Augusta, GA vs Providence, RI
Moving from Augusta to Providence? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($253,524 → $524,867 median home) and taxes.
Augusta vs Providence at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Augusta, GA, you'd need about $111,252 in Providence, RI (+$11,252).
Livability — Augusta, GA: 72 · Providence, RI: 58 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 4,042 sqft in Augusta vs 1,524 sqft in Providence ($124 vs $328 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Augusta, GA | Providence, RI | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $17,748 | $25,956 | +$8,208 |
| Groceries | $4,809 | $4,922 | +$112 |
| Transportation | $3,515 | $3,875 | +$360 |
| Utilities | $1,656 | $3,060 | +$1,404 |
| Insurance | $2,100 | $1,700 | −$400 |
| Taxes | $9,236 | $13,121 | +$3,885 |
| Total | $39,064 | $52,634 | +$13,569 |
Side by side
| Metric | Augusta, GA | Providence, RI |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 91.2 | 101.5 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.45% | 5.82% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 4.0% | 3.6% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 52 | 42 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.19 | $5.78 |
| Median home price | $253,524 | $524,867 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.0× | 6.5× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 2.8% | 3.1% |
| Price per square foot | $124 | $328 |
| Median rent | $1,479 | $2,163 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.38% | 7.00% |
| Capital gains tax | 5.39% | 5.99% |
| Property tax rate | 0.68% | 1.31% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,400 | $7,600 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $9,500 | $13,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | None | None |
| Avg commute (min) | 24 | 26 |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,100 | $1,700 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,900 | $2,100 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $700 | $900 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 15.4 | 28.3 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.15 | 3.35 |
| Violent crime /100k | 370 | 240 |
| Avg summer high °F | 89 | 82 |
| Avg winter low °F | 34 | 21 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 4 |