City comparison
Phoenix, AZ vs Providence, RI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 1.5% higher than in Providence, RI. Someone earning $100,000 in Providence, RI would need about $101,500 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,402 in Providence, RI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 22% in Providence, RI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $857 a year higher in Providence, RI than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.3% moving from Phoenix, AZ to Providence, RI ($111,338 → $120,548), while prices change by −1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.9% in real buying power.
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (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
| Phoenix, AZ | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.3 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,507 in Providence | $101,516 in Phoenix |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,583/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,380 | $53,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA and Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Phoenix | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 121.2 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 103.3 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Phoenix, AZ → Providence, RI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$857/yr.
73 Strong offer
Providence, RI → Phoenix, AZ
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$857/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Phoenix, AZ is in the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Phoenix, AZ to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Phoenix, AZ | Providence, RI | Real change, Phoenix → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,564 | $69,905 | +9.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,117 | $84,579 | +9.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,629 | $101,375 | +9.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,338 | $120,548 | +9.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,568 | $142,452 | +9.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Phoenix, AZ | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Phoenix dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,180 | $86,720 | $88,035 (+48.8%) |
| Software Developers | $131,750 | $130,690 | $132,671 (+0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,820 | $95,020 | $96,461 (+19.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,830 | $99,880 | $101,394 (+0.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.