Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Smith, AR and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $1,978 in Fort Smith, AR, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Fort Smith, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,978

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fort Smith, AR and in Rio de Janeiro

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 Rio de Janeiro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,978 in Fort Smith, AR versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Fort Smith, AR $1,978
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,030 in Fort Smith, AR versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Fort Smith, AR $3,030
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,081 in Fort Smith, AR versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Fort Smith, AR $4,081
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Fort Smith, AR is roughly 53% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fort Smith, AR is 47% above, Rio de Janeiro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.37 $20.37

$10.06 R$51.0

102.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 $65.0

$40.44 R$205

60.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 $11.35

$8.55 R$43.35

32.75%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$2.38 R$12.04

124.79%

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

$2.31 $2.31

$1.61 R$8.18

43.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.03 R$5.22

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 $6.13

$2.47 R$12.54

148.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.09 $9.09

$3.70 R$18.77

145.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.19 R$6.05

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.05 R$10.38

67.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$1.28 R$6.49

186.72%

Eggs

$2.97 $2.97

$2.29 R$11.60

29.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 $7.37

$10.76 R$54.5

-31.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.94 $10.94

$4.41 R$22.36

148.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.62 $19.62

$9.84 R$49.86

99.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.81 R$14.25

76.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.78 R$9.03

-20.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.60 R$8.13

60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.80 R$9.11

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.22 R$6.17

55.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.04 R$5.26

51.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$0.77 R$3.92

135.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.67 R$3.38

237.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.08 $8.08

$3.01 R$15.27

168.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.13 $14.13

$8.08 R$40.94

74.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.19 R$6.03

54.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.51 R$12.73

0.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.99 R$5.00

29.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.56 $35.56

$50.1 R$254

-29.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.22 R$6.20

123.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.92 R$4.66

39.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.11 $30.11

$8.97 R$45.45

235.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.30 R$6.57

-39.23%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$23.9K R$121.0K

6.94%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-21.38%

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

$274 $274

$133 R$676

105.49%

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

$70.6 $70.6

$10.82 R$54.8

552.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.5 $68.5

$22.90 R$116

199.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.02 $27.02

$30.79 R$156

-12.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.73 $15.73

$31.85 R$161

-50.61%

Cinema Ticket

$13.27 $13.27

$8.05 R$40.83

64.84%

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

$890 $890

$598 R$3,029

48.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$13.4K R$68.0K

77.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 $52.9

$42.04 R$213

25.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.60 $41.60

$49.68 R$252

-16.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 $93.6

$74.5 R$378

25.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.1 $77.1

$68.7 R$348

12.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 $681

$903 R$4,578

-24.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 $668

$529 R$2,684

26.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 $1,500

$1,326 R$6,724

13.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$756 R$3,831

75.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,547 $1,547

$4,010 R$20.3K

-61.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,540 $1,540

$1,560 R$7,910

-1.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,041 $3,041

$640 R$3,242

375.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.38

11.93

-46.52%

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 Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Smith, AR

$668 33.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 20.7% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Smith, AR

$413 20.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 59.6% $246

Groceries & Markets

Fort Smith, AR

$347 17.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 38.1% $132

Eating Out

Fort Smith, AR

$328 16.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 49.6% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Smith, AR

$119 6%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 11.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Smith, AR

$54 2.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 12.5% $6.7

Getting Around

Fort Smith, AR

$50 2.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 20.2% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $681 in Fort Smith, AR and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Smith, AR pays 375% 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 $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Smith, AR

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

08:13 8:13 AM

10:13 10:13 AM

2 h ahead of Fort Smith, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,142

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fort Smith, AR Rio de Janeiro 8,430 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Fort Smith, AR
Rio de Janeiro

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 Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Fort Smith, AR. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rio de Janeiro the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 375% 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 $903 in Rio de Janeiro. 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 $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rio de Janeiro runs roughly 41% less than in Fort Smith, AR. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,978 in Fort Smith, AR, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Fort Smith, AR. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rio de Janeiro delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,289 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rio de Janeiro hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Fort Smith, AR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.