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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices in Rhode Island — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Providence (index 114, rent $2,187/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 1 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
#1 Ranked: Providence — cost index 114, rent $2,187/mo, income $66,772
0 of 1 cities keep rent under 30% of $30K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices in Rhode Island — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Providence (index 114, rent $2,187/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 1 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
A closer look at Providence: the cost index of 114 breaks down to a Utilities index of 105 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 136 (weakest). Median rent is $2,187/month — 15% above the national median — while household income sits at $66,772, meaning locals spend about 39% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median. If you've been scrolling through listings in high-cost metros and feeling defeated, look at these numbers again. Seriously. The difference between renting here and renting in a major coastal city could literally fund a retirement account. That's not hyperbole — run the math yourself. A thousand dollars a month saved, compounded over a decade, is a down payment on a house. In this city, that math actually works.
Contrast this with: State context matters: Rhode Island's 1 cities average a 114 cost index with $2,187/month median rent and $66,772 household income. Smallest state, New England price tag. The linked city profiles go deeper than this ranking ever could.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Rent % of Gross | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Providence | $2,187 | 87% | 114 | Details |
190,792 residents · Rhode Island
Here's Providence by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 114. Rent: $2,187/month. Income: $66,772/year. Home price: $420,051. Population: 190,792. The strongest category is Utilities at 105; the most expensive is Housing at 136. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $3,504 more per year vs. the national median. For anyone running the numbers, this is where it clicks. Below the radar, but not for long.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Providence | 5.99% | 7% | 1.24% | $22,540 |
We calculate what percentage of a $30K gross salary goes to median rent. Cities where rent consumes less of your paycheck rank higher. We also factor in estimated take-home pay after federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Providence ranks #1 in Rhode Island for this analysis with a cost index of 114 and median income of $66,772.
Yes. On a $30K salary in Providence, rent would consume about 87% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. It's tight — consider a roommate or nearby suburb.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Providence is $2,187/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $292 above the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 5.99% state income tax, estimated take-home on $30K in Providence is approximately $22,540/year ($1,878/month). After median rent of $2,187/month, you'd have roughly $0/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in Providence is $420,051, which is 6.3× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Rhode Island has a 5.99% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 7%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.24%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.