State overview · RI
What salary do you need to live comfortably in Rhode Island? Real data for 1 city, updated June 2026.
| City | Salary needed | Housing / mo | Median salary | Salary gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence | $98,979 | $1,729 | $53,680 | $45,299 |
Cost of Living in Rhode Island
Providence requires a household income of $98,979 per year to cover basic expenses, running above the national median of $93,992 by roughly $5,000. That gap matters, but a sharper problem lies in local wages: the median salary in Providence sits at $53,680, leaving a shortfall of $45,299 against what residents actually need. Someone earning that local median covers only about half the required income, making Providence a genuinely difficult place to get ahead financially. These figures reflect one tracked city, not Rhode Island as a whole, so they should be read as a Providence snapshot.
CityWage currently tracks one city in Rhode Island, Providence, and the table below breaks down its full cost profile.
Frequently asked questions
What's the cost of living in Providence, RI?
You need about $98,979 per year to live comfortably in Providence, based on the 50/30/20 budget rule applied to BLS and HUD data.
Does the median salary in Providence cover the cost of living?
Not on its own. The median local salary of $53,680 falls about $45,299 short of the $98,979 needed to live comfortably.
Is Providence above or below the national average?
Providence runs above the national median. It needs $98,979 per year versus the national figure of $93,992.
Nearby states