Portland is the cheapest city of its size on the West Coast excepting possibly Sacramento (which exports its richest people to Tahoe/Napa/SF). If you ask me the

Portland is the cheapest city of its size on the West Coast excepting possibly Sacramento (which exports its richest people to Tahoe/Napa/SF). If you ask me the reason people there complain about costs is that the wages aren't high and it used to be even cheaper. I had a friend a few years ago who -- unemployed -- drove across the country to Portland, took a job fixing inventory at a music store, and got a room within walking distance of the train. Try pulling that off in the Bay Area!