Moving to Rhode Island from Virginia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Virginia to Rhode Island? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Virginia to Rhode Island, you would find that Rhode Island is 3.3% more expensive than Virginia. A $75,000 salary in Virginia would need to be roughly $80,620 in Rhode Island to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Virginia and Rhode Island.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $80,620
To maintain the same standard of living in Rhode Island
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 5.1% more
Groceries
pay 4.8% more
Transportation
pay 19.2% more
Housing
pay 18.9% more
Childcare
pay 8.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.3% 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
The numbers behind daily life in Rhode Island compared to Virginia.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Rhode Island performs significantly 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 generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Virginia leads in adult smoking rate.
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 significantly 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 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
Virginia generally does better on family life, though Rhode Island leads in life expectancy.
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 | Richmond | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) | 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 68°/49°F (20°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) | 79°/61°F (26°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 53°/35°F (12°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Richmond | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) | 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C) |
| Feb | 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) | 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C) |
| Mar | 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) | 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C) |
| Apr | 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C) |
| Jun | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) | 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) | 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C) |
| Sep | 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) | 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) | 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C) |
| Dec | 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°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 Virginia?
On average Rhode Island is around 7% pricier than Virginia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Rhode Island?
Budget about $20,155 for 3 months in Rhode Island (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Rhode Island safe?
Rhode Island performs significantly better than Virginia across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Rhode Island compared to Virginia?
Rhode Island generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Virginia leads in adult smoking rate.
What's the weather like in Rhode Island compared to Virginia?
The average high temperature in Providence is 61°F, compared to 70°F in Richmond. Providence receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Richmond gets 43.6 in.
