Moving to Rhode Island from New York

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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 0.9% more expensive than New York. A $75,000 salary in New York would need to be roughly $79,938 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 $79,938

To maintain the same standard of living in Rhode Island

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 9.8% more

Groceries

pay 7.5% more

Transportation

pay 3.9% more

Housing

pay 14.9% more

Childcare

pay 2.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 5.3% less

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

The numbers behind daily life in Rhode Island compared to New York.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NY
381
RI
165
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NY
1760
RI
1102

Rhode Island performs significantly better than New York across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

NY
5.0%
RI
4.2%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NY
29.9%
RI
31.6%

New York generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Rhode Island leads in uninsured rate.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

NY
$403,000
RI
$368,800
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

NY
$1,576
RI
$1,273

Rhode Island performs significantly better than New York 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

NY
89.7%
RI
90.8%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

NY
33 min
RI
26 min

Rhode Island performs significantly better than New York across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

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

a broad measure of economic output per person

NY
$91,992
RI
$56,938

New York generally does better on employment & economy, though Rhode Island leads in median household income.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

NY
77.7 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

NY
28%
RI
26%

New York generally does better on family life, though Rhode Island leads in life expectancy.

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.

Albany Rain: 39.4 in/yr (1000 mm)
58° / 39°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

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 National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Rhode Island than New York?

On average Rhode Island is around 7% pricier than New York, with notable variation by city.

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

Budget about $19,984 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.

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