Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jonesboro, AR and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Jonesboro, AR: $2,110 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Jonesboro, AR
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Jonesboro, AR Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Jonesboro, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,110

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jonesboro, AR and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Jonesboro, AR and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,110 in Jonesboro, AR versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Jonesboro, AR $2,110
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,960 in Jonesboro, AR versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Jonesboro, AR $2,960
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,809 in Jonesboro, AR versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Jonesboro, AR $3,809
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Jonesboro, AR costs roughly 21% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jonesboro, AR 56% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.13 $27.13

$20.77 $20.77

30.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 $60.7

$84.6 $84.6

-28.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 $10.45

$12.32 $12.32

-15.18%

Cappuccino

$4.93 $4.93

$5.63 $5.63

-12.43%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$3.72 $3.72

-40.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.50 $2.50

-28.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 $4.38

$8.05 $8.05

-45.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 $6.65

$9.01 $9.01

-26.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.12 $1.12

0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.75 $3.75

-10.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.26 $3.26

-34.36%

Eggs

$3.61 $3.61

$4.17 $4.17

-13.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$12.90 $12.90

-31.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.76 $8.76

$14.16 $14.16

-38.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.54 $11.54

$16.22 $16.22

-28.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$4.33 $4.33

-1.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.46 $1.46

-26.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$4.51 $4.51

-34.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$4.34 $4.34

-11.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.58 $2.58

-33.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.35 $2.35

4.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.78 $1.78

-1.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.22 $2.22

-9.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.10 $8.10

$9.88 $9.88

-18.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.55 $13.55

$15.08 $15.08

-10.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.92 $2.92

-39.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.46 $3.46

7.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.49 $1.49

-24.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.75 $29.75

$41.72 $41.72

-28.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.73 $2.73

11.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.66 $1.66

-12.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.47 $28.47

$35.30 $35.30

-19.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$0.95 $0.95

-11.58%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$32.1K $32.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

-10.99%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.8K $25.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

-4.61%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$221 $221

$229 $229

-3.68%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$45.73 $45.73

$59.4 $59.4

-23.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 $71.6

$69.9 $69.9

2.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.18 $40.18

$57.2 $57.2

-29.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.90 $10.90

$16.33 $16.33

-33.25%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 $12.18

$14.28 $14.28

-14.71%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$763 $763

$1,506 $1,506

-49.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,367 $8,367

$21.5K $21.5K

-61.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 $63.4

$52.8 $52.8

20.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.22 $36.22

$43.82 $43.82

-17.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 $78.9

$84.8 $84.8

-6.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$103 $103

3.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 $1,134

$1,907 $1,907

-40.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 $860

$1,274 $1,274

-32.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,436 $1,436

$3,664 $3,664

-60.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 $1,140

$2,538 $2,538

-55.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,567 $1,567

$7,614 $7,614

-79.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,557 $1,557

$3,157 $3,157

-50.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,356 $3,356

$5,121 $5,121

-34.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

6.79

-6.33%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Jonesboro, AR: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Jonesboro, AR

$860 40.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 48.2% $415

Eating Out

Jonesboro, AR

$359 17%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 1.3% $4.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jonesboro, AR

$338 16%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 6% $20

Groceries & Markets

Jonesboro, AR

$316 15%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 27.9% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Jonesboro, AR

$129 6.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 0.4% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Jonesboro, AR

$65 3.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 32.9% $21

Getting Around

Jonesboro, AR

$45 2.1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 31.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Jonesboro, AR and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 53% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Jonesboro, AR vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $405 per month, with Jonesboro, AR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jonesboro, AR

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

00:29 12:29 AM

Same time as Jonesboro, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,576

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Jonesboro, AR Austin, TX 900 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Jonesboro, AR
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Jonesboro, AR vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jonesboro, AR wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jonesboro, AR the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 53% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,134 in Jonesboro, AR versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,110 per month in Jonesboro, AR versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jonesboro, AR runs roughly 40% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,110 in Jonesboro, AR versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Jonesboro, AR but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Jonesboro, AR the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Jonesboro, AR gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.