City comparison
Providence, RI vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 7.1% higher than in Providence, RI. Someone earning $100,000 in Providence, RI would need about $107,100 in Salinas, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,232 a month in Salinas, CA versus $1,402 in Providence, RI. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 22% in Providence, RI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,922 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.4% moving from Providence, RI to Salinas, CA ($120,548 → $133,060), while prices change by +7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.0% in real buying power.
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Providence, RI | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.8 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,142 in Salinas | $93,334 in Providence |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,402/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (RI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $53,680 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Providence | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.9 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 97.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 102.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 101.8 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Providence, RI → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.7%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$1,922/yr.
31 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Providence, RI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,922/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Providence, RI is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Providence, RI to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Providence, RI | Salinas, CA | Real change, Providence → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $77,161 | +3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $93,358 | +3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $111,896 | +3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $133,060 | +3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $157,236 | +3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Providence, RI | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Providence dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $86,720 | $100,220 | $93,539 (+7.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $135,160 | $126,150 (−3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,020 | $83,810 | $78,223 (−17.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,880 | $134,910 | $125,917 (+26.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.