City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Providence, RI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 6.2% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $106,200 in Providence, RI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,402 a month in Providence, RI versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,712 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.3% moving from Buffalo, NY to Providence, RI ($111,301 → $120,548), while prices change by +6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.0% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- 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
| Buffalo, NY | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,186 in Providence | $94,174 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $53,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Providence, RI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,712/yr.
51 Fair offer
Providence, RI → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,712/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Providence, RI | Real change, Buffalo → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $69,905 | +2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $84,579 | +2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $101,375 | +2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $120,548 | +2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $142,452 | +2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $86,720 | $81,668 (+6.8%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $130,690 | $123,076 (−3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $95,020 | $89,484 (+9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $99,880 | $94,061 (−5.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.