Overall
- Providence-Warwick
- 101.8
- Worcester
- 102.5
Diff +0.8 RPP
Providence-Warwick vs Worcester
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Worcester is 0.7% more expensive than Providence-Warwick.
0.7% more expensive
Worcester, MA is 0.7% more expensive than Providence-Warwick, RI-MA on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 102.5 vs 101.8). A $100,000 salary in Providence-Warwick buys about the same as $100,737 in Worcester; the largest component gap is rents.
- Overall RPP 101.8 (Providence-Warwick) vs 102.5 (Worcester)
- $100k in Providence-Warwick ≈ $100,737 purchasing power in Worcester
- Rents drives the gap (+9.2 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair RI:MA 101.8→102.5
PHOTO-FINISH · CROSS-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-ABOVE · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- CROSS-STATE RI × MA
- 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
Worcester
102.5
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA and Worcester, MA are a photo finish on overall price level, only 0.8 RPP points apart. A salary conversion is therefore a fine adjustment, not evidence of a fundamentally different cost regime.
Rents creates the largest separation: Worcester is 9.2 points higher. But 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 $100,737 in Worcester.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Providence-Warwick
- 97.1
- Worcester
- 97.0
Diff -0.1 RPP
Services
- Providence-Warwick
- 148.8
- Worcester
- 155.2
Diff +6.4 RPP
Rents
- Providence-Warwick
- 103.9
- Worcester
- 113.0
Diff +9.2 RPP
| Category | Providence-Warwick | Worcester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 101.8 | 102.5 | +0.8 |
| Goods | 97.1 | 97.0 | -0.1 |
| Services | 148.8 | 155.2 | +6.4 |
| Rents | 103.9 | 113.0 | +9.2 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Providence-Warwick 101.8
Worcester 102.5
Goods
Providence-Warwick 97.1
Worcester 97.0
Services
Providence-Warwick 148.8
Worcester 155.2
Rents
Providence-Warwick 103.9
Worcester 113.0
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Providence-Warwick would need to be in Worcester for the same purchasing power:
| In Providence-Warwick | In Worcester | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $50,368 | +$368 |
| $75,000 | $75,553 | +$553 |
| $100,000 | $100,737 | +$737 |
| $150,000 | $151,105 | +$1,105 |
$ in Providence-Warwick = in Worcester
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (101.8 → 102.5), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Worcester more expensive than Providence-Warwick?
Worcester is 0.7% more expensive than Providence-Warwick. The overall cost index is 102.5 vs 101.8 (national average = 100).
What salary in Worcester equals $100K in Providence-Warwick?
A $100,000 salary in Providence-Warwick has the same purchasing power as $100,737 in Worcester. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Providence-Warwick and Worcester?
Rents in Providence-Warwick are indexed at 103.9 while Worcester is at 113.0 (national average = 100). Worcester 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.