City profile
Providence, RI cost of living
RI · BEA RPP 101.773
2024 overall RPP
101.773
US = 100
2024 housing-rent RPP
103.851
Housing component
2024 goods RPP
97.116
Goods component
2-BR FMR (HUD)
$1,879/mo
FY2027 FMR
Where Providence, RI sits in the verified metro set
RPP rank
#26 of 67
+1.8 vs U.S. average
Vs median metro
+2.3
median RPP 99.5
2-BR rent rank
#21 of 67
+190/mo vs median verified metro
RPP ranks use only verified ReloMath metro records. Sources: BEA MARPP 2024 (all items, housing, goods, other services); HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent; reviewed 2026-10-04. These are historical area benchmarks, not current neighborhood prices. HUD FMR is a 40th-percentile gross-rent benchmark, not median rent. BEA metro and HUD rent-area boundaries can differ. BEA: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) (code 39300). HUD: Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area (code METRO39300M39300); counties or county equivalents: Bristol County, Attleboro city, Bristol County, Barrington town, Bristol County, Bristol town, Bristol County, Fall River city, Bristol County, North Attleborough Town city, Bristol County, Rehoboth town, Bristol County, Seekonk town, Bristol County, Somerset town, Bristol County, Swansea town, Bristol County, Warren town, Bristol County, Westport town, Kent County, Coventry town, Kent County, East Greenwich town, Kent County, Warwick city, Kent County, West Greenwich town, Kent County, West Warwick town, Newport County, Jamestown town, Newport County, Little Compton town, Newport County, Tiverton town, Providence County, Burrillville town, Providence County, Central Falls city, Providence County, Cranston city, Providence County, Cumberland town, Providence County, East Providence city, Providence County, Foster town, Providence County, Glocester town, Providence County, Johnston town, Providence County, Lincoln town, Providence County, North Providence town, Providence County, North Smithfield town, Providence County, Pawtucket city, Providence County, Providence city, Providence County, Scituate town, Providence County, Smithfield town, Providence County, Woonsocket city, Washington County, Charlestown town, Washington County, Exeter town, Washington County, Narragansett town, Washington County, North Kingstown town, Washington County, Richmond town, Washington County, South Kingstown town. The official files were retrieved 2026-10-04.
Who’s moving in and out of Providence, RI
IRS tax-return migration · 2022-2023Cost of living is only half the relocation question. The other half is which way people are actually voting with their feet, straight from IRS tax-return migration for the Providence, RI metro.
Moved in
25,130
people · 16,467 households
Moved out
24,039
people · 15,826 households
Net
+1,091
net gain of residents
Net migration rank
#29 of 65
among IRS-covered ReloMath metros
Vs median net flow
+720
median +371 people
Largest flow share
18% in / 13% out
top named county shares
Where new residents came from
- Plymouth County, MA 4,418
- Norfolk County, MA 4,410
- Suffolk County, MA 2,748
- Middlesex County, MA 2,111
- Worcester County, MA 1,568
Where residents moved to
- Plymouth County, MA 3,144
- Norfolk County, MA 2,987
- Suffolk County, MA 1,776
- Middlesex County, MA 1,566
- Worcester County, MA 1,485
Counts are IRS tax filers (returns ≈ households, individuals ≈ exemptions) who changed address between 2022-2023. Flows too small for IRS to disclose are grouped and excluded from the named lists. Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration data ↗, mapped to metros via the U.S. Census CBSA delineation.
What salary do you need in Providence, RI?
Historical BEA 2024 salary illustration relative to the U.S. average (RPP 100), before tax and household adjustments. Housing is already included in overall RPP.
| In US-average city | You need in Providence, RI | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $50,887 | $50,000 x (101.773/100) |
| $75,000 | $76,330 | $75,000 x (101.773/100) |
| $100,000 | $101,773 | $100,000 x (101.773/100) |
| $125,000 | $127,216 | $125,000 x (101.773/100) |
| $150,000 | $152,660 | $150,000 x (101.773/100) |
| $200,000 | $203,546 | $200,000 x (101.773/100) |
Salary illustrations use BEA 2024 overall Regional Price Parities (RPP) only, before tax and household-specific adjustments. Overall RPP already includes housing. HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent is a separate historical gross-rent benchmark, not a current lease or median rent. Do not add rent to the RPP salary figure. Your lease and moving quote belong in a separate budget. Not financial advice.
Step 2: what will the move itself cost?
The historical salary illustration is separate from moving payments. Use an actual mover quote and lease terms in your budget summary.
State income tax note
Income tax and payroll deductions are not calculated. Obtain take-home estimates for your actual work and home addresses.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Providence, RI?
- In the historical BEA 2024 benchmark, Providence, RI has an overall Regional Price Parity of 101.773 (US average = 100). Its overall price level is 1.8% higher than the national average for that year.
- What salary do I need to live in Providence, RI?
- If you earn $100,000 in a US-average city (RPP 100), the BEA 2024 RPP illustration is approximately $101,773 in Providence, RI, before tax and household adjustments.
- What historical rent benchmark is shown for Providence, RI?
- The historical HUD Fair Market Rent benchmark for a 2-bedroom associated with Providence, RI is $1,879 per month as of FY2027.
- Are people moving to or away from Providence, RI?
- Based on IRS tax-return migration data for 2022-2023, about 25,130 people moved into the Providence, RI metro and 24,039 moved out — a net gain of roughly 1,091 residents. The largest single source of new residents was Plymouth County, MA.
Curated nearby & similar cities
Similar verified metros by RPP
These links are chosen by data proximity: closest overall RPP to Providence, RI, with HUD 2-BR rent as a tie-breaker.
Curated cost-of-living comparisons for Providence, RI
Side-by-side cost of living and the equivalent salary you'd need — pick a destination.
Check published data changes
Review dated source notices for tracked metros alongside Providence, RI's historical benchmarks. Change-log entries do not automatically refresh the BEA 2024 or HUD FY2027 values shown here.
View cost-of-living change log