Overall
- Providence-Warwick
- 101.8
- Chico
- 101.2
Diff -0.6 RPP
Providence-Warwick vs Chico
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Chico is 0.6% less expensive than Providence-Warwick.
0.6% less expensive
Chico, CA is 0.6% less expensive than Providence-Warwick, RI-MA on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 101.2 vs 101.8). A $100,000 salary in Providence-Warwick buys about the same as $99,434 in Chico; the largest component gap is rents.
- Overall RPP 101.8 (Providence-Warwick) vs 101.2 (Chico)
- $100k in Providence-Warwick ≈ $99,434 purchasing power in Chico
- Rents drives the gap (-11.9 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair RI:CA 101.8→101.2
PHOTO-FINISH · CROSS-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-ABOVE · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- CROSS-STATE RI × CA
- SPLIT-BUDGET Split budget
- BOTH-ABOVE Both above 100
- PP-PAR PP near-par
Instrument codes from this pair's BEA Regional Price Parities (overall · goods · services · rents · national benchmark 100 · purchasing-power conversion), not a ranking or recommendation.
Providence-Warwick
101.8
Cost Index
Chico
101.2
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA and Chico, CA are a photo finish on overall price level, only 0.6 RPP points apart. A salary conversion is therefore a fine adjustment, not evidence of a fundamentally different cost regime.
Rents creates the largest separation: Chico is 11.9 points lower. But services and goods move against the overall direction, so this is a split budget rather than a clean across-the-board winner.
Comparable population context is incomplete for this pair, so no market-scale explanation is inferred from the price indexes.
Both metros exceed the U.S. benchmark of 100. The choice is between two national premiums, so local wages need to clear the higher baseline in either market.
For a housing-sensitive move, validate the rent gap first: HUD Fair Market Rent and the actual unit size can overturn what the blended index implies. On the BEA ratio alone, $100,000 in Providence-Warwick corresponds to $99,434 in Chico.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Providence-Warwick
- 97.1
- Chico
- 105.2
Diff +8.1 RPP
Services
- Providence-Warwick
- 148.8
- Chico
- 158.8
Diff +10.0 RPP
Rents
- Providence-Warwick
- 103.9
- Chico
- 91.9
Diff -11.9 RPP
| Category | Providence-Warwick | Chico | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 101.8 | 101.2 | -0.6 |
| Goods | 97.1 | 105.2 | +8.1 |
| Services | 148.8 | 158.8 | +10.0 |
| Rents | 103.9 | 91.9 | -11.9 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Providence-Warwick 101.8
Chico 101.2
Goods
Providence-Warwick 97.1
Chico 105.2
Services
Providence-Warwick 148.8
Chico 158.8
Rents
Providence-Warwick 103.9
Chico 91.9
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Providence-Warwick would need to be in Chico for the same purchasing power:
| In Providence-Warwick | In Chico | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $49,717 | $-283 |
| $75,000 | $74,576 | $-424 |
| $100,000 | $99,434 | $-566 |
| $150,000 | $149,151 | $-849 |
$ in Providence-Warwick = in Chico
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (101.8 → 101.2), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chico more expensive than Providence-Warwick?
Chico is 0.6% less expensive than Providence-Warwick. The overall cost index is 101.2 vs 101.8 (national average = 100).
What salary in Chico equals $100K in Providence-Warwick?
A $100,000 salary in Providence-Warwick has the same purchasing power as $99,434 in Chico. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Providence-Warwick and Chico?
Rents in Providence-Warwick are indexed at 103.9 while Chico is at 91.9 (national average = 100). Providence-Warwick has higher rents.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.