Moving to Rhode Island from Iowa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iowa to Rhode Island — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iowa to Rhode Island, you would find that Rhode Island is 29.2% more expensive than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly $104,831 in Rhode Island to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iowa to Rhode Island.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $104,831
To maintain the same standard of living in Rhode Island
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 20.8% more
Groceries
pay 39.1% more
Transportation
pay 49.4% more
Housing
pay 63.5% more
Childcare
pay 38.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 15.3% more
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 Iowa and Rhode Island stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Rhode Island performs significantly better than Iowa 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
Rhode Island generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iowa leads in diabetes rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Iowa performs better than Rhode Island across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Iowa generally does better on infrastructure, though Rhode Island leads in internet access.
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
Iowa generally does better on employment & economy, though Rhode Island leads in median household income.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Rhode Island performs significantly better than Iowa 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Des Moines | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) | 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 68°/49°F (20°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 79°/61°F (26°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 53°/35°F (12°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Des Moines | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) | 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C) |
| Feb | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) | 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) | 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C) |
| Jun | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) | 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C) |
| Jul | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C) |
| Aug | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C) |
| Sep | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) | 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) | 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C) |
| Dec | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°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 Iowa?
Day-to-day costs in Rhode Island run about 40% higher than Iowa 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 $26,208 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 Iowa across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Rhode Island compared to Iowa?
Rhode Island generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iowa leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in Rhode Island compared to Iowa?
The average high temperature in Providence is 61°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Providence receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in.
