Eastern/Western Oregon Cost of Living: Portland vs. Ontario Aidan Mahony Senior Project October 7, 2012

Housin g I would choose a one- bedroom apartment over a house because I would probably live alone and would want to keep costs down as much as possible to pay off projected student loans. Portland: about $810 per month Ontario: about $485 per month

Utilitie s In my apartment, I would want electricity, heating, cable TV, Internet, and a cell phone. I would not use a home phone, so I don’t see the point in adding that to my tab.

Utilities, Cont’d Ontario: Electricity: $110 Heating: $80 Cable TV: $45 Internet: $25 Cell Phone: $65 Portland: Electricity: $100 Heating: $105 Cable TV: $45 Internet: $45 Cell Phone: $65

Foo d Because I would want to enjoy unique restaurants wherever I ended up living, I would probably eat out occasionally; so, I would choose the combo plan (about $365 per month in both Portland and Ontario) of eating out and eating at home.

Transportati on Because I love riding my bike, I would most likely use it as my main transportation (about $15 per month in both places). In Portland, I’d fit in with the rest of the eco-friendly people. In Ontario, I would still be able to travel quickly without a car. Public transportation would also be a viable option, but it would be around $100 in Portland and $30 in Ontario.

Clothin g While I LOVE shopping, I don’t need new clothes often. I would most likely choose the “I Like Clothes” option because I would put the $75 per month into an account, and then use that money to go shopping only when I need to. The “Need New Clothes” option ($150 per month) would tempting if I lived in Portland where there is a lot of shopping; but, if I averted my eyes whenever I passed by a clothing store, I would survive. I would not have that problem in Ontario.

Health Care This may depend on my job, but if I get a job with a company, then hopefully I will be able to buy insurance through them (about $75 per month in both places). If I ever became self- employed, then I would buy my own insurance (about $130 per month in both places).

Entertainm ent Although cities like Portland are rich in activities and entertainment, I’m more of an occasional-movie-goer than a go-out- to-a-concert-every-weekend type of girl. Because of this, I would choose the “Mainly Hang Out” option (around $100 per month), whether I lived in the big city or small-town Ontario. If I liked going out more, then I would pay around $125 per month. While that is not much more money than my first choice, I do not think I would find it necessary.

Personal Care As for personal care, I would choose the “Medium” option (about $75 per month in both places) because it not only includes the bare essentials, but also things like haircuts, makeup, and gym memberships. Any higher option than “Medium” would be nice but unnecessary.

Miscellaneous I would choose the “Light” option (around $50 per month in both places) because, while I would need money to buy essentials (towels, plates, cups, etc.) when I first moved in, I would not be compelled to buy new, miscellaneous things every month. A coffee-maker would be a must- have in either city, so I would save up my “Light” budget to buy a great-quality coffee-maker.

Student Loans Because I currently plan on getting a Bachelor’s degree, my monthly student loans bill would be around $230 in both Portland and Ontario. If I decided to go to graduate school and earn a Master’s degree, then my bill would read around $470.

Savings My parents always said that, when I get a job, I should put 10% of my paycheck into a savings account just in case of emergencies so that’s what I would choose. If I could not afford to put away 10% of my paycheck, I would put in 5% every month at the very least.

Monthly Total My total for monthly expenses would be around $2,363 on the West coast in Portland. My total for monthly expenses on the East coast in Ontario would be $1,975.

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