South Bend, IN vs Providence, RI
Moving from South Bend to Providence? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($238,866 → $524,867 median home) and taxes.
South Bend 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 South Bend, IN, you'd need about $111,089 in Providence, RI (+$11,089).
Livability — South Bend, IN: 71 · Providence, RI: 58 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 3,978 sqft in South Bend vs 1,524 sqft in Providence ($126 vs $328 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | South Bend, IN | Providence, RI | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $16,080 | $25,956 | +$9,876 |
| Groceries | $4,734 | $4,922 | +$188 |
| Transportation | $3,250 | $3,875 | +$625 |
| Utilities | $1,932 | $3,060 | +$1,128 |
| Insurance | $1,600 | $1,700 | +$100 |
| Taxes | $7,022 | $13,121 | +$6,099 |
| Total | $34,618 | $52,634 | +$18,016 |
Side by side
| Metric | South Bend, IN | Providence, RI |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 91.4 | 101.5 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.85% | 5.82% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 1.2% | 3.6% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 45 | 42 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.20 | $5.78 |
| Median home price | $238,866 | $524,867 |
| Home price ÷ income | 3.8× | 6.5× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 5.7% | 3.1% |
| Price per square foot | $126 | $328 |
| Median rent | $1,340 | $2,163 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 9.3% | 11.4% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Capital gains tax | 3.05% | 5.99% |
| Property tax rate | 0.90% | 1.31% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,600 | $7,600 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $12,000 | $13,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 1.20% | None |
| Avg commute (min) | 22 | 26 |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,600 | $1,700 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,400 | $2,100 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $600 | $900 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 17.9 | 28.3 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.30 | 3.35 |
| Violent crime /100k | 360 | 240 |
| Avg summer high °F | 86 | 82 |
| Avg winter low °F | 20 | 21 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 4 |