Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

94

Cost of Living Index in Fort Smith, AR
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Fort Smith, AR Living Index
87

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

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Fort Smith, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,951

/mo nomad

Charleston, WV

🇺🇸 United States

$1,805

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Charleston, WV actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Fort Smith, AR is roughly 8% more expensive than in Charleston, WV, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.20 $20.20

$14.29 $14.29

41.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 $64.6

$50.8 $50.8

27.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 $11.43

$10.13 $10.13

12.83%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$2.99 $2.99

77.93%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$2.27 $2.27

5.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.89 $1.89

5.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$3.08 $3.08

93.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.04 $9.04

$6.55 $6.55

38.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.80 $0.80

18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.14 $2.14

52.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.67 $1.67

126.35%

Eggs

$2.89 $2.89

$3.31 $3.31

-12.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$11.14 $11.14

-32.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.76 $10.76

$11.99 $11.99

-10.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.61 $19.61

$17.14 $17.14

14.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.35 $4.35

9.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.07 $1.07

35.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.26 $2.26

9.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$4.91 $4.91

-57.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.01 $2.01

-5.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.87 $2.87

-44.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.94 $1.94

-9.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.03 $1.03

121.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.33 $8.33

$6.05 $6.05

37.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 $13.89

$10.18 $10.18

36.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.72 $1.72

5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$6.02 $6.02

-56.15%

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)

$0.76 $0.76

$0.95 $0.95

-20.00%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$28.0K $28.0K

-7.27%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.7K $26.7K

-4.17%

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

$276 $276

$196 $196

40.58%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$45.67 $45.67

52.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$55.9 $55.9

23.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.06 $27.06

$31.24 $31.24

-13.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.22 $16.22

$16.92 $16.92

-4.14%

Cinema Ticket

$13.52 $13.52

$11.81 $11.81

14.48%

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

$918 $918

$538 $538

70.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$6,426 $6,426

266.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 $54.7

$40.33 $40.33

35.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.77 $41.77

$48.49 $48.49

-13.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 $91.8

$70.9 $70.9

29.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 $77.6

$119 $119

-34.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$683 $683

$1,037 $1,037

-34.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 $646

$772 $772

-16.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 $1,536

$1,738 $1,738

-11.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 $1,295

$1,339 $1,339

-3.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,557 $1,557

$1,182 $1,182

31.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,561 $1,561

$1,186 $1,186

31.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,154 $3,154

$3,559 $3,559

-11.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.38

6.66

-4.20%

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 Charleston, WV: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Smith, AR

$646 33.1%

Charleston, WV

$772 42.8% 19.6% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Smith, AR

$414 21.2%

Charleston, WV

$298 16.5% 28.1% $117

Groceries & Markets

Fort Smith, AR

$342 17.6%

Charleston, WV

$329 18.2% 4% $14

Eating Out

Fort Smith, AR

$325 16.7%

Charleston, WV

$226 12.5% 30.6% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Smith, AR

$120 6.1%

Charleston, WV

$125 7% 4.8% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Smith, AR

$54 2.8%

Charleston, WV

$55 3% 1.4% $0.8

Getting Around

Fort Smith, AR

$49 2.5%

Charleston, WV

- * 0% 100%

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 $683 in Fort Smith, AR and $1,037 in Charleston, WV. 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: $65 in Fort Smith, AR vs $51 in Charleston, WV for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $329 per month, with Charleston, WV cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Smith, AR

🇺🇸 Charleston, WV

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

Same time as Fort Smith, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,142

150,227

💱 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

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

From you

Fort Smith, AR
Charleston, WV

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 Charleston, WV: 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.

On paper, salaries run 11% 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: $683 in Fort Smith, AR versus $1,037 in Charleston, WV. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $918 in Fort Smith, AR versus $538 in Charleston, WV. 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.