City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Providence, RI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 3.6% higher than in Providence, RI. Someone earning $100,000 in Providence, RI would need about $103,600 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,402 a month in Providence, RI versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Providence, RI than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.2% moving from Anchorage, AK to Providence, RI ($120,348 → $120,548), while prices change by −3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.8% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,541 in Providence | $103,583 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $53,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Providence, RI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
80 Strong offer
Providence, RI → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Providence, RI | Real change, Anchorage → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $69,905 | +3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $84,579 | +3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $101,375 | +3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $120,548 | +3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $142,452 | +3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $86,720 | $89,828 (+13.3%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $130,690 | $135,373 (+30.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $95,020 | $98,425 (+19.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $99,880 | $103,459 (−10.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.