Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fort Smith, AR Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fort Smith, AR

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,969 in Fort Smith, AR.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $3,022 in Fort Smith, AR.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,074 in Fort Smith, AR.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 26% more expensive than in Fort Smith, AR, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Fort Smith, AR 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$19.91 $19.91

-5.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$65.1 $65.1

6.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$11.68 $11.68

17.89%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$5.15 $5.15

-39.81%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.28 $2.28

24.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$2.04 $2.04

-7.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$6.03 $6.03

-34.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$8.46 $8.46

-46.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.01 $1.01

25.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$3.32 $3.32

-34.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.41 $3.41

-48.39%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.89 $2.89

77.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$7.29 $7.29

145.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$10.86 $10.86

-11.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$18.25 $18.25

10.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$4.53 $4.53

-28.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.46 $1.46

52.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.56 $2.56

1.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.14 $2.14

28.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.90 $1.90

16.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.58 $1.58

34.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.76 $1.76

-11.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$2.25 $2.25

-57.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$8.19 $8.19

-10.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$15.28 $15.28

-47.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.88 $1.88

-18.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.66 $2.66

4.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.24 $1.24

150.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$34.36 $34.36

-24.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.67 $2.67

22.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.23 $1.23

20.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$30.37 $30.37

12.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.77 $0.77

124.68%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$25.6K $25.6K

42.02%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

18.60%

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

$187 €163

$280 $280

-33.10%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$69.8 $69.8

-78.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$68.2 $68.2

-44.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$26.42 $26.42

111.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$15.72 $15.72

8.65%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$13.63 $13.63

-16.29%

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

$997 €869

$905 $905

10.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$23.3K $23.3K

-29.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$52.6 $52.6

76.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$38.82 $38.82

6.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$93.0 $93.0

19.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$75.8 $75.8

65.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$672 $672

154.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$648 $648

98.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,525 $1,525

68.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$1,297 $1,297

49.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,554 $1,554

392.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,543 $1,543

234.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$3,157 $3,157

-25.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.04

-47.68%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Fort Smith, AR: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $672 in Fort Smith, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Smith, AR pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $65.0 in Fort Smith, AR. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $340, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Barcelona and Fort Smith, AR differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,969 including rent). Fort Smith, AR is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Fort Smith, AR. 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $672 in Fort Smith, AR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $905 in Fort Smith, AR. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,969 in Fort Smith, AR versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Fort Smith, AR but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Fort Smith, 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.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Fort Smith, AR are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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