Are you getting ready to move to Eugene but want to learn more about cost of living expenses? We've got all the tools you need to start planning your budget now, based on averages and data that show the cost of living in Eugene. So let's discuss what expenses are average, which help you save money – and which you may want to budget more for.
General Cost of Living Information
While cost of living studies are indeed a science, they are not always an exact science. A variety of different factor are considered, different subjects may vary between cities, more weight may be placed on some variables than others, some data may be unavailable or skewed…you get the idea. However, cost of living estimates still do their job well, which is why they remain an important means of comparison.
Most factors are displayed based on an average score of 100. The United States is at a uniform 100 as a total average: Numbers above or below 100 show how far Eugene goes above or below the national average (not necessarily the city you're coming from). Here are several of the most important factors – culled from a few different studies – on how Eugene does.
- Overall: The overall cost of living in Eugene falls somewhere between 105 and 117 – not much different from the expenses an "average" American would encounter, but on the way up. This is particularly good news if you are moving from a more expensive area (Southern California is the most common scenario) and looking to save money.
- Housing: The real estate market in Eugene tends to be pretty tight, which is why housing has scored between 110 and 126 in recent years – and you can expect that score to keep climbing. Housing, especially when it comes to rentals, is going to be particularly pricey, and it's not going to get any better. This is good evidence for acting now rather than waiting to buy a home.
- Utilities: Utilities costs in Eugene are around 90, so you may be able to save some money here. Remember, utilities vary based on your location and the fuels you use.
- Groceries: Groceries currently rate around a 95, not much different from the national norm. Keep in mind that Eugene, like the other metropolitan areas in Oregon, is busy embracing its sustainable, green, eco-friendly side. That means a lot of grocery and food items designed to be local or sustainable, which often means a price increase too. This explains why some grocery indexes are as high as 116 for the area.
- Transportation: Transportation scores a 111 in Eugene. There are a couple bus options for public transit, but nothing quite as useful as what Portland has, which means a lot of driving on your own. On the plus side, you don't have to pump your own gas.
- Taxes: Taxes in Eugene score a 157, which may make you take a few steps back. However, a big part of this is due to the way that Oregon calculates income and property taxes. Remember, Oregon has no sales tax….but it makes up for that with higher taxes in other areas. It's difficult to compare taxes across the nation because there are so many different approaches state by state. Oregon cities are all outliers in this case.
- Childcare: Childcare scores around a 98, making it very similar to the national average in costs.
- Healthcare: Healthcare shows a lot of variance between studies, skating between 91 and 114. What does this mean? For one thing, it means that healthcare is growing more expensive in the Eugene area (the ACA may be a factor here). It could also mean that different studies calculate different costs when it comes to healthcare.
- Misc/Other: This is a general round-up of what you might call the "Eugene culture," all the food, clothes, services, restaurants, events and so on. This varies between about 99 and 106, so expect Eugene to be a bit more expensive than the national average when it comes to these costs.
Comparisons
Cost of living averages can be informative, but they are most useful when compared to your current cost of living. Of course, comparisons are even trickier to make with cost of living averages, but here are a few facts you may be interested in – and enough information for your to triangulate the differences between Eugene and your current area.
- The overall cost of living in Eugene score, as you remember, is slanted toward 110. The overall score of Los Angeles, by comparison, is at around 133. This agrees with the popular opinion that Oregon is attracting many Californians with an ideal lifestyle but lower costs. However, L.A. can't compare to the hyper-inflated microcosm that is San Francisco, where the average is around 242 - which is not a typo, but is a good reason to seriously consider the economic cost of living in the Bay Area.
- While Southern California gets a lot of attention when it comes to Oregon real estate trends, it's not actually the biggest variance possible. Boston, for example, has a composite cost of living score that reaches 137. That can work out to some big savings when moving to Eugene.
- Interested in cities that scored similarly to Eugene? Seattle has a score around 117, definitely putting it in the same ballpark. Denver is actually even more similar, with a score of 105.
- Some major cities score significantly below Eugene's cost of living. This includes Orlando, at 97.3, and Phoenix at 96.5.
Specific Costs and Information
You may have noticed that we haven't included many strict numbers yet: The reason that averages are dependable is because they stay away from specific costs, which fluctuate constantly depending on time, location, economics, and seller choices. Even estimated costs for things like gas and beer appear wildly inaccurate (often low-balled) compared to current conditions in Eugene.
But if you want ballpark figures to work with, a basic family budget in Eugene includes around $821 for monthly housing costs (averaged out), about $370 for food, and around $940 for healthcare. Taxes come to about $473, and monthly transportation costs come to around $480. Again, mileage will vary on all these estimates, but seeing real budget numbers may be able to help you plan your own cost of living expenses.
