Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Smith, AR and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Smith, AR: $1,951 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $35,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Fort Smith, AR
Learn more

Fort Smith, AR Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index

Jump to prices

Fort Smith, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,951

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fort Smith, AR and in New York, NY

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 New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR versus $4,941 in New York, NY.

Fort Smith, AR $1,951
New York, NY $4,941

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,992 in Fort Smith, AR versus $7,225 in New York, NY.

Fort Smith, AR $2,992
New York, NY $7,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,033 in Fort Smith, AR versus $9,509 in New York, NY.

Fort Smith, AR $4,033
New York, NY $9,509

Living in Fort Smith, AR costs roughly 61% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort Smith, AR 43% above, New York, NY 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.20 $20.20

$28.55 $28.55

-29.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 $64.6

$118 $118

-45.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 $11.43

$15.04 $15.04

-24.00%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$6.53 $6.53

-18.53%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$3.96 $3.96

-39.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$3.01 $3.01

-33.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$8.16 $8.16

-26.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.04 $9.04

$9.84 $9.84

-8.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.37 $1.37

-30.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.97 $4.97

-34.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$7.81 $7.81

-51.60%

Eggs

$2.89 $2.89

$5.97 $5.97

-51.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$18.91 $18.91

-60.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.76 $10.76

$18.04 $18.04

-40.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.61 $19.61

$19.05 $19.05

2.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$6.76 $6.76

-29.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.27 $2.27

-36.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$6.83 $6.83

-63.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$7.09 $7.09

-70.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$4.22 $4.22

-54.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$4.65 $4.65

-66.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.87 $2.87

-39.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.60 $2.60

-12.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.33 $8.33

$18.77 $18.77

-55.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 $13.89

$20.13 $20.13

-31.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$3.45 $3.45

-47.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$4.02 $4.02

-34.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.91 $2.91

-58.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.44 $35.44

$139 $139

-74.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.08 $3.08

-12.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 $1.29

$2.12 $2.12

-39.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.99 $29.99

$41.96 $41.96

-28.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.17 $1.17

-35.04%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$34.5K $34.5K

-24.71%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

-1.04%

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

$276 $276

$219 $219

25.62%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$74.2 $74.2

-6.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$70.2 $70.2

-1.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.06 $27.06

$112 $112

-75.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.22 $16.22

$74.9 $74.9

-78.33%

Cinema Ticket

$13.52 $13.52

$22.14 $22.14

-38.93%

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

$918 $918

$3,558 $3,558

-74.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$62.2K $62.2K

-62.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 $54.7

$75.6 $75.6

-27.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.77 $41.77

$51.2 $51.2

-18.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 $91.8

$123 $123

-25.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 $77.6

$140 $140

-44.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$683 $683

$4,499 $4,499

-84.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 $646

$3,078 $3,078

-79.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 $1,536

$9,447 $9,447

-83.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 $1,295

$5,190 $5,190

-75.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,557 $1,557

$18.1K $18.1K

-91.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,561 $1,561

$6,693 $6,693

-76.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,154 $3,154

$5,220 $5,220

-39.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.38

6.86

-7.00%

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 New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Smith, AR

$646 33.1%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 377% $2.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Smith, AR

$414 21.2%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 12.2% $50

Groceries & Markets

Fort Smith, AR

$342 17.6%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 64.4% $221

Eating Out

Fort Smith, AR

$325 16.7%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 35.3% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Smith, AR

$120 6.1%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 46.6% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Smith, AR

$54 2.8%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 189% $102

Getting Around

Fort Smith, AR

$49 2.5%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 232% $115

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $683 in Fort Smith, AR and $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 66% 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 in Fort Smith, AR vs $118 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $563 per month, with Fort Smith, AR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Smith, AR

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

17:53 5:53 PM

18:53 6:53 PM

1 h ahead of Fort Smith, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,142

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fort Smith, AR New York, NY 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Fort Smith, AR
New York, NY

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 New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Smith, AR wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Fort Smith, AR the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 40% 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 $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,951 per month in Fort Smith, AR versus $4,941 in New York, NY – Fort Smith, AR is about 61% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Fort Smith, AR runs roughly 74% less than in New York, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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.

Expats usually find Fort Smith, AR gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.