City comparison
Providence, RI vs Provo, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 3.6% higher than in Provo, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Provo, UT would need about $103,600 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 $1,265 in Provo, UT. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 20% in Provo, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $386 a year higher in Provo, UT than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.7% moving from Providence, RI to Provo, UT ($120,548 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.5% in real buying power.
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Providence, RI | Provo, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.8 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,521 in Provo | $103,605 in Providence |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,402/mo | $1,265/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (RI) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $53,680 | $48,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA. Metro areas: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Providence | Provo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.9 | 104.1 |
| Goods | 97.1 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 78.6 |
| Other services | 102.3 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 101.8 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Providence, RI → Provo, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$386/yr.
80 Strong offer
Provo, UT → Providence, RI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$386/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Providence, RI is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Provo, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Providence, RI to Provo, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Providence, RI | Provo, UT | Real change, Providence → Provo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $61,722 | −8.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $74,678 | −8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $89,508 | −8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $106,437 | −8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $125,776 | −8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Providence, RI | Provo, UT | Provo pay in Providence dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $86,720 | $62,930 | $65,198 (−24.8%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $131,210 | $135,940 (+4.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,020 | $75,700 | $78,429 (−17.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,880 | $81,780 | $84,728 (−15.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.