Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Smith, AR and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Smith, AR: $1,951 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Fort Smith, AR, United States
Barcelona, Spain
Fort Smith, AR
🇺🇸 United States
$1,951
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

  • Fort Smith, AR $1,951
  • Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,992 in Fort Smith, AR versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

  • Fort Smith, AR $2,992
  • Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,033 in Fort Smith, AR versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

  • Fort Smith, AR $4,033
  • Barcelona $4,564

Living in Fort Smith, AR costs roughly 20% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort Smith, AR 43% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fort Smith, AR
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.20 $20.20
$17.59 €15.75
14.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.6 $64.6
$67.5 €60.5
-4.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.43 $11.43
$13.53 €12.12
-15.52%
Cappuccino
$5.32 $5.32
$3.19 €2.86
66.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 $2.39
$2.91 €2.61
-17.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 $2.00
$1.89 €1.70
5.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.96 $5.96
$4.01 €3.59
48.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.04 $9.04
$4.53 €4.06
99.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fort Smith, AR
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.31 €1.17
-27.48%
White Bread (500g)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.02 €1.81
61.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.78 $3.78
$1.85 €1.66
104.32%
Eggs
$2.89 $2.89
$4.83 €4.33
-40.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.55 $7.55
$16.74 €14.99
-54.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.76 $10.76
$9.12 €8.17
17.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.61 $19.61
$19.64 €17.59
-0.15%
Apples (1kg)
$4.77 $4.77
$2.98 €2.67
60.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$2.02 €1.81
-28.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.48 $2.48
$2.70 €2.42
-8.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.11 $2.11
$2.80 €2.51
-24.64%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 $1.90
$2.09 €1.87
-9.09%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 $1.58
$2.07 €1.85
-23.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.75 $1.75
$1.46 €1.31
19.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.28 $2.28
$0.94 €0.84
142.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.33 $8.33
$6.87 €6.15
21.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.89 $13.89
$7.89 €7.06
76.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 $1.82
$1.41 €1.26
29.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64 $2.64
$2.54 €2.27
3.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Fort Smith, AR
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.22 $1.22
$3.14 €2.82
-61.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$35.44 $35.44
$25.45 €22.79
39.25%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.68 $2.68
$2.99 €2.68
-10.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.29 $1.29
$1.49 €1.34
-13.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.99 $29.99
$33.37 €29.89
-10.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.76 $0.76
$1.80 €1.61
-57.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.0K $26.0K
$33.2K €29.7K
-21.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K $25.6K
$31.7K €28.4K
-19.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fort Smith, AR
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$276 $276
$180 €162
52.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$69.5 $69.5
$13.84 €12.39
402.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.1 $69.1
$33.70 €30.18
104.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fort Smith, AR
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.06 $27.06
$51.5 €46.13
-47.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.22 $16.22
$15.96 €14.29
1.63%
Cinema Ticket
$13.52 $13.52
$10.99 €9.85
23.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fort Smith, AR
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$918 $918
$917 €821
0.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.5K $23.5K
$16.5K €14.8K
42.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fort Smith, AR
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.7 $54.7
$87.0 €77.9
-37.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.77 $41.77
$38.51 €34.49
8.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.8 $91.8
$106 €94.8
-13.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.6 $77.6
$120 €107
-35.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fort Smith, AR
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$683 $683
$1,699 €1,522
-59.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$646 $646
$1,355 €1,214
-52.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,536 $1,536
$2,603 €2,331
-40.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,295 $1,295
$2,062 €1,847
-37.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,557 $1,557
$6,915 €6,193
-77.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,561 $1,561
$5,128 €4,592
-69.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fort Smith, AR
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,154 $3,154
$2,211 €1,980
42.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.38
3.28
94.51%

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

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Fort Smith, AR
$646
Barcelona
$1.4K 110% $709
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fort Smith, AR
$414
Barcelona
$228 45% $186
Groceries & Markets
Fort Smith, AR
$342
Barcelona
$322 6% $21
Eating Out
Fort Smith, AR
$325
Barcelona
$268 17.6% $57
Clothing & Footwear
Fort Smith, AR
$120
Barcelona
$158 32.1% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Fort Smith, AR
$54
Barcelona
$74 35.9% $19
Getting Around
Fort Smith, AR
$49
Barcelona
$48 1.9% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $683 in Fort Smith, AR and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Smith, AR pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65 in Fort Smith, AR vs $67 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $342 vs $322, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Fort Smith, AR
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
22:36 10:36 PM
05:36 5:36 AM
7 h ahead of Fort Smith, AR
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
89,142
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Fort Smith, AR Barcelona 7,980 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Fort Smith, AR
  • Barcelona

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
Fort Smith, AR vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Fort Smith, AR and in Barcelona?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR and $2,453 in Barcelona, so Fort Smith, AR is about 20% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Fort Smith, AR or Barcelona?
Average pay runs 43% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Fort Smith, AR and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $683 in Fort Smith, AR versus $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Fort Smith, AR and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $918 in Fort Smith, AR versus $917 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How does quality of life compare between Fort Smith, AR and Barcelona?
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.

Fort Smith, AR vs other spots: cost of living compared

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