Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Smith, AR and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $1,978 in Fort Smith, AR, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Fort Smith, AR
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Fort Smith, AR Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Fort Smith, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,978

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,978 in Fort Smith, AR versus $1,608 in Monterrey.

Fort Smith, AR $1,978
Monterrey $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,030 in Fort Smith, AR versus $2,521 in Monterrey.

Fort Smith, AR $3,030
Monterrey $2,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,081 in Fort Smith, AR versus $3,433 in Monterrey.

Fort Smith, AR $4,081
Monterrey $3,433

Living in Fort Smith, AR is roughly 23% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort Smith, AR 47% above, Monterrey 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.37 $20.37

$13.85 MX$256

47.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 $65.0

$49.70 MX$918

30.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 $11.35

$11.05 MX$204

2.71%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$4.09 MX$75.6

30.81%

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

$2.31 $2.31

$1.68 MX$30.97

37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.03 MX$18.98

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 $6.13

$2.40 MX$44.28

155.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.09 $9.09

$4.35 MX$80.3

108.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.92 MX$35.55

-46.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.94 MX$54.2

17.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$1.88 MX$34.66

95.21%

Eggs

$2.97 $2.97

$2.55 MX$47.06

16.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 $7.37

$11.84 MX$219

-37.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.94 $10.94

$9.36 MX$173

16.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.62 $19.62

$13.10 MX$242

49.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$3.38 MX$62.5

46.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.52 MX$28.13

-6.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.19 MX$40.51

16.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.36 MX$43.63

-11.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.26 MX$41.76

-15.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.73 MX$50.5

-42.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.52 MX$28.17

19.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.24 MX$22.90

82.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.08 $8.08

$4.75 MX$87.8

70.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.13 $14.13

$13.66 MX$252

3.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.89 MX$34.95

-2.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.99 MX$55.2

-15.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.85 MX$15.78

50.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.56 $35.56

$30.95 MX$572

14.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.68 MX$30.98

62.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.13 MX$20.87

13.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.11 $30.11

$11.15 MX$206

170.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.56 MX$28.91

-49.36%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

19.20%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

3.08%

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

$274 $274

$119 MX$2,206

129.60%

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

$70.6 $70.6

$26.21 MX$484

169.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.5 $68.5

$26.78 MX$495

155.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.02 $27.02

$31.03 MX$573

-12.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.73 $15.73

$21.43 MX$396

-26.60%

Cinema Ticket

$13.27 $13.27

$5.29 MX$97.7

150.85%

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

$890 $890

$691 MX$12.8K

28.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$11.5K MX$212.1K

107.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 $52.9

$72.3 MX$1,335

-26.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.60 $41.60

$42.72 MX$789

-2.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 $93.6

$110 MX$2,024

-14.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.1 $77.1

$117 MX$2,158

-33.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 $681

$970 MX$17.9K

-29.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 $668

$664 MX$12.3K

0.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 $1,500

$1,857 MX$34.3K

-19.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$1,287 MX$23.8K

3.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,547 $1,547

$4,162 MX$76.9K

-62.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,540 $1,540

$2,349 MX$43.4K

-34.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,041 $3,041

$1,146 MX$21.2K

165.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.38

11.79

-45.89%

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

Last update for Fort Smith, AR: October 12, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Smith, AR

$668 33.8%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 0.6% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Smith, AR

$413 20.9%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 58.3% $241

Groceries & Markets

Fort Smith, AR

$347 17.5%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 10.4% $36

Eating Out

Fort Smith, AR

$328 16.6%

Monterrey

$225 14% 31.4% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Smith, AR

$119 6%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 28.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Smith, AR

$54 2.7%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 22.3% $12

Getting Around

Fort Smith, AR

$50 2.5%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 16.3% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $681 in Fort Smith, AR and $970 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Smith, AR pays 165% 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: $65.0 in Fort Smith, AR vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 vs $310 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Smith, AR

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

10:25 10:25 AM

09:25 9:25 AM

1 h behind Fort Smith, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,142

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fort Smith, AR Monterrey 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Fort Smith, AR
Monterrey

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 Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Fort Smith, AR. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monterrey the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 165% 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: $681 in Fort Smith, AR versus $970 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,978 per month in Fort Smith, AR versus $1,608 in Monterrey – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Monterrey runs roughly 15% less than in Fort Smith, AR. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,608 in Monterrey versus $1,978 in Fort Smith, AR, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Fort Smith, AR. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Monterrey delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,608 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monterrey hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Fort Smith, AR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.