City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Portland, ME
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 11.5% higher than in Portland, ME. Someone earning $100,000 in Portland, ME would need about $111,500 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,658 in Portland, ME. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 27% in Portland, ME.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $584 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Los Angeles, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.9% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Portland, ME ($124,085 → $120,548), while prices change by −10.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.3% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Los Angeles, CA | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 101.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,691 in Portland | $111,494 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,658/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $73,526 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,654 (ME) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $56,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Portland-South Portland, ME.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 105.2 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 97.2 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 134.6 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 103.2 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 101.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Portland, ME
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.5%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$584/yr.
97 Strong offer
Portland, ME → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.3%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax −$584/yr.
24 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Portland, ME is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Portland, ME at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Portland, ME | Real change, Los Angeles → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $69,905 | +8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $84,579 | +8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $101,375 | +8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $120,548 | +8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $142,452 | +8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Portland, ME | Portland pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $76,770 | $85,594 (−16.0%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $128,710 | $143,504 (−10.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $79,790 | $88,961 (−5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $88,470 | $98,639 (−27.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.