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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
"Affordable" for students means: can rent fit a part-time paycheck? Are groceries reasonable? We analyzed 1 cities in Rhode Island, weighting rent and food highest. Providence takes the top spot.
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Providence | 128 | $2,187 | Details |
#1 Ranked: Providence — cost index 128, rent $2,187/mo, income $66,772
Student-budget scoring: rent $2,187/mo, food index 110, cost index 128 — survival-level affordability
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
"Affordable" for students means: can rent fit a part-time paycheck? Are groceries reasonable? We analyzed 1 cities in Rhode Island, weighting rent and food highest. Providence takes the top spot.
Dive into Providence's numbers: cost index 128 (17 points above national average), rent $2,187/month, income $66,772, and a home price of $420,051. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 106, while Housing runs 128. With 190,792 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
And here's the trade-off: The 1 cities we track in Rhode Island paint a premium but nuanced picture. And for many people, that's more or less in line with the region. Average cost index: 128. Median rent: $2,187/month — this is the part where it gets real — . Household income: $66,772. Rhode Island is known for smallest state, New England price tag — and the data backs that reputation with some caveats (that's pre-tax, of course).
Bottom line: Providence leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
190,792 residents · Rhode Island
Dive into Providence's numbers: cost index 128 (17 points above national average), rent $2,187/month, income $66,772, and a home price of $420,051. And depending on your situation, the city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 106, while Housing runs 128. With 190,792 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
Providence ranks #1 in Rhode Island for this analysis with a cost index of 128 and median income of $66,772.
Providence scores highest for students due to its strong income potential, median rent of $2,187/mo, and competitive median income of $66,772.
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.
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.