Moving to Rhode Island from District of Columbia
What to Expect
Considering a move from District of Columbia to Rhode Island? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from District of Columbia to Rhode Island, you would find that Rhode Island is 17.9% cheaper than District of Columbia. A $75,000 salary in District of Columbia would need to be roughly $61,600 in Rhode Island to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between District of Columbia and Rhode Island.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $61,600
To maintain the same standard of living in Rhode Island
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 8.9% less
Groceries
pay 15.9% less
Transportation
pay 13.9% less
Housing
pay 14.9% less
Childcare
pay 40.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 30.0% less
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
The numbers behind daily life in Rhode Island compared to District of Columbia.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Rhode Island performs significantly better than District of Columbia across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
District of Columbia performs better than Rhode Island across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Rhode Island performs significantly better than District of Columbia across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Rhode Island performs significantly better than District of Columbia across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
District of Columbia generally does better on employment & economy, though Rhode Island leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
District of Columbia generally does better on family life, though Rhode Island leads in life expectancy.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2019–2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Washington | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 68°/49°F (20°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 79°/61°F (26°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 53°/35°F (12°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) | 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Rhode Island than District of Columbia?
On average Rhode Island is about 18% less expensive than District of Columbia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Rhode Island?
Budget about $15,400 for 3 months in Rhode Island (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Rhode Island safe?
Rhode Island performs significantly better than District of Columbia across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Rhode Island compared to District of Columbia?
District of Columbia performs better than Rhode Island across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Rhode Island compared to District of Columbia?
The average high temperature in Providence is 61°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Providence receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
