Auburn, WA vs Portland, OR: Cost of Living

Which city costs less?

Portland, OR has a modeled overall cost index 17.5% higher than Auburn, WA.

Auburn, WA · modeled 2BR rent: $2,160 / month
Portland, OR · modeled 2BR rent: $1,900 / month

These are saved estimates, not current rental listings. Some cities use adjusted regional data. Your household budget can differ from the overall index. Sources and assumptions

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Cost of Living Comparison 2026

Compare Auburn, WA and Portland, OR using saved regional data and explicit budgeting assumptions. Rent estimates are not live listings. Change the salary below, then check the source notes before applying a result to your household.

Saved regional estimates · Sources and assumptions

Current salary in Auburn, WA

Numbers update automatically as you type

Estimated extra cost: $1,473/month in Portland, OR

$150,000 in your current city has a modeled equivalent of $167,676 in Portland, OR

Regional cost estimates: Auburn, WA uses Tacoma, WA. Portland, OR uses Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Metropolitan Area. Available city ZIP rent estimates are shown separately.

Overall Cost

↑ 17.5%

More expensive

Monthly Impact

$1,473

Extra cost

Annual Impact

$17.7K

Per year

Assumes 60% of current gross income goes to living costs. The headline uses the category budget below; taxes, moving costs and savings goals are excluded.

Auburn, WA

Population:84K

Cost Index:

110.6

100 = national average

Typical Home:$479K

Portland, OR

Population:641K

Cost Index:

130.0

100 = national average

Typical Home:$535K

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Auburn, WA

The Evergreen State

84K

Population

State Tax

No Income Tax

Located in Washington, this city has a population of 84K residents.

💡 Advantage: Washington has no state income tax!

Portland, OR

The Beaver State

641K

Population

State Tax

Yes

Climate

Oceanic

Notable Facts

•Craft beer capital
•Foodie destination
•Keep Portland Weird

Major Industries

TechnologyManufacturingFood & BeverageTourism

Cost Breakdown by Category

Estimated monthly spending: Auburn, WA vs Portland, OR

Assumes 60% of your current gross income is spent on these categories. The headline and totals use this same budget. Rent estimates below are separate reference data. Rounded amounts may differ by $1.

Category	Auburn, WA	Portland, OR	Difference	Change
Housing	$2,550/mo	$3,998/mo	↑ $1,448more	56.8%
Other	$1,365/mo	$1,636/mo	↑ $271more	19.8%
Healthcare	$693/mo	$563/mo	↓ $130less	18.7%
Transportation	$1,580/mo	$1,463/mo	↓ $117less	7.4%
Groceries	$908/mo	$909/mo	↑ $1.13more	0.1%
All Utilities	$404/mo	$404/mo	↓ $0.36less	0.1%

Housing

↑ 56.8%

Auburn, WA

$2,550

Portland, OR

$3,998

Difference

$1,448

Other

↑ 19.8%

Auburn, WA

$1,365

Portland, OR

$1,636

Difference

$271

Healthcare

↓ 18.7%

Auburn, WA

$693

Portland, OR

$563

Difference

$130

less

Transportation

↓ 7.4%

Auburn, WA

$1,580

Portland, OR

$1,463

Difference

$117

less

Groceries

↑ 0.1%

Auburn, WA

$908

Portland, OR

$909

Difference

$1.13

All Utilities

↓ 0.1%

Auburn, WA

$404

Portland, OR

$404

Difference

$0.36

less

🏛️ Local Income Taxes

Portland, OR: Multnomah County Preschool for All$1,500/yr (1.0%)

Auburn, WA has no local income tax recorded in this dataset.

Local taxes are shown separately and are not included in the living-cost totals. Coverage is incomplete; an absent entry does not establish that no tax applies.

🏠Rent Comparison

Studio

From$1,800

To$1,555

↓ $245

1 Bed

From$1,850

To$1,655

↓ $195

2 Bed

From$2,160

To$1,900

↓ $260

3 Bed

From$2,850

To$2,590

↓ $260

Auburn, WAZIP-level data

1BR range: $1,850–$1,850/mo

Portland, ORZIP-level data

1BR range: $1,580–$2,030/mo

💡 Note: HUD Fair Market Rents estimate 40th-percentile gross rents, including most tenant-paid utilities. City ZIP summaries are medians of those estimates, not market median rents. Actual prices vary by neighborhood, amenities, and condition. Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents FY2026.

