City comparison
Brownsville, 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 18.4% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $118,400 in Providence, RI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,402 a month in Providence, RI versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Providence, RI than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Brownsville, TX to Providence, RI ($106,437 → $120,548), while prices change by +18.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.3% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Brownsville, TX | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,375 in Providence | $84,477 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/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 | 13% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $53,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Providence, RI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
38 Weak offer
Providence, RI → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.4%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Providence, RI | Real change, Brownsville → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,905 | −4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,579 | −4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $101,375 | −4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,548 | −4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $142,452 | −4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $86,720 | $73,259 (+15.6%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $130,690 | $110,403 (+3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $95,020 | $80,270 (+20.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $99,880 | $84,376 (+4.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.