Moving to Florida from Rhode Island

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Rhode Island to Florida, you would find that Florida is 9.2% cheaper than Rhode Island. A $75,000 salary in Rhode Island would need to be roughly $66,666 in Florida to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Tallahassee averages 80°F vs 61°F in Providence, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $66,666

To maintain the same standard of living in Florida

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 4.5% less

Groceries

pay 14.4% less

Transportation

pay 16.7% less

Housing

pay 8.3% less

Childcare

pay 33.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 14.9% 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

How Rhode Island and Florida 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

RI
165
FL
280
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

RI
1102
FL
1461

Rhode Island performs better than Florida across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

RI
4.2%
FL
11.0%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

RI
31.6%
FL
32.6%

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

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

RI
$368,800
FL
$325,000
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

RI
$1,273
FL
$1,564

Florida generally does better on what about housing?, though Rhode Island leads in median rent.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

RI
90.8%
FL
90.4%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

RI
26 min
FL
28 min

Rhode Island performs better than Florida across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

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

a broad measure of economic output per person

RI
$56,938
FL
$57,636

Rhode Island generally does better on employment & economy, though Florida leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

RI
78.2 yrs
FL
77.5 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

RI
26%
FL
22%

Rhode Island performs better than Florida 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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Tallahassee Rain: 59.2 in/yr (1504 mm)
80° / 56°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Providence Tallahassee
Jan–Mar 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) 68°/43°F (20°/6°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/49°F (20°/9°C) 86°/61°F (30°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/61°F (26°/16°C) 91°/71°F (33°/22°C)
Oct–Dec 53°/35°F (12°/2°C) 73°/48°F (23°/9°C)
View all months
Month Providence Tallahassee
Jan 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C) 64°/39°F (17.5°/3.9°C)
Feb 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C) 67°/42°F (19.7°/5.5°C)
Mar 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C) 74°/47°F (23.2°/8.4°C)
Apr 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C) 80°/52°F (26.6°/11.3°C)
May 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C) 87°/62°F (30.6°/16.4°C)
Jun 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C) 91°/69°F (32.8°/20.8°C)
Jul 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C) 92°/72°F (33.4°/22.2°C)
Aug 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C) 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.3°C)
Sep 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C) 88°/68°F (31.3°/20.1°C)
Oct 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C) 81°/57°F (27.4°/14.1°C)
Nov 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C) 73°/47°F (22.8°/8.6°C)
Dec 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.2°C) 65°/41°F (18.5°/5.1°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Florida than Rhode Island?

Generally yes: Florida runs about 11% cheaper than Rhode Island on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Florida?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $16,666 in Florida for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Florida safe?

Rhode Island performs better than Florida across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Florida compared to Rhode Island?

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

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

The average high temperature in Tallahassee is 80°F, compared to 61°F in Providence. Tallahassee receives around 59.2 in of rainfall per year, while Providence gets 47.2 in.

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