Like New York, Hawaii, and California, Oregon has one of the highest costs of living in the country. To live comfortably in Oregon, a single adult needs to earn about $40,580 per year.

While aspects like grocery and healthcare costs don’t stray too far from national averages, housing and transportation costs are two major expense areas you’ll need to compensate for if you’re thinking about moving to Oregon. That said, if you love breathtaking mountains and coastal scenery, the costs that come with living in Oregon might be worth it.

To help you get a better sense of what to expect,

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, is here to break down what living expenses look like in Oregon across various categories. Then, keep reading to find out how you can lower your insurance costs in Oregon.

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How high is the cost of living in Oregon?

When you think of states with the highest costs of living, Hawaii, California, and New York are probably a few of the first to come to mind—and you’d be right! But Oregon doesn’t trail too far behind.

Based on

data from the first quarter of 2022

, Oregon has a cost of living index score of 125.2, earning it a place as one of the top ten states with the highest costs of living.

But what exactly does a cost of living index score mean? The base-level average cost of living in the United States is assigned a score of 100. That makes living expenses in Oregon 25.2% more expensive than the national average.

For comparison, Hawaii’s cost of living index is 192.7, Washington D.C.’s is 158.8, New York’s is 152.1, and California’s is 139.7. On the other end of the spectrum, Mississippi has a cost of living index of 83.1, Oklahoma’s is 84.8, and Kansas is 85.4.

As this is an overview of the cost of living in Oregon, focusing on specific categories—like groceries, housing, and healthcare—means the cost of living index can start to look very different. Let’s take a closer look.

Food: $333 to $1,193 per month

While groceries in Oregon still tend to be more expensive than the national average, they don’t stray as far as overall living costs. Oregon’s cost of living index for food sits at 109.3, making groceries about 9.3% more expensive than the national average.

What does that look like in dollars? It depends on factors like where in Oregon you’re living and the size of your family.

Based on data from MIT’s

Living Wage Calculator

, you could expect to spend $3,999 per year on groceries as a single adult with no children to up to $14,321 for a household of two adults and three children. That comes out to a range of about $333 to $1,193 per month. If you have more household members than this, you’ll likely have to factor in additional costs.

In comparison, the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer expenditures data from 2020 placed the average U.S. household’s monthly grocery expenses at about $411.

It’s worth noting that this score is based only on grocery expenses—you’ll have to factor in additional expenses for coffee runs and nights spent at your favorite restaurants.

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Healthcare: $182 to $663 per month

Oregon’s health care cost is closer to the national average at 102.9.

According to an

Oregon Health Authority report

, 2019 data showed that average healthcare costs per person in Oregon were about$7,615 compared to the national average of about $7,487. While those costs might seem relatively comparable, 2013 to 2019 data revealed that Oregon healthcare costs increased by 34%, which outpaced the national rate of 27% during the same time.

MIT’s Living Wage Calculator places potential healthcare costs in Oregon between $2,183 to $7,958 per year or $182 to $663 per month. Of course, there’s plenty of room for variation here, depending on your household’s medical needs. An unexpected emergency room trip or recurring prescriptions can easily inflate these costs.

Housing: $925 to $2,445 per month

The biggest bump in the road when it comes to living in Oregon? Housing costs. The cost index for housing in Oregon is 154.7.

Zillow’s Home Value Index

placed the average home value in Oregon at $527,823—a 16.5% increase from June 2021 to June 2022. According to the

Federal Reserve of Economic Data

, the median home sale price for all houses sold in the U.S. during 2022’s second quarter was $440,340.

What that looks like when it comes to monthly mortgage expenses will largely depend on the type of home you’re financing, its location, and what kind of mortgage terms you can qualify for. According to

U.S. Census Bureau

data, monthly housing costs for individuals with mortgages is an average of about $1,741 in Oregon from 2016 to 2020.

What if you’re renting rather than buying a home? Currently, the national rent average has risen to about $1,700. According to

Rent.com analysis

, the average rent in Oregon during 2021 was $1,959 for one-bedroom apartments and $2,074 for two-bedroom apartments. However, the cost varies considerably depending on where you live and the number of bedrooms you need.

In Portland, for example, here’s how the

cost of rent

can vary, based on numbers from June 2022:

Average studio rent: $1,297

Average one-bedroom rent: $1,647

Average two-bedroom rent: $1,925

Average three-bedroom rent: $2,445

Meanwhile, here’s what

average rent costs

in Salem looked like over the same period:

Average studio rent: $925

Average one-bedroom rent: $1,300

Average two-bedroom rent: $1,500

Average three-bedroom rent: $1,772

Transportation: $411 to $1,217 per month

The second-most costly aspect of living in Oregon is transportation costs. The cost index for transportation in the state is 134.6.

