Moving to Rhode Island from Missouri

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Missouri to Rhode Island — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Missouri to Rhode Island, you would find that Rhode Island is 27.3% more expensive than Missouri. A $75,000 salary in Missouri would need to be roughly $103,428 in Rhode Island to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Missouri to Rhode Island.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $103,428

To maintain the same standard of living in Rhode Island

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 22.2% more

Groceries

pay 27.5% more

Transportation

pay 22.1% more

Housing

pay 54.7% more

Childcare

pay 45.2% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 37.4% more

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

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Missouri to Rhode Island.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MO
453
RI
165
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MO
2070
RI
1102

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

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

MO
8.9%
RI
4.2%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MO
37.5%
RI
31.6%

Rhode Island performs significantly better than Missouri across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

MO
$215,600
RI
$368,800
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MO
$996
RI
$1,273

Missouri performs better than Rhode Island across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

MO
88.3%
RI
90.8%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MO
24 min
RI
26 min

Missouri generally does better on infrastructure, though Rhode Island leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MO
3.3%
RI
4.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MO
$56,344
RI
$56,938

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

MO
75.1 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

MO
22%
RI
26%

Rhode Island performs significantly better than Missouri 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.

Columbia Rain: 46.3 in/yr (1175 mm)
66° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Columbia Providence
Jan–Mar 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) 68°/49°F (20°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) 79°/61°F (26°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) 53°/35°F (12°/2°C)
View all months
Month Columbia Providence
Jan 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C)
Feb 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C)
Mar 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C)
Apr 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C)
May 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C)
Jun 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C)
Jul 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C)
Aug 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C)
Sep 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C)
Oct 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C)
Nov 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C)
Dec 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°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 Missouri?

No — Rhode Island is on average about 38% more expensive than Missouri. City-level variation matters.

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

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $25,857 in Rhode Island on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Rhode Island safe?

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

How is healthcare in Rhode Island compared to Missouri?

Rhode Island performs significantly better than Missouri across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Providence is 61°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Providence receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.

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