City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Providence, RI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 14.0% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $114,000 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,419 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.1% moving from Columbus, GA to Providence, RI ($112,556 → $120,548), while prices change by +14.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.0% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much 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
| Columbus, GA | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,973 in Providence | $87,740 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $53,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Providence, RI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,419/yr.
38 Weak offer
Providence, RI → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,419/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Providence, RI | Real change, Columbus → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $69,905 | −6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $84,579 | −6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $101,375 | −6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $120,548 | −6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $142,452 | −6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $86,720 | $76,088 (+24.0%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $130,690 | $114,668 (−1.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $95,020 | $83,371 (+13.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $99,880 | $87,635 (+6.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.