Moving to Rhode Island from New Jersey
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from New Jersey to Rhode Island — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from New Jersey to Rhode Island, you would find that Rhode Island is 4.4% cheaper than New Jersey. A $75,000 salary in New Jersey would need to be roughly $71,700 in Rhode Island to maintain the same lifestyle. Newark and Providence are about 160 mi apart.
Is Rhode Island cheaper than New Jersey?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 13.2% more
Groceries
pay 9.2% less
Transportation
pay 9.7% less
Housing
pay 0.4% less
Childcare
pay 0.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 7.6% 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 → $71,700
To maintain the same standard of living in Rhode Island
Calculate with your salary →Key Indicator Comparison
How New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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
New Jersey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Rhode Island leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Rhode Island generally does better on what about housing?, though New Jersey leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
New Jersey 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
New Jersey 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
New Jersey 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 (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Rhode Island vs New Jersey
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Newark | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/27°F (9°/-2°C) | 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 68°/49°F (20°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) | 79°/61°F (26°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/36°F (14°/2°C) | 53°/35°F (12°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Newark | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.6°/-4.4°C) | 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (7.7°/-3.2°C) | 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C) |
| Mar | 55°/32°F (12.7°/0.2°C) | 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.4°/5.3°C) | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C) |
| May | 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.7°C) | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C) |
| Jun | 85°/61°F (29.5°/16.3°C) | 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C) |
| Jul | 88°/66°F (31.2°/18.8°C) | 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C) |
| Aug | 87°/65°F (30.4°/18.1°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C) |
| Sep | 80°/57°F (26.5°/14.0°C) | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 69°/45°F (20.4°/7.3°C) | 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 58°/36°F (14.2°/2.4°C) | 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C) |
| Dec | 46°/28°F (7.8°/-2.2°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 New Jersey?
Generally yes: Rhode Island runs about 4% cheaper than New Jersey on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
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 $17,925 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 New Jersey across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Rhode Island compared to New Jersey?
New Jersey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Rhode Island leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Rhode Island compared to New Jersey?
The average high temperature in Providence is 61°F, compared to 67°F in Newark. Providence receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Newark gets 46.2 in.
