Moving to Rhode Island from Pennsylvania
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Pennsylvania to Rhode Island — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Pennsylvania to Rhode Island, you would find that Rhode Island is 11.6% more expensive than Pennsylvania. A $75,000 salary in Pennsylvania would need to be roughly $89,734 in Rhode Island to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Pennsylvania to Rhode Island.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $89,734
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 16.7% more
Groceries
pay 12.3% more
Transportation
pay 18.0% more
Housing
pay 32.0% more
Childcare
pay 3.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 19.1% more
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 Pennsylvania to Rhode Island.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Rhode Island performs significantly better than Pennsylvania 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
Rhode Island performs significantly better than Pennsylvania across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Pennsylvania performs better than Rhode Island 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 Pennsylvania 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
Pennsylvania 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
Rhode Island performs significantly better than Pennsylvania 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Harrisburg | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/50°F (22°/10°C) | 68°/49°F (20°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/61°F (27°/16°C) | 79°/61°F (26°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/34°F (11°/1°C) | 53°/35°F (12°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Harrisburg | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C) | 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C) |
| Feb | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C) | 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C) | 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C) |
| Apr | 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C) |
| May | 72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C) | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C) |
| Jun | 81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C) | 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C) |
| Jul | 85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C) | 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C) |
| Aug | 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C) |
| Sep | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C) | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C) | 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C) | 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C) |
| Dec | 40°/26°F (4.4°/-3.2°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 Pennsylvania?
No — Rhode Island is on average about 20% more expensive than Pennsylvania. 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 $22,434 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 Pennsylvania across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Rhode Island compared to Pennsylvania?
Rhode Island performs significantly better than Pennsylvania across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Rhode Island compared to Pennsylvania?
The average high temperature in Providence is 61°F, compared to 61°F in Harrisburg. Providence receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Harrisburg gets 43.6 in.
