City comparison
Cranston, RI is about 10 miles (10 km) from Providence, RI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 7 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Cranston, RI to Providence, RI takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Providence has a population of 189,715, vs 82,691 in Cranston — about 2.3× larger by population. By land area, Cranston covers about 28 sq mi vs 18 sq mi for Providence.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Cranston | Providence | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,270/mo | $1,214/mo | 4.6% higher in Cranston |
| Median home value | $326,000 | $293,000 | 11.3% higher in Cranston |
| Median household income | $83,123 | $61,365 | 35.5% higher in Cranston |
| Groceries index | 97.5 | 97.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 144.3 | 144.3 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 101.7 | 101.7 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 102.5 | 102.5 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Cranston, you'd need $99,839 in Providence to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Cranston and Providence have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Cranston, you'd need about $79,871 in Providence to keep the same standard of living.