State overview · ME
What salary do you need to live comfortably in Maine? Real data for 1 city, updated June 2026.
| City | Salary needed | Housing / mo | Median salary | Salary gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland | $108,603 | $2,130 | $56,960 | $51,643 |
Cost of Living in Maine
Portland, Maine's only tracked city, requires an annual income of $108,539 to cover basic living costs. That figure runs above the national median of $97,658, meaning Portland is a more expensive place to live than the typical American city. The median local salary sits at $53,280, leaving a gap of $55,259 between what residents typically earn and what they need. Someone earning that local median would fall roughly $55,000 short of covering standard expenses each year. Because CityWage tracks only Portland here, these numbers reflect that city alone and should not be read as a statewide average.
CityWage currently covers one city in Maine. The breakdown for Portland is below, where housing runs $2,130 per month.
Frequently asked questions
What's the cost of living in Portland, ME?
You need about $108,603 per year to live comfortably in Portland, based on the 50/30/20 budget rule applied to BLS and HUD data.
Does the median salary in Portland cover the cost of living?
Not on its own. The median local salary of $56,960 falls about $51,643 short of the $108,603 needed to live comfortably.
Is Portland above or below the national average?
Portland runs above the national median. It needs $108,603 per year versus the national figure of $97,559.
Nearby states