New Bedford, MA vs Cranston, RI: Cost of Living

Which city costs less?

New Bedford, MA and Cranston, RI have about the same overall cost index in our saved model.

New Bedford, MA · modeled 2BR rent: $1,490 / month
Cranston, RI · modeled 2BR rent: $1,720 / month

These are saved estimates, not current rental listings. Some cities use adjusted regional data. Your household budget can differ from the overall index. Sources and assumptions

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Cost of Living Comparison 2026

Compare New Bedford, MA and Cranston, RI using saved regional data and explicit budgeting assumptions. Rent estimates are not live listings. Change the salary below, then check the source notes before applying a result to your household.

Saved regional estimates · Sources and assumptions

Current salary in New Bedford, MA

Numbers update automatically as you type

Estimated extra cost: $1.41/month in Cranston, RI

$150,000 in your current city has a modeled equivalent of $150,017 in Cranston, RI

Regional cost estimates: New Bedford, MA uses Boston, MA. Cranston, RI uses Boston, MA. Available city ZIP rent estimates are shown separately.

Overall Cost

↑ 0.0%

More expensive

Monthly Impact

$1.41

Extra cost

Annual Impact

$16.92

Per year

Assumes 60% of current gross income goes to living costs. The headline uses the category budget below; taxes, moving costs and savings goals are excluded.

New Bedford, MA

Population:101K

Cost Index:

133.4

100 = national average

Typical Home:$426K

Cranston, RI

Population:83K

Cost Index:

133.4

100 = national average

Typical Home:$410K

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New Bedford, MA

The Bay State

101K

Population

State Tax

Yes

Located in Massachusetts, this city has a population of 101K residents.

Cranston, RI

The Ocean State

83K

Population

State Tax

Yes

Located in Rhode Island, this city has a population of 83K residents.

Cost Breakdown by Category

Estimated monthly spending: New Bedford, MA vs Cranston, RI

Assumes 60% of your current gross income is spent on these categories. The headline and totals use this same budget. Rent estimates below are separate reference data. Rounded amounts may differ by $1.

Category	New Bedford, MA	Cranston, RI	Difference	Change
Housing	$3,212/mo	$3,213/mo	↑ $0.69more	0.0%
Transportation	$1,238/mo	$1,239/mo	↑ $0.26more	0.0%
Other	$1,234/mo	$1,235/mo	↑ $0.26more	0.0%
Groceries	$772/mo	$772/mo	↑ $0.08more	0.0%
Healthcare	$532/mo	$532/mo	↑ $0.06more	0.0%
All Utilities	$512/mo	$512/mo	↑ $0.05more	0.0%

Housing

↑ 0.0%

New Bedford, MA

$3,212

Cranston, RI

$3,213

Difference

$0.69

Transportation

↑ 0.0%

New Bedford, MA

$1,238

Cranston, RI

$1,239

Difference

$0.26

Other

↑ 0.0%

New Bedford, MA

$1,234

Cranston, RI

$1,235

Difference

$0.26

Groceries

↑ 0.0%

New Bedford, MA

$772

Cranston, RI

$772

Difference

$0.08

Healthcare

↑ 0.0%

New Bedford, MA

$532

Cranston, RI

$532

Difference

$0.06

All Utilities

↑ 0.0%

New Bedford, MA

$512

Cranston, RI

$512

Difference

$0.05

🏠Rent Comparison

Studio

From$1,170

To$1,310

↑ $140

1 Bed

From$1,200

To$1,400

↑ $200

2 Bed

From$1,490

To$1,720

↑ $230

3 Bed

From$1,790

To$2,080

↑ $290

New Bedford, MAZIP-level data

1BR range: $1,180–$1,200/mo

Cranston, RIZIP-level data

1BR range: $1,290–$1,740/mo

💡 Note: HUD Fair Market Rents estimate 40th-percentile gross rents, including most tenant-paid utilities. City ZIP summaries are medians of those estimates, not market median rents. Actual prices vary by neighborhood, amenities, and condition. Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents FY2026.

