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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Fort Smith, AR costs roughly 20% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.91 $19.91

$18.74 €16.33

6.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.1 $65.1

$69.5 €60.6

-6.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 $11.68

$13.77 €12.00

-15.18%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$3.10 €2.70

66.13%

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

$2.28 $2.28

$2.83 €2.47

-19.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.88 €1.64

8.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 $6.03

$3.98 €3.47

51.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.46 $8.46

$4.53 €3.95

86.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.27 €1.11

-20.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.16 €1.88

53.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$1.76 €1.53

93.75%

Eggs

$2.89 $2.89

$5.13 €4.47

-43.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 $7.29

$17.88 €15.59

-59.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.86 $10.86

$9.65 €8.41

12.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 $18.25

$20.15 €17.56

-9.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$3.25 €2.84

39.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.23 €1.94

-34.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.60 €2.27

-1.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.76 €2.40

-22.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.21 €1.93

-14.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.12 €1.85

-25.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.55 €1.35

13.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.95 €0.83

136.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.19 $8.19

$7.34 €6.40

11.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$8.05 €7.01

89.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.54 €1.35

22.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.79 €2.43

-4.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 $1.24

$3.11 €2.71

-60.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.36 $34.36

$25.86 €22.54

32.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.27 €2.85

-18.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.48 €1.29

-16.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.37 $30.37

$34.27 €29.88

-11.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.73 €1.51

-55.49%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$36.4K €31.7K

-29.59%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$30.5K €26.6K

-15.68%

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

$280 $280

$187 €163

49.47%

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

$69.8 $69.8

$15.14 €13.20

360.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.2 $68.2

$37.69 €32.85

80.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.42 $26.42

$55.9 €48.76

-52.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.72 $15.72

$17.08 €14.89

-7.96%

Cinema Ticket

$13.63 $13.63

$11.41 €9.95

19.46%

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

$905 $905

$997 €869

-9.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$16.5K €14.4K

40.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$92.6 €80.8

-43.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.82 $38.82

$41.22 €35.93

-5.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 $93.0

$111 €96.9

-16.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.8 $75.8

$125 €109

-39.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 $672

$1,707 €1,488

-60.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 $648

$1,286 €1,121

-49.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,525 $1,525

$2,565 €2,236

-40.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 $1,297

$1,942 €1,693

-33.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,554 $1,554

$7,647 €6,666

-79.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,543 $1,543

$5,167 €4,504

-70.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,348 €2,047

34.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.04

3.16

91.14%

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

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $672 in Fort Smith, AR and $1,707 in Barcelona. 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: $65.0 in Fort Smith, AR vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $336, 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

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

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

Average pay runs 34% higher in Fort Smith, AR, 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: $672 in Fort Smith, AR versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $905 in Fort Smith, AR versus $997 in Barcelona. 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, Fort Smith, AR and Barcelona 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.