Memphis, TN vs Providence, RI
Moving from Memphis to Providence? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($247,229 → $524,867 median home) and taxes.
Memphis 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 Memphis, TN, you'd need about $110,402 in Providence, RI (+$10,402).
Livability — Memphis, TN: 70 · Providence, RI: 58 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 4,045 sqft in Memphis vs 1,524 sqft in Providence ($124 vs $328 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Memphis, TN | Providence, RI | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $17,292 | $25,956 | +$8,664 |
| Groceries | $4,715 | $4,922 | +$206 |
| Transportation | $3,130 | $3,875 | +$745 |
| Utilities | $1,608 | $3,060 | +$1,452 |
| Insurance | $2,200 | $1,700 | −$500 |
| Taxes | $5,158 | $13,121 | +$7,964 |
| Total | $34,103 | $52,634 | +$18,531 |
Side by side
| Metric | Memphis, TN | Providence, RI |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 91.9 | 101.5 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.84% | 5.82% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | -0.6% | 3.6% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 42 | 42 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.23 | $5.78 |
| Median home price | $247,229 | $524,867 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.0× | 6.5× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 0.1% | 3.1% |
| Price per square foot | $124 | $328 |
| Median rent | $1,441 | $2,163 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 7.6% | 11.4% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.55% | 7.00% |
| Capital gains tax | None | 5.99% |
| Property tax rate | 0.87% | 1.31% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,300 | $7,600 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $9,000 | $13,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | None | None |
| Avg commute (min) | 24 | 26 |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,200 | $1,700 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,600 | $2,100 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $700 | $900 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $350 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 14.9 | 28.3 |
| Gas $/gal | 2.95 | 3.35 |
| Natural gas / mo | $62 | $92 |
| Water & sewer / mo | $121 | $80 |
| Home internet / mo | $80 | $67 |
| Violent crime /100k | 600 | 240 |
| Avg summer high °F | 89 | 82 |
| Avg winter low °F | 30 | 21 |
| Annual precipitation (in) | 54.9 | 47.5 |
| Annual snowfall (in) | 2.7 | 36.6 |
| Sunshine (% possible) | 64% | 56% |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 4 |