Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Jonesboro, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Jonesboro, AR: $2,136 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $33,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
103

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Jonesboro, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,136

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Jonesboro, AR

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $2,136 in Jonesboro, AR.

New York, NY $4,941
Jonesboro, AR $2,136

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $3,002 in Jonesboro, AR.

New York, NY $7,225
Jonesboro, AR $3,002

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $3,868 in Jonesboro, AR.

New York, NY $9,509
Jonesboro, AR $3,868

Living in New York, NY is roughly 131% more expensive than in Jonesboro, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Jonesboro, AR 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$27.67 $27.67

3.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$61.0 $61.0

94.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$10.36 $10.36

45.17%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.06 $5.06

29.05%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.18 $2.18

81.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.79 $1.79

68.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$4.56 $4.56

78.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$6.69 $6.69

47.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.10 $1.10

24.55%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.39 $3.39

46.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$2.12 $2.12

268.40%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.74 $3.74

59.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$8.64 $8.64

118.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$9.11 $9.11

98.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$11.66 $11.66

63.38%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.43 $4.43

52.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.14 $1.14

99.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$2.97 $2.97

129.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.90 $3.90

81.79%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.63 $1.63

158.90%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.33 $2.33

99.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.83 $1.83

56.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.02 $2.02

28.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$8.15 $8.15

130.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$13.25 $13.25

51.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.85 $1.85

86.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.83 $3.83

4.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.11 $1.11

162.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$29.45 $29.45

371.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.97 $2.97

3.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.47 $1.47

44.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$28.49 $28.49

47.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.86 $0.86

36.05%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$28.4K $28.4K

21.34%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.24%

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

$219 $219

$221 $221

-0.75%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$46.56 $46.56

59.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$73.6 $73.6

-4.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$40.07 $40.07

179.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$10.92 $10.92

585.53%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$12.86 $12.86

72.16%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$766 $766

364.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$8,391 $8,391

640.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$63.0 $63.0

20.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$37.22 $37.22

37.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$77.6 $77.6

58.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$107 $107

30.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,130 $1,130

298.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$871 $871

253.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$1,435 $1,435

558.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,171 $1,171

343.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$1,543 $1,543

1073.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,526 $1,526

338.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,330 $3,330

56.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.36

7.86%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Jonesboro, AR: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Jonesboro, AR

$871 40.8% 71.7% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Jonesboro, AR

$320 15% 43.2% $243

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Jonesboro, AR

$365 17.1% 17% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Jonesboro, AR

$341 16% 6.2% $23

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Jonesboro, AR

$128 6% 27% $47

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Jonesboro, AR

$44 2.1% 73.1% $120

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Jonesboro, AR

$66 3.1% 57.9% $90

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $1,130 in Jonesboro, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 57% 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: $118 in New York, NY vs $61 in Jonesboro, AR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $320 per month, with Jonesboro, AR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Jonesboro, AR

🕒 Local time

15:05 3:05 PM

14:05 2:05 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

78,576

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Jonesboro, AR 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
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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

New York, NY vs Jonesboro, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jonesboro, AR is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. The 131% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 57% higher in New York, NY, 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: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,130 in Jonesboro, AR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $4,941 per month in New York, NY versus $2,136 in Jonesboro, AR – a 131% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jonesboro, AR runs roughly 79% less than in New York, NY. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $2,136 in Jonesboro, AR versus $4,941 in New York, NY, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Jonesboro, AR but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. 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 57% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.