Providence County · Rhode Island
Providence cost of living (RI)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Providence-Warwick, RI-MA, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Providence costs 1.8% above the national average — all-items price level 101.8, rank 39 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $101,773 here. Utilities is the reason, at 148.8.
- All items
- 101.8US average = 100
- Housing
- 103.93.9% above the national average
- Goods
- 97.12.9% below the national average
- Other services
- 102.32.3% above the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 97.1 | -2.9% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 103.9 | +3.9% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 148.8 | +48.8% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 102.3 | +2.3% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
What your salary is worth in Providence, RI
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (101.8 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $61,634
- Needed to match US average
- $63,839
- Monthly difference
- $93
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$62,727 median household income in Providence is worth $61,634 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 101.8.
More Providence data
Other Providence datasets on this site.
- Providence population and income
- Providence sales tax rate
- Providence property tax
- Providence home values and rent
- Providence crime rates
- Providence public schools
- Providence weather normals
- Providence commute times
- Providence jobs and wages
Statewide: Rhode Island cities · Rhode Island ZIP codes · Rhode Island sales tax · Rhode Island counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Providence-Warwick, RI-MA. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.