City comparison
Providence, RI vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 9.0% higher than in Providence, RI. Someone earning $100,000 in Providence, RI would need about $109,000 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,402 in Providence, RI. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 22% in Providence, RI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,922 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.8% moving from Providence, RI to Urban Honolulu, HI ($120,548 → $111,119), while prices change by +9.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.5% in real buying power.
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Providence, RI | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.8 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,028 in Urban Honolulu | $91,720 in Providence |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,402/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (RI) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $53,680 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Providence | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.9 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 97.1 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 102.3 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 101.8 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Providence, RI → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.3%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$2,922/yr.
31 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Providence, RI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$2,922/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; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Providence, RI to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Providence, RI | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Providence → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $64,438 | −15.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $77,964 | −15.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $93,445 | −15.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $111,119 | −15.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $131,310 | −15.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Providence, RI | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Providence dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $86,720 | $73,080 | $67,029 (−22.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $120,230 | $110,274 (−15.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,020 | $74,990 | $68,781 (−27.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,880 | $139,260 | $127,729 (+27.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.