Moving to Michigan from Rhode Island
What to Expect
Considering a move from Rhode Island to Michigan? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Rhode Island to Michigan, you would find that Michigan is 17.6% cheaper than Rhode Island. A $75,000 salary in Rhode Island would need to be roughly $56,702 in Michigan to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Rhode Island and Michigan.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $56,702
To maintain the same standard of living in Michigan
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 16.9% less
Groceries
pay 23.1% less
Transportation
pay 19.9% less
Housing
pay 28.1% less
Childcare
pay 27.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.6% 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 Michigan compared to Rhode Island.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Rhode Island performs better than Michigan 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 generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Michigan leads in diabetes rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Michigan performs significantly 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 generally does better on infrastructure, though Michigan leads in average commute.
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
Rhode Island performs better than Michigan across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Rhode Island performs better than Michigan 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 | Providence | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 36°/21°F (2°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/49°F (20°/9°C) | 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/61°F (26°/16°C) | 79°/57°F (26°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 53°/35°F (12°/2°C) | 47°/32°F (9°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Providence | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C) | 31°/17°F (-0.8°/-8.3°C) |
| Feb | 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C) | 34°/19°F (0.9°/-7.4°C) |
| Mar | 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C) | 44°/27°F (6.7°/-2.8°C) |
| Apr | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C) | 58°/38°F (14.2°/3.3°C) |
| May | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C) | 69°/48°F (20.5°/8.9°C) |
| Jun | 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C) | 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) |
| Jul | 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C) | 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.2°C) |
| Aug | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C) | 81°/60°F (27.0°/15.5°C) |
| Sep | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C) | 74°/51°F (23.1°/10.8°C) |
| Oct | 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C) | 60°/41°F (15.8°/5.1°C) |
| Nov | 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C) | 47°/33°F (8.6°/0.5°C) |
| Dec | 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.2°C) | 35°/22°F (1.6°/-5.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Michigan than Rhode Island?
On average Michigan is about 24% less expensive than Rhode Island, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Michigan?
Budget about $14,176 for 3 months in Michigan (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Michigan safe?
Rhode Island performs better than Michigan across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Michigan compared to Rhode Island?
Rhode Island generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Michigan leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in Michigan compared to Rhode Island?
The average high temperature in Lansing is 58°F, compared to 61°F in Providence. Lansing receives around 32.2 in of rainfall per year, while Providence gets 47.2 in.