$7,500

Monthly in New Bedford, MA

$7,501

Monthly in Cranston, RI

$1.41

Difference

Home Values

New Bedford

Cranston

$426K

Median Value

$410K

↑ +1.5%

YoY Change

↑ +1.3%

↑ +47.2%

5-Year Change

↑ +48.5%

$411K - $438K

Price Range

$373K - $621K

Homes in Cranston are 4% less expensive than New Bedford

Calculate payment - New Bedford Calculate payment - Cranston

Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), January 2026

Tax Comparison

Annual tax burden comparison at $150.0K salary

Tax Savings

↑ $1.1K

Per year

Monthly Difference

$88.08

More take-home

Effective Rate Diff

0.7%

Rate difference

New Bedford, MA

Federal Income Tax

Effective: 18.9%

$25.5K

Massachusetts State Tax

Effective: 5.0%

$7.5K

FICA Taxes

Social Security + Medicare

$11.5K

Total Taxes

Effective: 29.7%

$44.5K

Take-Home Pay

$8,791/month

$105.5K

Cranston, RI

Federal Income Tax

Effective: 18.9%

$25.5K

Rhode Island State Tax

Effective: 4.3%

$6.4K

FICA Taxes

Social Security + Medicare

$11.5K

Total Taxes

Effective: 29.0%

$43.5K

Take-Home Pay

$8,879/month

$106.5K

Additional Tax Information

New Bedford, MA Tax Rates

Sales Tax:6.3%

Property Tax:1.2%

Cranston, RI Tax Rates

Sales Tax:7.0%

Property Tax:1.4%

💡 Note: Tax calculations are estimates based on 2024/2025 tax brackets for single filers with standard deduction. Actual taxes may vary based on filing status, deductions, credits, and local variations.

Environment

New Bedford

Cranston

36 Good

Air Quality

36 Good

79.5%

Good Air Days

79.5%

94 Moderate

Climate Risk

94 Moderate

🌊🌅🌀

Top Hazards

🌊🌅🌀

▲+2.5°F

2050 Outlook

▲+2.5°F

6 days

Heat Days >95°F

6 days

▲+2.5°F

2050 Outlook

▲+2.5°F

6 days

Heat Days >95°F

6 days

Before moving from New Bedford, MA to Cranston, RI

Use this comparison to shortlist a move, then check the costs that depend on your household.

Compare actual homes. Get current quotes in Cranston, RI for the same bedroom count and included utilities as your home in New Bedford, MA. Add parking, deposits, insurance and any overlapping leases. The rent estimates above are a starting point, not available listings.
Confirm your income. Check your expected pay with your employer, including any location adjustment. Use “Different salary at destination?” above to compare two incomes. The budget model excludes taxes and one-time moving costs; it is not a take-home-pay calculation.
Price your daily routine. Check the commute from a specific address to work, school or childcare. Add household expenses missing from this model, such as childcare, debt payments and medical needs. Verify local services before signing a lease.
Plan the transition. Get moving quotes and budget for travel, setup costs and time off. Open your New Bedford to Cranston moving checklist to organize the tasks and timing.

Still choosing a destination? Explore cities similar to Cranston, RI by cost, housing, population and region.

Frequently Asked Questions: New Bedford, MA vs Cranston, RI

How do the cost estimates for New Bedford, MA and Cranston, RI compare?

New Bedford, MA and Cranston, RI have about the same overall cost index in our saved model. This is a broad model comparison, not a survey of today's prices or a forecast of your household spending. Some cities use adjusted regional fallback data.

What does the equivalent salary mean?

At a $150,000 salary in New Bedford, MA, the model estimates $150,017 in Cranston, RI. It allocates 60% of gross income to the origin city’s category budget and applies each destination category’s relative cost. The equivalent salary adds the total category difference to your income. The monthly difference is the same category difference divided by 12; it is not take-home pay or guaranteed savings. Household size, childcare and your actual lease are not inputs to this calculation.

What rent estimates are available for New Bedford, MA and Cranston, RI?

The modeled two-bedroom rents are $1,490/month in New Bedford, MA and $1,720/month in Cranston, RI. Where available, the source is a city median of HUD FY2026 ZIP-level estimates; otherwise a saved metro table is used. City adjustments may also apply. These are not asking rents or available listings. Compare actual properties with the same bedroom count and included utilities.

How should I use this comparison before moving?

Use it to shortlist locations, then replace modeled costs with a current housing quote, employer-confirmed income, commute costs, insurance and your household's other expenses. Add one-time moving costs separately. Source years differ and the saved datasets are not a live price feed. Read the methodology for the formulas and fallback rules.

💰 See how taxes change too — compare take-home pay between Massachusetts and Rhode Island on TaxTakeHome.com