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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Let's be honest: Rhode Island isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Providence proves it with a cost index of 128, the lowest in Rhode Island, and we've ranked all 1 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive la…
#1 Ranked: Providence — cost index 128, rent $2,187/mo, income $66,772
1 of 1 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Providence | 5.99% | 7% | 1.24% | $100,498 |
Let's be honest: Rhode Island isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Providence proves it with a cost index of 128, the lowest in Rhode Island, and we've ranked all 1 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
Here's Providence by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 128. Rent: $2,187/month. Income: $66,772/year. Home price: $420,051. Population: 190,792. The strongest category is Healthcare at 106; the most expensive is Housing at 128. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $3,504 more per year vs. the national median. Over a five-year window, that difference is life-changing (that's pre-tax, of course).
On a $150K salary, the key number is $3,750/month — for better or worse — — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. Providence ($2,187/mo, 17%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $100,498 to $100,498/year across these top picks (that's pre-tax, of course).
Not even close to the national average.
Here's the asterisk: Here's the state-level backdrop: Rhode Island averages a 128 cost index, $2,187/mo rent, and $66,772 income across 1 cities. That's $292 more than the national rent average. Smallest state, New England price tag — and that context shapes every city in this ranking (more on that below).
In plain English: If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Rent % of Gross | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Providence | $2,187 | 17% | 128 | Details |
190,792 residents · Rhode Island
Why Providence ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 128 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 17% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $2,187/month while the median household pulls in $66,772/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 106, though Housing (128) lags behind. Home prices average $420,051 — $47,319 below the national median.
We model what a $150K salary looks like after taxes in each city: federal income tax (marginal brackets), FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. Then we compare take-home against local rent and costs to determine where the salary stretches furthest. 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 128 and median income of $66,772.
Yes. On a $150K salary in Providence, rent would consume about 17% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. You're well within that guideline.
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 $150K in Providence is approximately $100,498/year ($8,375/month). After median rent of $2,187/month, you'd have roughly $74,254/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.