Is Providence cheaper than San Antonio?

San Antonio is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 7% below Providence's (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Which has higher household income, Providence or San Antonio?

Providence has the higher median household income — $82,870 versus $78,112 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 6% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Providence or San Antonio?

It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($81,426 versus $82,470).

Which has cheaper rent, Providence or San Antonio?

Rents are close — $1,396/mo in the Providence metro versus $1,422/mo in San Antonio (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Providence vs San Antonio

Metro-area medians — Providence-Warwick, RI-MA Metro Area vs San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Providence comes out ahead, winning 5 of the 7 clearly-decided measures.

San Antonio is about 7% cheaper to live in, while Providence households earn about 6% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches about as far in either.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Providence, RI

$58,910

take-home / yr · 21% to tax

$57,883

real value after local prices

San Antonio, TX

$61,314

take-home / yr · 18% to tax

$64,734

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, San Antonio leaves you about $6,851/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure

Providence

San Antonio

Livability (CityLedger)

52/100

46/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

101.8

94.7

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$81,426

$82,470

Median household income

$82,870

$78,112

Median rent

$1,396/mo

$1,422/mo

Median home value

$471,000

$304,800

Unemployment

4.6%

5.1%

Bachelor's degree or higher

36.5%

32.8%

Average commute

27.9 min

27.6 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

52°F

70°F

Choose Providence for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Median household income
+ Unemployment
+ Bachelor's degree or higher
+ Air quality (median AQI)

Full Providence profile →

Choose San Antonio for

+ Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
+ Median home value

Full San Antonio profile →

Providence vs San Antonio — frequently asked

Is Providence cheaper than San Antonio?: San Antonio is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 7% below Providence's (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Which has higher household income, Providence or San Antonio?: Providence has the higher median household income — $82,870 versus $78,112 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 6% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Providence or San Antonio?: It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($81,426 versus $82,470).
Which has cheaper rent, Providence or San Antonio?: Rents are close — $1,396/mo in the Providence metro versus $1,422/mo in San Antonio (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).