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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,749 in Fort Smith, AR versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,668 in Fort Smith, AR versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,586 in Fort Smith, AR versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Fort Smith, AR is roughly 69% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fort Smith, AR is 31% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.04 $15.04

$5.92 COP 21.5K

154.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.65 $49.65

$32.75 COP 119.1K

51.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.69 $8.69

$7.20 COP 26.2K

20.69%

Cappuccino

$4.12 $4.12

$1.70 COP 6,186

142.35%

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

$2.29 $2.29

$1.10 COP 3,996

108.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$0.72 COP 2,625

159.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.67 COP 6,067

137.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 $6.13

$3.10 COP 11.3K

97.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.06 COP 3,837

-2.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.25 COP 4,531

134.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.39 COP 5,060

48.92%

Eggs

$2.97 $2.97

$2.26 COP 8,229

31.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 $7.29

$4.33 COP 15.8K

68.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 $8.97

$5.84 COP 21.2K

53.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.14 $14.14

$8.83 COP 32.1K

60.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.24 COP 8,159

95.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.08 COP 3,911

19.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.53 COP 5,563

60.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.37 COP 4,987

53.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.13 COP 4,109

43.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.12 COP 4,067

33.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 $1.82

$0.85 COP 3,080

114.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.91 COP 3,305

116.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 $7.16

$2.33 COP 8,477

207.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 $12.06

$11.13 COP 40.5K

8.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.19 COP 4,342

41.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.37 COP 8,617

7.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.79 COP 2,859

55.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.19 $35.19

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-14.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.44 COP 5,223

110.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.91 COP 6,952

-32.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.93 $35.93

$8.02 COP 29.2K

348.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.94 COP 3,410

-22.34%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

43.54%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-0.70%

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

$237 $237

$84.0 COP 305.4K

182.78%

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

$57.9 $57.9

$9.60 COP 34.9K

503.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.1 $73.1

$24.16 COP 87.9K

202.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.30 $26.30

$25.88 COP 94.1K

1.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.92 $15.92

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-16.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.79 $10.79

$3.92 COP 14.2K

175.26%

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

$772 $772

$306 COP 1.1M

151.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

301.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 $52.2

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-9.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.77 $33.77

$31.82 COP 115.7K

6.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 $68.6

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-31.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 $77.6

$107 COP 389.7K

-27.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 $697

$487 COP 1.8M

43.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 $688

$368 COP 1.3M

86.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 $1,463

$826 COP 3.0M

77.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 $1,297

$716 COP 2.6M

81.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,566 $1,566

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-46.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,554 $1,554

$1,407 COP 5.1M

10.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,046 $3,046

$546 COP 2.0M

458.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

13.43

-51.97%

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

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $697 in Fort Smith, AR and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Smith, AR pays 458% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $50.0 in Fort Smith, AR vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $190 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Fort Smith, AR. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Fort Smith, AR pays 458% more on average, 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: $697 in Fort Smith, AR versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,749 per month in Fort Smith, AR versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 17% less than in Fort Smith, AR. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,749 in Fort Smith, AR, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Fort Smith, AR. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,034 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Fort Smith, AR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.