Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jonesboro, AR and Kingston

For one person, living is cheaper in Kingston: $1,668 a month against $2,110 in Jonesboro, AR, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Jonesboro, AR
Learn more

Jonesboro, AR Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
Learn more

Kingston Living Index

Jump to prices

Jonesboro, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,110

/mo nomad

Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jonesboro, AR and in Kingston

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 Kingston actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,110 in Jonesboro, AR versus $1,668 in Kingston.

Jonesboro, AR $2,110
Kingston $1,668

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,960 in Jonesboro, AR versus $2,812 in Kingston.

Jonesboro, AR $2,960
Kingston $2,812

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,809 in Jonesboro, AR versus $3,955 in Kingston.

Jonesboro, AR $3,809
Kingston $3,955

Living in Jonesboro, AR is roughly 27% more expensive than in Kingston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jonesboro, AR 56% above, Kingston 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.13 $27.13

$13.29 JMD 2,099

104.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 $60.7

$73.8 JMD 11.7K

-17.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 $10.45

$8.14 JMD 1,285

28.38%

Cappuccino

$4.93 $4.93

$5.45 JMD 861

-9.54%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$1.14 JMD 180

93.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.72 JMD 115

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.16 JMD 341

102.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 $6.65

$3.11 JMD 491

113.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$4.19 JMD 661

-73.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.78 JMD 598

-11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.61 JMD 254

32.92%

Eggs

$3.61 $3.61

$3.48 JMD 550

3.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$11.40 JMD 1,801

-22.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.76 $8.76

$6.35 JMD 1,003

37.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.54 $11.54

$10.40 JMD 1,644

10.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$6.05 JMD 957

-29.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$3.82 JMD 604

-71.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$7.25 JMD 1,146

-59.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$3.06 JMD 484

26.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$3.21 JMD 506

-46.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.62 JMD 415

-6.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.13 JMD 494

-43.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.44 JMD 228

38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.10 $8.10

$9.48 JMD 1,498

-14.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.55 $13.55

$11.36 JMD 1,795

19.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.86 JMD 453

-38.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.88 JMD 613

-3.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.75 JMD 119

50.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.75 $29.75

$37.27 JMD 5,888

-20.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.22 JMD 192

149.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 $1.45

$3.20 JMD 505

-54.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.47 $28.47

$6.31 JMD 996

351.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.39 JMD 219

-39.57%

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

$32.1K $32.1K

$44.3K JMD 7.0M

-27.55%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

-21.22%

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

$221 $221

$167 JMD 26.4K

32.22%

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

$45.73 $45.73

$29.86 JMD 4,717

53.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 $71.6

$53.4 JMD 8,443

33.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.18 $40.18

$61.9 JMD 9,787

-35.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.90 $10.90

$17.61 JMD 2,782

-38.10%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 $12.18

$13.15 JMD 2,078

-7.38%

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

$763 $763

$359 JMD 56.7K

112.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,367 $8,367

$8,382 JMD 1.3M

-0.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 $63.4

$23.75 JMD 3,752

167.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.22 $36.22

$31.13 JMD 4,918

16.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 $78.9

$76.9 JMD 12.2K

2.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$100 JMD 15.9K

6.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 $1,134

$975 JMD 154.0K

16.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 $860

$563 JMD 89.0K

52.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,436 $1,436

$2,142 JMD 338.5K

-32.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 $1,140

$1,421 JMD 224.6K

-19.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,567 $1,567

$2,876 JMD 454.4K

-45.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,557 $1,557

$2,044 JMD 323.0K

-23.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,356 $3,356

$735 JMD 116.1K

356.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

9.45

-32.70%

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

Last update for Jonesboro, AR: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kingston: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jonesboro, AR

$860 40.7%

Kingston

$563 33.8% 34.5% $297

Eating Out

Jonesboro, AR

$359 17%

Kingston

$221 13.2% 38.5% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jonesboro, AR

$338 16%

Kingston

$250 15% 26% $88

Groceries & Markets

Jonesboro, AR

$316 15%

Kingston

$384 23% 21.4% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Jonesboro, AR

$129 6.1%

Kingston

$105 6.3% 18.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Jonesboro, AR

$65 3.1%

Kingston

$88 5.3% 36.8% $24

Getting Around

Jonesboro, AR

$45 2.1%

Kingston

$57 3.5% 29% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Jonesboro, AR and $975 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jonesboro, AR pays 357% 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 $74.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $384 per month, with Jonesboro, AR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jonesboro, AR

🇯🇲 Kingston

🕒 Local time

00:29 12:29 AM

Same time as Jonesboro, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,576

660,000 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

JMD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jonesboro, AR Kingston 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Jonesboro, AR
Kingston

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 357% higher in Jonesboro, AR, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,134 in Jonesboro, AR versus $975 in Kingston. 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 $1,668 in Kingston – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kingston runs roughly 25% less than in Jonesboro, AR. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,668 in Kingston versus $2,110 in Jonesboro, AR, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kingston but tight or insufficient in Jonesboro, AR. The gap between the two cities makes Kingston 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 Kingston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Jonesboro, AR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.