Buffalo, NY vs Providence, RI
Moving from Buffalo to Providence? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($288,316 → $524,867 median home) and taxes.
Buffalo 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 Buffalo, NY, you'd need about $106,943 in Providence, RI (+$6,943).
Livability — Buffalo, NY: 61 · Providence, RI: 58 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 2,775 sqft in Buffalo vs 1,524 sqft in Providence ($180 vs $328 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Buffalo, NY | Providence, RI | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $17,328 | $25,956 | +$8,628 |
| Groceries | $4,868 | $4,922 | +$54 |
| Transportation | $3,895 | $3,875 | −$20 |
| Utilities | $3,180 | $3,060 | −$120 |
| Insurance | $1,600 | $1,700 | +$100 |
| Taxes | $18,192 | $13,121 | −$5,071 |
| Total | $49,063 | $52,634 | +$3,571 |
Side by side
| Metric | Buffalo, NY | Providence, RI |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 94.9 | 101.5 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.10% | 5.82% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 2.4% | 3.6% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 44 | 42 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.40 | $5.78 |
| Median home price | $288,316 | $524,867 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.3× | 6.5× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 4.8% | 3.1% |
| Price per square foot | $180 | $328 |
| Median rent | $1,444 | $2,163 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 15.9% | 11.4% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.52% | 7.00% |
| Capital gains tax | 10.90% | 5.99% |
| Property tax rate | 2.26% | 1.31% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $7,800 | $7,600 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $17,000 | $13,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | None | None |
| Avg commute (min) | 22 | 26 |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,600 | $1,700 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $2,100 | $2,100 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $800 | $900 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 29.4 | 28.3 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.45 | 3.35 |
| Violent crime /100k | 350 | 240 |
| Avg summer high °F | 83 | 82 |
| Avg winter low °F | 16 | 21 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 5 | 4 |