Moving to Rhode Island from New York
What to Expect
Considering a move from New York to Rhode Island? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from New York to Rhode Island, you would find that Rhode Island is 0.5% cheaper than New York. A $75,000 salary in New York would need to be roughly $74,700 in Rhode Island to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between New York and Rhode Island.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $74,700
To maintain the same standard of living in Rhode Island
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 7.1% more
Groceries
pay 2.3% less
Transportation
pay 8.1% less
Housing
pay 7.4% more
Childcare
pay 5.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 7.5% 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.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Rhode Island compared to New York.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Rhode Island performs significantly better than New York 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 York 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 performs significantly better than New York across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Rhode Island performs significantly better than New York across all infrastructure metrics.
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 York 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
New York 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
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Albany | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C) | 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) | 68°/49°F (20°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 78°/58°F (26°/14°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 | Albany | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C) | 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C) |
| Feb | 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C) | 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C) |
| Mar | 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C) | 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C) |
| Apr | 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C) | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C) |
| May | 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C) | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C) |
| Jun | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C) | 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C) |
| Jul | 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C) | 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C) |
| Aug | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C) |
| Sep | 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C) | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C) | 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C) | 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C) |
| Dec | 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°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 York?
Rhode Island and New York are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Rhode Island?
Budget about $18,675 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 New York across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Rhode Island compared to New York?
New York generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Rhode Island leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Rhode Island compared to New York?
The average high temperature in Providence is 61°F, compared to 58°F in Albany. Providence receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Albany gets 39.4 in.
