Moving to Rhode Island from Ohio

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Ohio to Rhode Island — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Ohio to Rhode Island, you would find that Rhode Island is 26.7% more expensive than Ohio. A $75,000 salary in Ohio would need to be roughly $103,294 in Rhode Island to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Providence averages 61°F vs 76°F in Columbus, making it significantly cooler.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Ohio to Rhode Island.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $103,294

To maintain the same standard of living in Rhode Island

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 23.6% more

Groceries

pay 36.0% more

Transportation

pay 15.5% more

Housing

pay 57.3% more

Childcare

pay 37.6% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 31.6% 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

How Ohio and Rhode Island stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

OH
284
RI
165
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

OH
1676
RI
1102

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

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

OH
6.2%
RI
4.2%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

OH
39.5%
RI
31.6%

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

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

OH
$199,200
RI
$368,800
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

OH
$988
RI
$1,273

Ohio 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

OH
89.0%
RI
90.8%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

OH
24 min
RI
26 min

Ohio 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

OH
4.0%
RI
4.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

OH
$60,669
RI
$56,938

Ohio 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

OH
75.3 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

OH
21%
RI
26%

Rhode Island performs significantly better than Ohio 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.

Columbus Rain: 46.8 in/yr (1188 mm)
76° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Columbus Providence
Jan–Mar 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun 84°/62°F (29°/16°C) 68°/49°F (20°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 90°/71°F (32°/21°C) 79°/61°F (26°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) 53°/35°F (12°/2°C)
View all months
Month Columbus Providence
Jan 58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C) 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C)
Feb 62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C) 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C)
Mar 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C)
Apr 77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C) 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C)
May 84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C) 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C)
Jun 90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C) 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C)
Jul 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C)
Aug 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C) 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C)
Sep 86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C) 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C)
Oct 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C) 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C)
Nov 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C)
Dec 59°/39°F (15.2°/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 Ohio?

Day-to-day costs in Rhode Island run about 38% higher than Ohio on average; specific cities can swing further.

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 $25,824 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 Ohio across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Rhode Island compared to Ohio?

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

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

The average high temperature in Providence is 61°F, compared to 76°F in Columbus. Providence receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Columbus gets 46.8 in.

Share this