City comparison
Providence, RI vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 16.0% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $116,000 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,587 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.8% moving from Providence, RI to Tuscaloosa, AL ($120,548 → $107,510), while prices change by −13.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.5% in real buying power.
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Providence, RI | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.8 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,194 in Tuscaloosa | $116,018 in Providence |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,402/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (RI) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $53,680 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Providence | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.9 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 97.1 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 102.3 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 101.8 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Providence, RI → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,587/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Providence, RI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,587/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; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Providence, RI to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Providence, RI | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Providence → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $62,344 | +3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $75,431 | +3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $90,410 | +3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $107,510 | +3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $127,044 | +3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Providence, RI | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Providence dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $86,720 | $60,220 | $69,866 (−19.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $104,870 | $121,668 (−6.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,020 | $71,690 | $83,173 (−12.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,880 | $75,250 | $87,303 (−12.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.