City comparison
Providence, RI vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 14.1% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $114,100 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 $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $806 a year higher in Tulsa, OK than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.7% moving from Providence, RI to Tulsa, OK ($120,548 → $106,437), while prices change by −12.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Providence, RI | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.8 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,660 in Tulsa | $114,077 in Providence |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,402/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (RI) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $53,680 | $46,670 |
| 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 Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Providence | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.9 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 97.1 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 102.3 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 101.8 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Providence, RI → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$806/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Providence, RI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$806/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Providence, RI is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Providence, RI to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Providence, RI | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Providence → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $61,722 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $74,678 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $89,508 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $106,437 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $125,776 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Providence, RI | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Providence dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $86,720 | $48,220 | $55,008 (−36.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $108,730 | $124,036 (−5.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,020 | $81,320 | $92,768 (−2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,880 | $84,790 | $96,726 (−3.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.