Moving to Virginia from Rhode Island
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Rhode Island to Virginia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Rhode Island to Virginia, you would find that Virginia is 1.3% more expensive than Rhode Island. A $75,000 salary in Rhode Island would need to be roughly $69,772 in Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Rhode Island to Virginia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $69,772
To maintain the same standard of living in Virginia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 4.4% less
Groceries
pay 1.6% less
Transportation
pay 9.4% less
Housing
pay 14.9% less
Childcare
pay 11.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.7% 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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Rhode Island to Virginia.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Rhode Island performs better than Virginia 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 better than Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Virginia generally does better on what about housing?, though Rhode Island leads in median rent.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Rhode Island performs better than Virginia 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
Virginia performs significantly better than Rhode Island 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 generally does better on family life, though Virginia leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
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 | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/49°F (20°/9°C) | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/61°F (26°/16°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 53°/35°F (12°/2°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Providence | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C) | 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) |
| Feb | 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C) | 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) |
| Mar | 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C) | 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) |
| Apr | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C) | 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) |
| May | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C) | 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) |
| Jun | 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C) | 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) |
| Aug | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C) | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) |
| Sep | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C) | 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) |
| Oct | 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C) | 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) |
| Nov | 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C) | 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) |
| Dec | 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.2°C) | 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Virginia than Rhode Island?
Yes — Virginia is on average about 7% cheaper than Rhode Island. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Virginia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $17,443 in Virginia on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Virginia safe?
Rhode Island performs better than Virginia across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Virginia compared to Rhode Island?
Rhode Island performs better than Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Virginia compared to Rhode Island?
The average high temperature in Richmond is 70°F, compared to 61°F in Providence. Richmond receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Providence gets 47.2 in.
