Living in Rhode Island · 2026
Is $43,000 enough to live in Rhode Island?
Single adult · RI · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data
Monthly take-home
$2,920
Avg monthly expenses
$2,443
Avg monthly surplus
$477
Savings potential
~16%
After-tax take-home in Rhode Island
How $43,000 feels in Rhode Island cities
Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL
Providence
COL index: 1.18× national avg
Cranston
COL index: 1.10× national avg
Warwick
COL index: 1.08× national avg
Pawtucket
COL index: 1.05× national avg
East Providence
COL index: 1.08× national avg
Woonsocket
COL index: 0.98× national avg
50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner
Based on your monthly take-home of $2,920 ($35,040/yr)
$1,460
per month
- ›Rent / mortgage
- ›Groceries
- ›Utilities
- ›Insurance
- ›Minimum debt payments
- ›Transportation
$876
per month
- ›Dining out
- ›Streaming services
- ›Gym
- ›Hobbies
- ›Travel
- ›Shopping
$584
per month
- ›Emergency fund
- ›401(k) / IRA
- ›Investments
- ›Down payment fund
- ›Debt payoff (extra)
Needs / year
$17,520
Wants / year
$10,512
Savings / year
$7,008
Salary Intelligence
Financial pressure in ProvidenceRent alone would take 55% of take-home income. This salary creates significant financial pressure in this city — a $64,000 annual income or lower rent is needed to reach affordability.
Lifestyle Assessment
A $43,000 salary can cover essential living costs for a single adult in Providence, Rhode Island, but leaves little room for savings (~6% of take-home). Lifestyle is rated challenging, with careful budgeting required to avoid month-to-month shortfalls.
Purchasing Power
Providence's above-average cost of living (index: 1.18) means $43,000 provides the purchasing power of roughly $36,441 in an average-cost US city, or $43,000 in Austin. Moving to a lower-cost state could effectively increase your take-home by thousands.
State & National Benchmark
$43,000 is 12% below the Rhode Island individual median of $49,100. Consider negotiating a higher salary or exploring higher-paying roles in this state.
State individual median
$49,100
-12%
State household median
$82,834
-48%
Tax reduction strategies
$43,000 vs. Rhode Island income benchmarks
Individual median (Rhode Island)
$49,100
-12% vs. this salary
Household median (Rhode Island)
$82,834
-48% vs. this salary
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023
Related salary insights
Explore other salary levels in Rhode Island
Data Sources
- •Tax calculations: IRS federal tax tables
- •Rent data: HUD Fair Market Rents
- •Cost-of-living index: C2ER / ACCRA Cost of Living Index
Data updated monthly using government datasets.