Cost of living in Bend research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Bend is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Oregon, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Bend is 134, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Bend is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Bend ranks as the #80 cheapest in Oregon out of 99.
Bend ranks as the #5,171 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Bend is $733,106.
The median income in Bend is $88,792.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Bend has an overall cost of living index of 134, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Oregon, Bend has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than Oregon's index of 112.
The standard of living in Bend ranks as #80 most affordable out of the 99 places we measured in Oregon. By definition, that implies Bend ranks as the #19 most expensive place in the Beaver State.
For more reading on life in Bend, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Bend. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Bend is 105.
The Groceries index in Bend is 109.
The Health index in Bend is 101.
The Housing index in Bend is 199.
The Transportation index in Bend is 105.
The Utilities index in Bend is 94.
| Living Expense | Bend | Oregon | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 134 | 112 | 100 | |
| Services | 105 | 103 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 109 | 107 | 100 | |
| Health | 101 | 105 | 100 | |
| Housing | 199 | 124 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 105 | 116 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 94 | 95 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Oregon, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Bend is $733,106.
The Median Rent in Bend is $1,767.
The Median Income in Bend is $88,792.
The Home Value To Income in Bend is 8.3x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Bend is 0.24x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Bend. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Redmond, OR has a cost of living index of 116, 0.9x Bend.
Prineville, OR has a cost of living index of 105, 0.8x Bend.
Madras, OR has a cost of living index of 108, 0.8x Bend.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redmond, OR | 35,161 | 116 | 0.9x |
| Prineville, OR | 11,187 | 105 | 0.8x |
| Madras, OR | 7,596 | 108 | 0.8x |
| Deschutes River Woods, OR | 5,755 | 123 | 0.9x |