Portland on a Budget
A free bookstore to browse, a rose garden that costs nothing to walk, and no sales tax on top of anything you buy, here’s how to keep the rest of the costs down too.
Portland is genuinely one of the more affordable major US cities to visit, Oregon charges no sales tax, and several of its best sights, Powell’s, the Rose Garden, cost nothing to visit. Here’s how to keep the rest of the costs down without cutting the trip short.
Visit in spring or fall for lower prices
Summer brings Portland’s highest hotel prices and heaviest crowds, particularly around Washington Park. Spring and fall instead offer noticeably lower rates and thinner crowds, and the city’s outdoor sights work just as well regardless.
Powell’s and the Rose Garden are free
Browsing Powell’s City of Books costs nothing, and the International Rose Test Garden and most of Washington Park’s grounds are free too, only the Japanese Garden and the zoo charge admission. Forest Park, one of the largest urban forests in the country, is free to walk too.
Walk downtown, TriMet for the rest
Downtown Portland is genuinely compact and walkable, most major sights sit within a comfortable stroll of each other. TriMet’s MAX light rail and buses cover the rest of the city cheaply, considerably cheaper than rideshares for most journeys.
Food carts beat a tourist-priced restaurant
Portland’s food cart pods offer widely good, affordable options across dozens of vendors in one spot, considerably cheaper than a sit-down restaurant downtown. A doughnut from a proper local shop remains one of the better cheap treats in the city too.
Consider Hawthorne or Alberta over the Pearl District
Hotels in the Pearl District near Powell’s sit at the top of the price range given the location. Hawthorne and Alberta, both a short transit ride away, run noticeably cheaper while offering a genuinely strong, more local food and coffee scene of their own.
That’s everything I’ve got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government’s latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
