Moving to Washington from Rhode Island
What to Expect
Considering a move from Rhode Island to Washington? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Rhode Island to Washington, you would find that Washington is 0.0% more expensive than Rhode Island. A $75,000 salary in Rhode Island would need to be roughly $68,182 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Rhode Island and Washington.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $68,182
To maintain the same standard of living in Washington
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 4.5% less
Groceries
pay 11.6% less
Transportation
pay 3.2% less
Housing
pay 11.8% less
Childcare
pay 3.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 0.6% 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 Washington 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 Washington 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
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Rhode Island leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Rhode Island generally does better on what about housing?, though Washington leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Rhode Island generally does better on infrastructure, though Washington leads in internet access.
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
Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though Rhode Island leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Washington performs significantly better than Rhode Island 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 | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/49°F (20°/9°C) | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/61°F (26°/16°C) | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 53°/35°F (12°/2°C) | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Providence | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C) | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) |
| Feb | 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C) | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) |
| Mar | 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C) | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C) | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) |
| May | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C) | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) |
| Jun | 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jul | 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C) | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) |
| Aug | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C) | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) |
| Sep | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C) | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) |
| Oct | 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C) | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C) | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.2°C) | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Washington than Rhode Island?
On average Washington is about 9% less expensive than Rhode Island, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Washington?
Budget about $17,046 for 3 months in Washington (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Washington safe?
Rhode Island performs better than Washington across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Washington compared to Rhode Island?
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Rhode Island leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Washington compared to Rhode Island?
The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 61°F in Providence. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Providence gets 47.2 in.
