Cost of Living in Portland

How is the overall cost of living per month for one person less than the cost of rent for a month?

If you move to Gresham the cost of living immediately drops by 50%...but for some reason people are afraid of Gresham even though crime, noise, traffic, etc is severely lower than the Portland side.

I am not disagreeing with either side, just want to share one point.

I see many people complained about rent increased at roughly $300-400 a year. The administration in the greater Portland area keep pumping money into their pet (and trendy) projects. Almost all the real "needed" project are funded from the backdoor (Bond measure added to your property tax). Almost everything they asked are approved for two simple reasons: 1. It is always the necessary projects that are 'at risk' (since money are always spent on pet projects); 2. Every voter (property owner or not) decide whether the property owner pays for the bonds... I don't really have a lot of problem with every voter vote for what the measures. Just make sure everyone knows what they are voting for. I am not a landlord, but for the house that my family residence, we almost constantly see new bond measures add on to our property tax, every year. In general, about $500 worth of new ones per year, every year.

On top of that, cost of living increase for everyone, home owner or not, so where would the landlord find new money to pay for the new property taxes every year? Both side agree that cost of the property raised, so how could one expect the cost of renting the same property (that cost more now) to remain the same? When the property goes up, the owner do not actually benefit from it until they sell the property, except, property tax goes up with the property value.

Again, I am not a landlord. I am not a better (or worse) person just because I decided to worked very hard to own my home, many years ago. I don't feel renters or owners are any better or worse that others. I am just sharing my 2 cents for what its worth. Please don;t hate me.

This information is just not accurate...Maybe for the cheapest quality ever. Portland has become e expensive, unfortunately...

Where there's a lot of money, you can be assured that the cost of living went through the roof. Portland was recently names the 12th most affluent city in the USA. That's been the problem in Portland- seemingly a desireable place to live... but only if you're in the top 25% of wage earners. A 1 br. apartment in town runs about $1500/mo. 2 br. $1753/mo. Even at our (very high) min. wage of $9.50/hr, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that kind of salary just doesn't stretch- even if it's two wage earners.

The irony is this- for a city where "Equity" is the new catch-phrase, income inequality has never been as high as it is now. Net result- if you're affluent, young, liberal, white, and childless- Portland is a great place to live. The less affluent have been pushed out of the city, and families have retreated to the suburbs and exoburbs (with the obligatory lengthy commute).

We're tech industry workers (NOT from California), and Portland is getting too expensive for us. We wanted to buy a house here, but we're looking at moving someplace more affordable if we can find jobs.

Family of 3 displaced by rising costs.

Our rent went up $300 this year alone. My wife has been here her whole life and myself 6 years. In this short time it has been an EXPLOSION of costs and MORE PEOPLE with NO WAGE INCREASE for the common worker. Yes, our jobs have provided raises(occasionally) but that is from hard work and does not cover the increase in cost of living. This is a real problem for ANY Oregonian, whether you have been here for a day or a decade it will effect you.

We are forced to leave now and we wish anyone who is moving here the best.

Please be aware that things are changing very fast and a good future here will need to be planned and executed in a very specific way. Just take into account an additional 16% savings or something so you have a prepaid plan... jic

New laws have made it so a 90 day increase notice is given but there is no cap on the increase, with the law stating that Landlords can in fact match prices, no mater what the price is it will just keep going UP. Our went up a whopping $300 in one year... BEWARE AND BE CAREFUL WHEN PLANNING A MOVE HERE

Do you know or understand why the natives of Oregon resent tranplants and are "whiny"? Because some of us can no longer afford to live here due to all the hoards of people moving here driving the housing and rent up! I live in a 1 bedroom apt that doesn't have a garbage disposal, washer or dryer and has a loud parking lot out front, the rent just increased 100.00! Years ago there were affordable places to rent, Oregon was affordable but this is no longer the case! Those of us who have lived here are entire lives (I am 52 by the way) are now very concerned. There are a lot of stressed, worried people out there...and more homeless people then ever. Oregon is not the ideal place to move to contrary to what many believe, I have been told by a member of law enforcement that it is the Meth capital, it is also on the top 10 cities of the most suicides, the rain can be depressing,there are a lot of homeless people in all areas, the traffic is TERRIBLE...at least in California they planned for this and built bigger highways, no plans here. Also, the rent is now very high and housing is no longer affordable in comparision to the wages. There aren't that many higher paying jobs available. Everything has gone up...execept our wages not so much. As a renter, I think there needs to be a limit as to how high rent can increase otherwise what is to stop them from these 100-200.00 yearly increases in rent that we are seeing? I am looking to move somewhere else outside of Oregon that isn't getting too crowded and where the cost of living is lower. When I read websites about Oregon, they make it sound like paradise! If you are thinking of moving here, really think about it and don't fall into the "Oregon is paradise" thing...it's really not. It's nice, but not worth the expense...honestly I would rather live in California...the weather is nice there year round.

For native Portlanders, there have been some difficulties to overcome like: increased traffic, housing prices and gentrification to name a few. However, as a native of NE Portland I also understand that these "problems" come with growth and we must learn to navigate these challenges better. Portland is still a great city and its been my home for 46+ years!

How long till owners realize rents are too expensive and renters would rather camp than throw money away

A job opportunity in Portland recently came up, so I've been looking at the city to determine if I'd want to live there. I feel bad reading these comments; I definitely don't want to contribute to the native population's woes! I mean, as far as rent and everything goes, supposing I were to get the job, I could afford it. Maybe I'll try to stay out of the center of the city, or commute from somewhere nearby.

Its sad to see the people who have lived in the Portland Metro area pushed out by transplants that are running away from the extreme cost of living of other cities. It is maddening to see someone who has lived here for maybe a year or so tell us to move. I grew up here. I love it here. I don't blame people looking for a better option but that doesn't give you the right to tell us to move. That is the very definition of gentrification. In the past year the cost of living has grown exponentially.

I was living in NW Portland in a studio for $775 a month in 2013. That same apartment is $995 right now. Me and my wife were college students at Portland State and loved the commute, a mile and a half walk. After I graduated we had no other option but to move out to my mother-in-laws in the country. This has impacted all the surrounding cities; from Forest Grove to Gresham, from Vancouver to Wilsonville; every place to rent is beyond the current average pay scale. I am sad to say I am looking to move away from my home, my family, my memories. This isn't how things should be.

You people moving here say we are crazy for saying the prices are high don't get it and when the cost of living is tapped out to a point that you people can't even afford it you will leave and Portland will never be the same. Just to be clear though, I don't blame you. You all are looking for your place to call home too. What needs to happen is social and national change to realize they way were are doing things doesn't work for the average citizen. That you should raise people up rather then tear them down and send them away. This countries motto was, "Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" now its more like, "Don't like it leave."

Don't look at the bottom it is based on 4 years ago and rent has nearly doubled. EVERYTHING has increased with the exception of our wages. How honestly can a person survive here if they are just out of college and making minimum wage with is 9.90 an hour?? Rent is around 1200-1400 a month depending on the time of year (much higher in april through october) and housing is very expensive. After living here my entire life, I am looking for somewhere to move...it's too crowded, the traffic is bad now in addition to the prices of everything.