MIT’s Living Wage Calculator estimates you’d need to dedicate $4,938 to $14,613 per year for transportation costs in Oregon.

Here are some factors that can have a major influence on your transportation costs in Oregon:

Your car insurance: Average annual costs for

basic liability car insurance

in Oregon is about $2,400, while

full-coverage car insurance

is about $2,614

The cost of gas: $5.06 per gallon, as of July 2022

Public transportation costs: In Portland,

TriMet

costs can come out to about $100 per month

MORE:

Oregon car insurance laws

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How much you need to live comfortably in Oregon: $40,580 to $130,041 per year

All costs considered, how much would you need to make to live comfortably in Oregon?

The answer will largely depend on the city you choose and the kind of lifestyle you desire.

According to the Living Wage Calculator, a single adult living in Oregon would generally need to earn $19.51 per hour or $40,580 per year, and a couple with three children would need to earn $31.26 per hour each or a combined household income of $130,041 per year.

If you’re a minimum wage earner, that could make covering your living expenses a challenge. The

minimum wage in Oregon

varies depending on region and is divided into three categories:

Portland metro area: $14.75 per hour

Standard-designated counties: $13.50 per hour

Non-urban-designated counties: $12.50 per hour

Beyond basic survival expenses, you also deserve to have room in your budget to spend on things and activities you enjoy.

Average cost of a date: $120 (U.S. average: $116)

Average cost of a night at the movies: $12 (U.S. average: $10.61)

Average cost of a Big Mac: $4.90 (U.S. average: $3.99)

Admission to Oregon Coast Aquarium: $24.95 for adults(U.S. average for zoo tickets: $13.00)

Average sales tax: 0%—Oregon doesn’t have a general sales tax. (U.S. average: 6.35%)

It’s true that some of the best things in life are free—if the types of things you enjoy are relatively inexpensive, you might be able to live comfortably enough earning around $40,000 per year in Oregon in the right city. But if you’re looking to account for some of the finer things that do come with price tags, in many cases, you’ll need to earn a little more to afford them.

MORE:

Road trip from Los Angeles to Oregon coast

The Oregon cities with the lowest cost of living

While overall average living costs are well above the national average in Oregon, there are still plenty of cities that hover a lot closer to it—and even fall well below it. Based on data from

Best Places

and

Niche

, here are a handful of Oregon cities and towns with some of the lowest living costs in the state:

Lakeview (COLI: 80.0): At the south-central portion of the state, you’ll find the farming and lumber town of

Lakeview

, which lies near Fremont National Forest. Housing tends to be relatively affordable, and public schools are considered above-average here.

Roseburg (COLI: 90.7): Nestled in the Umpqua River Valley in Oregon’s southwest region,

Roseburg

is considered a good place to live for retirees and young people alike—especially if you enjoy the outdoors or dozens of vineyards and wineries nearby. Or both.

Turner (COLI: 101.3): This Salem suburb has a population of about 2,000. It’s considered one of the best places to buy a house in Oregon and is a great option for outdoors, history, and art enthusiasts.

Salem (COLI: 101.8): Oregon’s capital remains one of the state’s more affordable options to live by most standards. As a

Salem

resident, you could enjoy living in a place with plenty of historical and artistic significance that happens to be just a couple of hours’ drive to the Oregon coast.

Eugene (COLI: 105.3): The city of

Eugene

is Oregon’s second-largest city, right after Portland. You’ll find the University of Oregon campus, plenty of outdoor recreation opportunities, and a bustling arts scene here.

As you’re looking for low-cost cities to live in Oregon, pay attention to what amenities they offer and what they’re nearby to determine whether it’s a good fit for you.

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How to choose the right kind of home insurance for you

How to easily find home and car insurance in Oregon

Finding a new place to live that’s affordable and a good fit for your lifestyle takes a lot of time. Luckily, we’ve got one option to help you save time and money on relocating. Once you’ve found the perfect place to live in Oregon, give the

Jerry

app a try to update your insurance policies and save on your car and

homeowners insurance in Oregon

Whether you’re looking for car, home, or renters insurance—or a bundle of multiple policies—it only takes about 45 seconds to answer a few quick questions in the Jerry app to compare customized quotes from top insurance providers.

When it comes to

car insurance

alone, after switching to providers like Allstate and Dairyland, drivers have saved an average of over $800 per year on their

annual Oregon car insurance costs

Once you find the right coverage for you at the right price, our friendly, experienced agents can help you handle the process of switching to your new policy and canceling your old one.

So, how much time and money could you save with Jerry? You’ll have to get started to find out!

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FAQ

How much does it cost to live in Oregon per month?

According to MIT’s Living Wage Calculator, a single adult needs to earn at least $19.51 per hour to live comfortably in Oregon. That’s about $3,382 per month or $40,580 per year, but it can vary somewhat depending on what city you choose.

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