Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleston, WV and Fort Smith, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Charleston, WV: $1,805 a month against $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Fort Smith, AR despite lower rent and utilities.

87

Cost of Living Index in Charleston, WV
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Charleston, WV Living Index
94

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

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Charleston, WV

🇺🇸 United States

$1,805

/mo nomad

Fort Smith, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Charleston, WV 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 Charleston, WV and in Fort Smith, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,805 in Charleston, WV versus $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR.

Charleston, WV $1,805
Fort Smith, AR $1,951

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,685 in Charleston, WV versus $2,992 in Fort Smith, AR.

Charleston, WV $2,685
Fort Smith, AR $2,992

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,565 in Charleston, WV versus $4,033 in Fort Smith, AR.

Charleston, WV $3,565
Fort Smith, AR $4,033

Living in Charleston, WV costs roughly 7% less than in Fort Smith, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Charleston, WV 33% above, Fort Smith, AR 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.29 $14.29

$20.20 $20.20

-29.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 $50.8

$64.6 $64.6

-21.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 $10.13

$11.43 $11.43

-11.37%

Cappuccino

$2.99 $2.99

$5.32 $5.32

-43.80%

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

$2.27 $2.27

$2.39 $2.39

-5.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.00 $2.00

-5.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.08 $3.08

$5.96 $5.96

-48.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 $6.55

$9.04 $9.04

-27.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$0.95 $0.95

-15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.26 $3.26

-34.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$3.78 $3.78

-55.82%

Eggs

$3.31 $3.31

$2.89 $2.89

14.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 $11.14

$7.55 $7.55

47.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.99 $11.99

$10.76 $10.76

11.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 $17.14

$19.61 $19.61

-12.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$4.77 $4.77

-8.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.45 $1.45

-26.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.48 $2.48

-8.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.11 $2.11

132.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.90 $1.90

5.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.58 $1.58

81.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.75 $1.75

10.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.28 $2.28

-54.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.05 $6.05

$8.33 $8.33

-27.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 $10.18

$13.89 $13.89

-26.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.82 $1.82

-5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.02 $6.02

$2.64 $2.64

128.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.44 $35.44

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 $1.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.99 $29.99

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.76 $0.76

25.00%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$26.0K $26.0K

7.85%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.6K $25.6K

4.35%

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

$196 $196

$276 $276

-28.87%

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

$45.67 $45.67

$69.5 $69.5

-34.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 $55.9

$69.1 $69.1

-19.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.24 $31.24

$27.06 $27.06

15.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.92 $16.92

$16.22 $16.22

4.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.81 $11.81

$13.52 $13.52

-12.65%

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

$538 $538

$918 $918

-41.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,426 $6,426

$23.5K $23.5K

-72.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.33 $40.33

$54.7 $54.7

-26.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.49 $48.49

$41.77 $41.77

16.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 $70.9

$91.8 $91.8

-22.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$77.6 $77.6

53.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 $1,037

$683 $683

51.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 $772

$646 $646

19.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 $1,738

$1,536 $1,536

13.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 $1,339

$1,295 $1,295

3.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,182 $1,182

$1,557 $1,557

-24.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,186 $1,186

$1,561 $1,561

-23.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,559 $3,559

$3,154 $3,154

12.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.38

4.39%

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

Last update for Charleston, WV: October 25, 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

Charleston, WV

$772 42.8%

Fort Smith, AR

$646 33.1% 16.4% $126

Groceries & Markets

Charleston, WV

$329 18.2%

Fort Smith, AR

$342 17.6% 4.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Charleston, WV

$298 16.5%

Fort Smith, AR

$414 21.2% 39.2% $117

Eating Out

Charleston, WV

$226 12.5%

Fort Smith, AR

$325 16.7% 44.1% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Charleston, WV

$125 7%

Fort Smith, AR

$120 6.1% 4.6% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Charleston, WV

$55 3%

Fort Smith, AR

$54 2.8% 1.4% $0.8

Getting Around

Charleston, WV

- * 0%

Fort Smith, AR

$49 2.5%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,037 in Charleston, WV and $683 in Fort Smith, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Charleston, WV pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $51 in Charleston, WV vs $65 in Fort Smith, AR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $329 vs $342 per month, with Charleston, WV cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Charleston, WV

🇺🇸 Fort Smith, AR

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

Same time as Charleston, WV

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,227

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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Between locations

Charleston, WV Fort Smith, AR 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Charleston, WV
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

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

Charleston, WV is about 7% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Charleston, WV, 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: $1,037 in Charleston, WV versus $683 in Fort Smith, AR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $538 in Charleston, WV versus $918 in Fort Smith, AR. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Charleston, WV – a meal for two runs $51 versus $65 in Fort Smith, AR. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Charleston, WV gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.