Manchester, NH vs Providence, RI
Moving from Manchester to Providence? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($526,340 → $524,867 median home) and taxes.
Manchester 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 Manchester, NH, you'd need about $96,108 in Providence, RI (−$3,892).
Livability — Manchester, NH: 62 · Providence, RI: 58 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 1,710 sqft in Manchester vs 1,524 sqft in Providence ($292 vs $328 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Manchester, NH | Providence, RI | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $25,632 | $25,956 | +$324 |
| Groceries | $4,935 | $4,922 | −$14 |
| Transportation | $2,955 | $3,875 | +$920 |
| Utilities | $2,940 | $3,060 | +$120 |
| Insurance | $1,000 | $1,700 | +$700 |
| Taxes | $6,681 | $13,121 | +$6,440 |
| Total | $44,143 | $52,634 | +$8,490 |
Side by side
| Metric | Manchester, NH | Providence, RI |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 105.6 | 101.5 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.69% | 5.82% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 4.0% | 3.6% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 37 | 42 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $6.01 | $5.78 |
| Median home price | $526,340 | $524,867 |
| Home price ÷ income | 5.5× | 6.5× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 2.2% | 3.1% |
| Price per square foot | $292 | $328 |
| Median rent | $2,136 | $2,163 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 9.6% | 11.4% |
| Combined sales tax | 0.00% | 7.00% |
| Capital gains tax | None | 5.99% |
| Property tax rate | 1.88% | 1.31% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $7,800 | $7,600 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $15,000 | $13,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 1.80% | None |
| Avg commute (min) | 27 | 26 |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,000 | $1,700 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,200 | $2,100 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $650 | $900 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 27.2 | 28.3 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.25 | 3.35 |
| Violent crime /100k | 120 | 240 |
| Avg summer high °F | 81 | 82 |
| Avg winter low °F | 10 | 21 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 3 | 4 |