a year higher in Portland, ME than in San Francisco, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.4% moving from Portland, ME to San Francisco, CA ($120,548 → $133,060), while prices change by +13.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Portland, ME | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.9 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,504 in San Francisco | $88,103 in Portland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,658/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $73,526 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,654 (ME) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,960 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Portland-South Portland, ME and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Portland | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.2 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 97.2 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 134.6 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 103.2 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 101.9 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Portland, ME → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.9%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax −$584/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Portland, ME
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.5%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$584/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Portland, ME is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Portland, ME to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Portland, ME | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Portland → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $77,161 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $93,358 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $111,896 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $133,060 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $157,236 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Portland, ME | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Portland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,770 | $101,860 | $89,741 (+16.9%) |
| Software Developers | $128,710 | $186,640 | $164,435 (+27.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,790 | $110,730 | $97,556 (+22.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $88,470 | $186,610 | $164,408 (+85.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.