Cost of living in Kingston research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Kingston is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Rhode Island, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Kingston is 134, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Kingston is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Kingston ranks as the #14 cheapest in Rhode Island out of 15.
Kingston ranks as the #5,171 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Kingston is $656,157.
The median income in Kingston is $82,143.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Kingston has an overall cost of living index of 134, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Rhode Island, Kingston has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than Rhode Island's index of 111.
The standard of living in Kingston ranks as #14 most affordable out of the 15 places we measured in Rhode Island. By definition, that implies Kingston ranks as the #1 most expensive place in the Ocean State.
For more reading on life in Kingston, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Kingston. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Kingston is 116.
The Groceries index in Kingston is 103.
The Health index in Kingston is 110.
The Housing index in Kingston is 188.
The Transportation index in Kingston is 91.
The Utilities index in Kingston is 110.
| Living Expense | Kingston | Rhode Island | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 134 | 111 | 100 | |
| Services | 116 | 113 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 103 | 100 | 100 | |
| Health | 110 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 188 | 121 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 91 | 91 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 110 | 114 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Rhode Island, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Kingston is $656,157.
The Median Rent in Kingston is -.
The Median Income in Kingston is $82,143.
The Home Value To Income in Kingston is 8.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Kingston is nanx.
| Statistic | Kingston | Rhode Island | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $656,157 | $490,356 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | - | $1,273 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $82,143 | $86,372 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 8.0x | 5.7x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | nanx | 0.18x | 0.21x |
| Item | Kingston | Rhode Island |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.43 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $14.37 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $22.72 | $18 |
| Haircut | $31.5 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $49.92 | $45.56 |
| Item | Kingston | Rhode Island |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.85 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.43 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.74 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.0 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $11.59 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.74 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.46 | $3.7 |
| Item | Kingston | Rhode Island |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $104.45 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $169.83 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $130.28 | $113.29 |
| Item | Kingston | Rhode Island |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.38 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $48.2 | $59.92 |
| Item | Kingston | Rhode Island |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $230.62 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $195.18 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Kingston. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Newport, RI has a cost of living index of 143, 1.1x Kingston.
Newport East, RI has a cost of living index of 128, 1.0x Kingston.
Pawcatuck, CT has a cost of living index of 114, 0.9x Kingston.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Kingston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newport, RI | 25,029 | 143 | 1.1x |
| Newport East, RI | 11,262 | 128 | 1.0x |
| Pawcatuck, CT | 5,475 | 114 | 0.9x |