City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Providence, RI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 11.6% higher than in Providence, RI. Someone earning $100,000 in Providence, RI would need about $111,600 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,402 in Providence, RI. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 22% in Providence, RI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,922 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.9% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Providence, RI ($124,085 → $120,548), while prices change by −10.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.4% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- 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
| Los Angeles, CA | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,616 in Providence | $111,588 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $53,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Providence, RI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,922/yr.
100 Strong offer
Providence, RI → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.4%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$1,922/yr.
24 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Providence, RI | Real change, Los Angeles → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $69,905 | +8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $84,579 | +8.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $101,375 | +8.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $120,548 | +8.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $142,452 | +8.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $129,630 | $109,940 | $122,679 (−5.4%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $130,690 | $145,834 (−9.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $95,020 | $106,030 (+12.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $99,880 | $111,454 (−17.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.