Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Fort Smith, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Smith, AR: $1,951 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Fort Smith, AR
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Fort Smith, AR Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Fort Smith, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR.

Austin, TX $2,607
Fort Smith, AR $1,951

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $2,992 in Fort Smith, AR.

Austin, TX $4,031
Fort Smith, AR $2,992

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,033 in Fort Smith, AR.

Austin, TX $5,454
Fort Smith, AR $4,033

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 34% more expensive than in Fort Smith, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Fort Smith, AR 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$20.20 $20.20

0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$64.6 $64.6

31.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.43 $11.43

6.04%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.32 $5.32

6.20%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.39 $2.39

53.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.00 $2.00

18.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.96 $5.96

32.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$9.04 $9.04

-2.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.95 $0.95

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.26 $3.26

13.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.78 $3.78

-12.43%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.89 $2.89

43.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$7.55 $7.55

71.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$10.76 $10.76

28.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$19.61 $19.61

-16.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.77 $4.77

-1.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.48 $2.48

106.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.11 $2.11

114.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.90 $1.90

62.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.58 $1.58

50.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.75 $1.75

2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.28 $2.28

-2.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$8.33 $8.33

19.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.89 $13.89

8.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.82 $1.82

59.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.64 $2.64

26.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$35.44 $35.44

14.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.68 $2.68

3.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.29 $1.29

27.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$29.99 $29.99

18.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.76 $0.76

25.00%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$26.0K $26.0K

31.74%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

4.62%

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

$223 $223

$276 $276

-19.09%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$69.5 $69.5

-15.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$69.1 $69.1

3.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$27.06 $27.06

96.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$16.22 $16.22

3.27%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$13.52 $13.52

3.99%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$918 $918

59.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$23.5K $23.5K

-9.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$54.7 $54.7

-4.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$41.77 $41.77

2.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$91.8 $91.8

-5.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$77.6 $77.6

33.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$683 $683

209.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$646 $646

90.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,536 $1,536

151.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,295 $1,295

85.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$1,557 $1,557

376.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,561 $1,561

96.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,154 $3,154

64.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.38

6.90%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fort Smith, AR: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Fort Smith, AR

$646 33.1% 47.5% $585

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Fort Smith, AR

$342 17.6% 16.4% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Fort Smith, AR

$414 21.2% 17.5% $62

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Fort Smith, AR

$325 16.7% 6.6% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Fort Smith, AR

$120 6.1% 6.9% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Fort Smith, AR

$54 2.8% 33.4% $27

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Fort Smith, AR

$49 2.5% 12.5% $7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $683 in Fort Smith, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 64% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $65 in Fort Smith, AR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $342 per month, with Fort Smith, AR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Fort Smith, AR

🕒 Local time

23:22 11:22 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

89,142

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Fort Smith, AR 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Fort Smith, AR

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

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

Fort Smith, AR wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Fort Smith, AR the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 64% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $683 in Fort Smith, AR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR – Fort Smith, AR is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Fort Smith, AR runs roughly 13% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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 Fort Smith, AR gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.