Is $80,000 a good salary in Rhode Island?

$80,000 in Rhode Island provides a monthly take-home of approximately $5,158 after taxes. Across major Rhode Island cities, this salary is rated very comfortable, with an average monthly surplus of $2,715.

What is the cost of living on $80,000 in Rhode Island?

The average monthly living cost across major Rhode Island cities is approximately $2,443 for a single adult (rent, food, transport, utilities, healthcare). On $80,000 take-home pay of $5,158/month, you would have roughly $2,715/month remaining.

Living in Rhode Island · 2026

Is $80,000 enough to live in Rhode Island?

Single adult · RI · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data

Statewide verdict:Very comfortable

Monthly take-home

$5,158

Avg monthly expenses

$2,443

Avg monthly surplus

$2,715

Savings potential

~53%

After-tax take-home in Rhode Island

Gross salary$80,000

Federal income tax− $8,954

State income tax− $3,026

Social Security− $4,960

Medicare− $1,160

Annual take-home$61,900

Effective tax rate22.63%

How $80,000 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

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,600

Food

$493

Transport

$207

Utilities

$195

Healthcare

$236

Total: $2,731/mo

Surplus: $2,427/mo

Rent burden: 31.0% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Providence analysis →

Cranston

COL index: 1.10× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,450

Food

$462

Transport

$193

Utilities

$182

Healthcare

$220

Total: $2,507/mo

Surplus: $2,651/mo

Rent burden: 28.1% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Cranston analysis →

Warwick

COL index: 1.08× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,400

Food

$462

Transport

$189

Utilities

$178

Healthcare

$216

Total: $2,445/mo

Surplus: $2,713/mo

Rent burden: 27.1% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Warwick analysis →

Pawtucket

COL index: 1.05× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,350

Food

$449

Transport

$184

Utilities

$173

Healthcare

$210

Total: $2,366/mo

Surplus: $2,792/mo

Rent burden: 26.2% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Pawtucket analysis →

East Providence

COL index: 1.08× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,400

Food

$462

Transport

$189

Utilities

$178

Healthcare

$216

Total: $2,445/mo

Surplus: $2,713/mo

Rent burden: 27.1% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full East Providence analysis →

Woonsocket

COL index: 0.98× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,200

Food

$431

Transport

$172

Utilities

$162

Healthcare

$196

Total: $2,161/mo

Surplus: $2,997/mo

Rent burden: 23.3% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Woonsocket analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $5,158 ($61,896/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%

Needs50%

$2,579

per month

›Rent / mortgage
›Groceries
›Utilities
›Insurance
›Minimum debt payments
›Transportation

Wants30%

$1,547

per month

›Dining out
›Streaming services
›Gym
›Hobbies
›Travel
›Shopping

Savings20%

$1,032

per month

›Emergency fund
›401(k) / IRA
›Investments
›Down payment fund
›Debt payoff (extra)

Needs / year

$30,948

Wants / year

$18,569

Savings / year

$12,379

Salary Intelligence

Moderate salary in Providence

Rent takes 31% of take-home income, which is above the ideal 25% but still manageable. Savings will be limited; consider lower-cost housing to improve your financial position.

Lifestyle score: 6.6/10 (Good)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $80,000 salary comfortably supports a good single lifestyle in Providence, Rhode Island, with approximately $2,427/month (~47% of take-home) available for savings — meeting or exceeding the recommended 20% savings rate.

Purchasing Power

Providence's above-average cost of living (index: 1.18) means $80,000 provides the purchasing power of roughly $67,797 in an average-cost US city, or $80,000 in Austin. Moving to a lower-cost state could effectively increase your take-home by thousands.

State & National Benchmark

$80,000 is 63% above the Rhode Island individual median of $49,100 and 43% above the US national individual median of $56,000. This is a top-quartile income in this state.

State individual median

$49,100

+63%

State household median

$82,834

-3%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)

401(k) Age 50+ Catch-Up Contribution — Up to $2,775 additional tax savings (37% bracket)

$80,000 vs. Rhode Island income benchmarks

Individual median (Rhode Island)

$49,100

+63% vs. this salary

Household median (Rhode Island)

$82,834

-3% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Rhode Island

$40,000 $60,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $300,000

Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

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.