Moving to Oregon from Minnesota
What to Expect
Considering a move from Minnesota to Oregon? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Minnesota to Oregon, you would find that Oregon is 7.0% more expensive than Minnesota. A $75,000 salary in Minnesota would need to be roughly $80,300 in Oregon to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Minnesota and Oregon.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $80,300
To maintain the same standard of living in Oregon
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.6% less
Groceries
pay 0.4% more
Transportation
pay 2.2% more
Housing
pay 24.3% more
Childcare
pay 12.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.0% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Oregon cost about 4% more than cities in Minnesota.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Oregon compared to Minnesota.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Minnesota performs better than Oregon across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Minnesota generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Oregon leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Minnesota performs better than Oregon across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Minnesota generally does better on infrastructure, though Oregon leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Minnesota performs better than Oregon across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Minnesota performs better than Oregon across all family life metrics.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Saint Paul | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) | 52°/36°F (11°/2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) | 68°/45°F (20°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) | 80°/51°F (27°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) | 54°/38°F (12°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Saint Paul | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) | 48°/35°F (8.7°/1.5°C) |
| Feb | 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) | 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.4°C) |
| Mar | 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) | 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.9°C) |
| Apr | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) | 61°/40°F (16.2°/4.2°C) |
| May | 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) | 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.1°C) |
| Jun | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.6°C) |
| Jul | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) | 82°/53°F (27.8°/11.7°C) |
| Aug | 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) | 82°/53°F (28.0°/11.6°C) |
| Sep | 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) | 77°/48°F (24.9°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) | 64°/42°F (17.8°/5.7°C) |
| Nov | 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) | 53°/38°F (11.4°/3.6°C) |
| Dec | 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°C) | 46°/34°F (7.9°/1.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Oregon than Minnesota?
On average Oregon is around 7% pricier than Minnesota, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Oregon?
Budget about $20,075 for 3 months in Oregon (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Oregon safe?
Minnesota performs better than Oregon across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Oregon compared to Minnesota?
Minnesota generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Oregon leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Oregon compared to Minnesota?
The average high temperature in Salem is 64°F, compared to 56°F in Saint Paul. Salem receives around 39.7 in of rainfall per year, while Saint Paul gets 28.5 in.
