City comparison
Providence, RI vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 4.6% higher than in Providence, RI. Someone earning $100,000 in Providence, RI would need about $104,600 in Riverside, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,777 a month in Riverside, CA versus $1,402 in Providence, RI. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 22% in Providence, RI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,922 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.9% moving from Providence, RI to Riverside, CA ($120,548 → $124,085), while prices change by +4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.6% in real buying power.
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Providence, RI | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.8 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,588 in Riverside | $95,614 in Providence |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,402/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (RI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $53,680 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Providence | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.9 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 97.1 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 102.3 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 101.8 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Providence, RI → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.4%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$1,922/yr.
49 Fair offer
Riverside, CA → Providence, RI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,922/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Providence, RI is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Providence, RI to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Providence, RI | Riverside, CA | Real change, Providence → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $71,957 | −1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $87,061 | −1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $104,349 | −1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $124,085 | −1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $146,632 | −1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Providence, RI | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Providence dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $86,720 | $98,520 | $94,198 (+8.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $133,270 | $127,424 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,020 | $83,920 | $80,239 (−15.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,880 | $133,940 | $128,065 (+28.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.