2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Big Bear Lake, CA vs Portland, OR

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Portland or is it cheaper to live in Big Bear Lake?
- Portland is 7.7% more expensive than Big Bear Lake.

Which city has more affordable housing, Portland or Big Bear Lake?
- Portland housing costs are 21.1% more expensive than Big Bear Lake housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Big Bear Lake or is Health Care more affordable in Portland.
- Health related expenses are 2.8% more in Portland.
 Big Bear Lake, CAPortland, ORUnited States
 Overall  Unlock127.7100
 Food & Groceries99.7  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock90.6100
 Housing152.0  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$537,200$338,100
 Utilities107  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock129.9100
 Miscellaneous110.8  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Big Bear Lake    5 Reviews

Over 13 years ago

We moved to Big Bear Lake a couple of years ago from Los Angeles because of my husband's job. It is a somewhat pretty city, the lake is mirky and surrounded by trash,  More

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Over 15 years ago

Big Bear Lake, a beautiful setting in a remote mountain community in Southern California. A draw to tourists from the Los Angeles area for skiing, boating, and mountain  More

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In the San Bernardino mountains of Southern California, this little town has almost everything you would want to see and do. In the spring and summer the lake is filled  More

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Reviews for Portland    386 Reviews

I lived in Portland for 19 years (I've also lived in Boise, ID, the Bay Area, Austin, TX and now Nampa, ID). It drives me nuts when people try to give a large city a  More

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One of the best cities in America. Food scene is the best in the world. Weather is preferable over places where you have the same weather year round. I enjoy the  More

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I moved from Houston to Portland about a year ago. I remember reading the reviews on here and it making me second guess moving before I did, so I wanted to come back and  More

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