Moving to Rhode Island from Hawaii
What to Expect
Considering a move from Hawaii to Rhode Island? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Hawaii to Rhode Island, you would find that Rhode Island is 20.0% cheaper than Hawaii. A $75,000 salary in Hawaii would need to be roughly $60,000 in Rhode Island to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Providence averages 61°F vs 84°F in Honolulu, making it significantly cooler. Honolulu and Providence are about 5,050 mi apart.
Thinking of moving to Rhode Island? Get a shortlist of towns in Rhode Island that match your priorities: size, cost, taxes, safety, disaster risk, hospitals and transport. Find my towns →Is Rhode Island cheaper than Hawaii?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 18.5% less
Groceries
pay 44.0% less
Transportation
pay 11.0% less
Housing
pay 12.2% less
Childcare
pay 10.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 13.2% 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.
What salary do you need in Rhode Island?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $60,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Rhode Island
Calculate with your salary →Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Rhode Island compared to Hawaii.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Rhode Island performs significantly better than Hawaii 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
Hawaii generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Rhode Island leads in diabetes rate.
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 Hawaii across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Hawaii generally does better on infrastructure, though Rhode Island leads in average commute.
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
Hawaii performs better than Rhode Island across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Hawaii generally does better on family life, though Rhode Island leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
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 (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Rhode Island vs Hawaii
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Honolulu | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/67°F (27°/19°C) | 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 85°/71°F (29°/22°C) | 68°/49°F (20°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/74°F (31°/24°C) | 79°/61°F (26°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/71°F (29°/22°C) | 53°/35°F (12°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Honolulu | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80°/66°F (26.7°/19.1°C) | 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C) |
| Feb | 80°/66°F (26.8°/18.9°C) | 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C) |
| Mar | 81°/68°F (27.3°/19.8°C) | 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C) |
| Apr | 83°/69°F (28.2°/20.8°C) | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C) |
| May | 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.6°C) | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C) |
| Jun | 87°/73°F (30.6°/23.0°C) | 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C) |
| Jul | 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.6°C) | 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C) |
| Aug | 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.9°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C) |
| Sep | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.6°C) | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 87°/73°F (30.4°/23.0°C) | 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 84°/71°F (28.8°/21.9°C) | 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C) |
| Dec | 81°/68°F (27.3°/20.2°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 Hawaii?
On average Rhode Island is about 20% less expensive than Hawaii, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Rhode Island?
Budget about $15,000 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 Hawaii across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Rhode Island compared to Hawaii?
Hawaii generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Rhode Island leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in Rhode Island compared to Hawaii?
The average high temperature in Providence is 61°F, compared to 84°F in Honolulu. Providence receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Honolulu gets 17.1 in.