$7,500

Monthly in Auburn, WA

$8,973

Monthly in Portland, OR

$1,473

Difference

Home Values

Auburn

Portland

$479K

Median Value

$535K

↓ -2.1%

YoY Change

↓ -1.2%

↑ +24.3%

5-Year Change

↑ +7.2%

$479K

Price Range

$351K - $760K

Homes in Portland are 12% more expensive than Auburn

Calculate payment - Auburn Calculate payment - Portland

Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), January 2026

Tax Comparison

Annual tax burden comparison at $150.0K salary

Tax Savings

↓ $15.5K

More taxes

Monthly Difference

$1,293

Less take-home

Effective Rate Diff

10.3%

Rate difference

Auburn, WA

Federal Income Tax

Effective: 18.9%

$25.5K

Washington State Tax

No state income tax

FICA Taxes

Social Security + Medicare

$11.5K

Total Taxes

Effective: 24.7%

$37.0K

Take-Home Pay

$9,416/month

$113.0K

Portland, OR

Federal Income Tax

Effective: 18.9%

$25.5K

Oregon State Tax

Effective: 10.3%

$15.5K

FICA Taxes

Social Security + Medicare

$11.5K

Total Taxes

Effective: 35.0%

$52.5K

Take-Home Pay

$8,123/month

$97.5K

Additional Tax Information

Auburn, WA Tax Rates

Sales Tax:9.2%

Property Tax:0.9%

Portland, OR Tax Rates

Sales Tax:0.0%

Property Tax:0.9%

💡 Note: Tax calculations are estimates based on 2024/2025 tax brackets for single filers with standard deduction. Actual taxes may vary based on filing status, deductions, credits, and local variations.

🚶 Walkability

Modeled road attributes, not a safety assessment. Methodology and limitations

Auburn, WA: No data yet

Portland, OR

39/100

27.7% sidewalk tags · 10.5% cycling tags

Environment

Auburn

Portland

44 Good

Air Quality

35 Good

72.4%

Good Air Days

85%

99 High

Climate Risk

98 High

🌊🌡🫨

Top Hazards

🌊🌡🫨

▲+2.4°F

2050 Outlook

▲+2.5°F

1 days

Heat Days >95°F

9 days

▲+2.4°F

2050 Outlook

▲+2.5°F

1 days

Heat Days >95°F

9 days

Before moving from Auburn, WA to Portland, OR

Use this comparison to shortlist a move, then check the costs that depend on your household.

Compare actual homes. Get current quotes in Portland, OR for the same bedroom count and included utilities as your home in Auburn, WA. Add parking, deposits, insurance and any overlapping leases. The rent estimates above are a starting point, not available listings.
Confirm your income. Check your expected pay with your employer, including any location adjustment. Use “Different salary at destination?” above to compare two incomes. The budget model excludes taxes and one-time moving costs; it is not a take-home-pay calculation.
Price your daily routine. Check the commute from a specific address to work, school or childcare. Add household expenses missing from this model, such as childcare, debt payments and medical needs. Verify local services before signing a lease.
Plan the transition. Get moving quotes and budget for travel, setup costs and time off. Open your Auburn to Portland moving checklist to organize the tasks and timing.

Still choosing a destination? Explore cities similar to Portland, OR by cost, housing, population and region.

Frequently Asked Questions: Auburn, WA vs Portland, OR

How do the cost estimates for Auburn, WA and Portland, OR compare?

Portland, OR has a modeled overall cost index 17.5% higher than Auburn, WA. This is a broad model comparison, not a survey of today's prices or a forecast of your household spending. Some cities use adjusted regional fallback data.

What does the equivalent salary mean?

At a $150,000 salary in Auburn, WA, the model estimates $167,676 in Portland, OR. It allocates 60% of gross income to the origin city’s category budget and applies each destination category’s relative cost. The equivalent salary adds the total category difference to your income. The monthly difference is the same category difference divided by 12; it is not take-home pay or guaranteed savings. Household size, childcare and your actual lease are not inputs to this calculation.

What rent estimates are available for Auburn, WA and Portland, OR?

The modeled two-bedroom rents are $2,160/month in Auburn, WA and $1,900/month in Portland, OR. Where available, the source is a city median of HUD FY2026 ZIP-level estimates; otherwise a saved metro table is used. City adjustments may also apply. These are not asking rents or available listings. Compare actual properties with the same bedroom count and included utilities.

How should I use this comparison before moving?

Use it to shortlist locations, then replace modeled costs with a current housing quote, employer-confirmed income, commute costs, insurance and your household's other expenses. Add one-time moving costs separately. Source years differ and the saved datasets are not a live price feed. Read the methodology for the formulas and fallback rules.

💰 See how taxes change too — compare take-home pay between Washington and Oregon on TaxTakeHome.com