Moving to Rhode Island from Alaska

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Alaska to Rhode Island — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Alaska to Rhode Island, you would find that Rhode Island is 12.2% more expensive than Alaska. A $75,000 salary in Alaska would need to be roughly $80,158 in Rhode Island to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Providence averages 61°F vs 49°F in Juneau, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Alaska to Rhode Island.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $80,158

To maintain the same standard of living in Rhode Island

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 9.6% less

Groceries

pay 4.4% less

Transportation

pay 27.2% more

Housing

pay 8.1% more

Childcare

pay 2.0 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 11.0% less

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Key Indicator Comparison

How Alaska and Rhode Island stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AK
722
RI
165
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AK
1868
RI
1102

Rhode Island performs significantly better than Alaska across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

AK
10.7%
RI
4.2%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

AK
31.9%
RI
31.6%

Rhode Island generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alaska leads in diabetes rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

AK
$333,300
RI
$368,800
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

AK
$1,388
RI
$1,273

Alaska generally does better on what about housing?, though Rhode Island leads in median rent.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

AK
90.8%
RI
90.8%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

AK
20 min
RI
26 min

Alaska performs better than Rhode Island across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AK
5.0%
RI
4.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

AK
$75,882
RI
$56,938

Alaska generally does better on employment & economy, though Rhode Island leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

AK
76.6 yrs
RI
78.2 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

AK
21%
RI
26%

Rhode Island performs significantly better than Alaska across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Juneau Rain: 92.2 in/yr (2342 mm)
49° / 38°F

Avg. annual high / low

Providence Rain: 47.2 in/yr (1198 mm)
61° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Juneau Providence
Jan–Mar 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun 56°/42°F (13°/6°C) 68°/49°F (20°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 61°/49°F (16°/10°C) 79°/61°F (26°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 42°/33°F (5°/0°C) 53°/35°F (12°/2°C)
View all months
Month Juneau Providence
Jan 35°/26°F (1.4°/-3.2°C) 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C)
Feb 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.4°C) 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C)
Mar 41°/30°F (4.9°/-1.1°C) 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C)
Apr 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.8°C) 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C)
May 57°/42°F (13.8°/5.7°C) 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C)
Jun 62°/48°F (16.9°/9.1°C) 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C)
Jul 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.8°C) 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C)
Aug 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.1°C) 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C)
Sep 57°/46°F (13.7°/7.7°C) 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C)
Oct 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.9°C) 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C)
Nov 40°/31°F (4.3°/-0.3°C) 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C)
Dec 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.3°C) 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.2°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Rhode Island than Alaska?

Day-to-day costs in Rhode Island run about 7% higher than Alaska on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Rhode Island?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $20,040 in Rhode Island for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Rhode Island safe?

Rhode Island performs significantly better than Alaska across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Rhode Island compared to Alaska?

Rhode Island generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Alaska leads in diabetes rate.

What's the weather like in Rhode Island compared to Alaska?

The average high temperature in Providence is 61°F, compared to 49°F in Juneau. Providence receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Juneau gets 92.2 in.

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