City comparison
Providence, RI vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 9.2% higher than in Providence, RI. Someone earning $100,000 in Providence, RI would need about $109,200 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,402 in Providence, RI. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 22% in Providence, RI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Providence, RI than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.8% moving from Providence, RI to Seattle, WA ($120,548 → $119,630), while prices change by +9.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.1% in real buying power.
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Providence, RI | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.8 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,197 in Seattle | $91,578 in Providence |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,402/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (RI) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $53,680 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Providence | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.9 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 97.1 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 102.3 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 101.8 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Providence, RI → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
31 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Providence, RI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Providence, RI is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Providence, RI to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Providence, RI | Seattle, WA | Real change, Providence → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $69,373 | −9.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $83,935 | −9.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $100,602 | −9.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $119,630 | −9.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $141,367 | −9.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Providence, RI | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Providence dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $86,720 | $102,920 | $94,252 (+8.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $167,280 | $153,191 (+17.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,020 | $99,370 | $91,001 (−4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,880 | $128,260 | $117,458 (+17.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.