City comparison
Austin, TX vs Providence, RI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 3.8% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $103,800 in Providence, RI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,402 in Providence, RI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 22% in Providence, RI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Providence, RI than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Austin, TX to Providence, RI ($109,428 → $120,548), while prices change by +3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.1% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,780 in Providence | $96,358 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $53,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Providence, RI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
57 Fair offer
Providence, RI → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Providence, RI | Real change, Austin → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $69,905 | +6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $84,579 | +6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $101,375 | +6.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $120,548 | +6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $142,452 | +6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $86,720 | $83,561 (+36.4%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $130,690 | $125,930 (−6.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $95,020 | $91,559 (+10.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $99,880 | $96,242 (−1.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.