Moving to Rhode Island from Montana

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Montana to Rhode Island, you would find that Rhode Island is 12.2% more expensive than Montana. A $75,000 salary in Montana would need to be roughly $88,168 in Rhode Island to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $88,168

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 7.5% more

Groceries

pay 22.4% more

Transportation

pay 38.5% more

Housing

pay 23.0% more

Childcare

pay 11.6% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 13.8% 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 Montana to Rhode Island.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MT
437
RI
165
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MT
1815
RI
1102

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

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

MT
8.0%
RI
4.2%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MT
31.8%
RI
31.6%

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

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

MT
$338,100
RI
$368,800
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MT
$1,031
RI
$1,273

Montana 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

MT
88.7%
RI
90.8%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MT
19 min
RI
26 min

Montana 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

MT
3.7%
RI
4.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MT
$52,945
RI
$56,938

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

MT
76.8 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

MT
23%
RI
26%

Rhode Island performs significantly better than Montana 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.

Helena Rain: 11.2 in/yr (285 mm)
58° / 33°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Helena Providence
Jan–Mar 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) 68°/49°F (20°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) 79°/61°F (26°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) 53°/35°F (12°/2°C)
View all months
Month Helena Providence
Jan 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C)
Feb 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C)
Mar 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C)
Apr 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C)
May 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C)
Jun 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C)
Jul 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C)
Aug 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C)
Sep 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C)
Oct 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C)
Nov 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C)
Dec 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°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 Montana?

No — Rhode Island is on average about 18% more expensive than Montana. 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 $22,042 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 Montana across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Rhode Island compared to Montana?

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

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

The average high temperature in Providence is 61°F, compared to 58°F in Helena. Providence receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Helena gets 11.2 in.

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