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Cost & Benefits

Compare / Los Angeles to Providence

Los Angeles, CA vs Providence, RI

Simple answer

You'd likely save $1,085 a month in Providence.

This is the HUD 2-bedroom fair-market rent for October 2026 through September 2027. It is not your lease.

The largest cost gap in this pair is housing prices. The BEA housing price parity differs by 66.6 points (Los Angeles 170.4, Providence 103.9).

California taxes wages at rates up to 13.30%. Rhode Island taxes wages at rates up to 5.99%. Combined sales tax differs by 2.0 percentage points, higher in California. The effective property tax gap is 0.37 percentage points, higher in Rhode Island.

After a move from California to Rhode Island, those two example households keep the same benefit status labels. A different income can still split Medicaid and marketplace credits.

A $75,000 salary in Los Angeles lines up with about $67,212 in Providence on the 2024 all-items price parity. Census median gross rent and the commute figures are 2024. Fair Market Rents are fiscal year 2027.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
$2,964
HUD area
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area
Census median gross rent
$2,114
All-items price parity
113.6
Goods price parity
106.6
Utilities price parity
158.6
Mean commute
30.7 min
Median household income
$96,405

Providence

Providence-Warwick, RI-MA

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
$1,879
HUD area
Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area
Census median gross rent
$1,396
All-items price parity
101.8
Goods price parity
97.1
Utilities price parity
148.8
Mean commute
27.9 min
Median household income
$82,870

Equivalent salary

The first number keeps the same place in the national price level. The second also runs 2026 federal income tax, employee Social Security and Medicare, and a simplified state income tax. Groceries use the BEA goods price parity, not a grocery receipt.

Same buying power

$67,212

Salary in Providence that matches the 2024 all-items regional price parity.

After state and federal tax

$65,145

Gross salary in Providence whose after-tax pay buys the same basket, using price parities.

Rent only

$47,546

Scales the salary by the ratio of HUD 2-bedroom Fair Market Rents. Rent is not the whole budget.

Taxes on the two sides of the move

TaxCaliforniaRhode Island
State income tax on wagesup to 13.30%up to 5.99%
Combined sales tax, Jan 1, 20269.0%7.0%
Effective property tax, ACS 2024 median / median0.71%1.07%

On a $400,000 home, the state median effective rate implies about $2,828 a year in California and $4,289 in Rhode Island. That illustration is not a local bill. Childcare prices are not in the verified dataset for these metros.

Benefits if you land in Rhode Island

Same household, $40,000 a year, scored once in California and once in Rhode Island. This is an illustration, not your application.

  • Food stamps (SNAP)

    Los AngelesLikely eligible

    ProvidenceLikely eligible

  • Medicaid and CHIP

    Los AngelesLikely eligible

    ProvidenceLikely eligible

  • WIC

    Los AngelesLikely eligible

    ProvidenceLikely eligible

  • School meals

    Los AngelesLikely eligible

    ProvidenceLikely eligible

  • LIHEAP

    Los AngelesMaybe

    ProvidenceMaybe

  • Earned Income Tax Credit

    Los AngelesLikely eligible

    ProvidenceLikely eligible

  • Child Tax Credit

    Los AngelesLikely eligible

    ProvidenceLikely eligible

  • Marketplace premium tax credits

    Los AngelesUnlikely

    ProvidenceUnlikely

  • Lifeline phone and internet

    Los AngelesLikely eligible

    ProvidenceLikely eligible

  • SSI

    Los AngelesUnlikely

    ProvidenceUnlikely

At $40,000 the status labels match. A single adult around $18,000 is where Medicaid expansion and the marketplace coverage gap usually split.

Medicaid guide for Rhode Island · SNAP guide

Related comparisons

How the salary and tax math works · The reverse city order redirects to this address.