Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manhattan, KS and Bentonville, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Manhattan, KS: $2,248 a month against $2,339 in Bentonville, AR, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bentonville, AR outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

108

Cost of Living Index in Manhattan, KS
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Manhattan, KS Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Bentonville, AR
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Bentonville, AR Living Index

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Manhattan, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,248

/mo nomad

Bentonville, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manhattan, KS and in Bentonville, AR

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Manhattan, KS and in Bentonville, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,248 per month in Manhattan, KS vs $2,339 in Bentonville, AR, rent included.

Manhattan, KS $2,248
Bentonville, AR $2,339

A couple spends around $3,250 per month in Manhattan, KS vs $3,372 in Bentonville, AR, rent included.

Manhattan, KS $3,250
Bentonville, AR $3,372

A family of three spends $4,252 per month in Manhattan, KS vs $4,406 in Bentonville, AR, rent included.

Manhattan, KS $4,252
Bentonville, AR $4,406

Manhattan, KS is about 4% cheaper than Bentonville, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manhattan, KS and Bentonville, AR sit above the global median – Manhattan, KS by 65%, Bentonville, AR by 72%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.90 $14.90

$20.48 $20.48

-27.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 $81.4

$59.8 $59.8

36.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 $12.21

$12.48 $12.48

-2.16%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

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

$2.04 $2.04

$2.49 $2.49

-18.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.77 $1.77

-17.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 $4.90

$6.37 $6.37

-23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.25 $9.25

$7.65 $7.65

20.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.05 $1.05

-10.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.88 $2.88

14.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.01 $6.01

$4.37 $4.37

37.53%

Eggs

$4.57 $4.57

$3.88 $3.88

17.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.49 $11.49

$9.06 $9.06

26.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.54 $8.54

$9.41 $9.41

-9.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.95 $14.95

$13.54 $13.54

10.41%

Apples (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$4.16 $4.16

61.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.27 $1.27

70.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$3.21 $3.21

82.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.56 $2.56

64.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$1.75 $1.75

96.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.18 $2.18

76.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.83 $1.83

0.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.11 $2.11

22.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.02 $9.02

$8.22 $8.22

9.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.94 $16.94

$11.97 $11.97

41.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.85 $1.85

-7.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$3.03 $3.03

-15.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 $60.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.53 $2.53

92.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.26 $1.26

44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.66 $34.66

$60.6 $60.6

-42.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$0.92 $0.92

-7.61%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$28.8K $28.8K

-2.72%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

0.25%

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

$147 $147

$191 $191

-23.02%

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

$46.90 $46.90

$51.1 $51.1

-8.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 $66.1

$63.4 $63.4

4.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 $76.0

$21.57 $21.57

252.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.13 $5.13

Cinema Ticket

$14.75 $14.75

$15.17 $15.17

-2.77%

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

$814 $814

$1,150 $1,150

-29.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K $11.3K

$21.1K $21.1K

-46.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.85 $47.85

$46.79 $46.79

2.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.46 $35.46

$38.98 $38.98

-9.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 $90.7

$66.0 $66.0

37.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$76.8 $76.8

51.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 $900

$1,632 $1,632

-44.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 $998

$1,217 $1,217

-18.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 $1,462

$3,224 $3,224

-54.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 $1,412

$1,992 $1,992

-29.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,514 $1,514

$5,211 $5,211

-70.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,504 $1,504

$2,259 $2,259

-33.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,407 $3,407

$5,617 $5,617

-39.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

6.56

-3.51%

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

Last update for Manhattan, KS: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bentonville, AR: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manhattan, KS

$998 44.4%

Bentonville, AR

$1.2K 52% 22% $219

Groceries & Markets

Manhattan, KS

$402 17.9%

Bentonville, AR

$323 13.8% 19.7% $79

Eating Out

Manhattan, KS

$278 12.4%

Bentonville, AR

$331 14.1% 18.9% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manhattan, KS

$260 11.6%

Bentonville, AR

$305 13.1% 17.5% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Manhattan, KS

$131 5.8%

Bentonville, AR

$103 4.4% 21.4% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Manhattan, KS

$106 4.7%

Bentonville, AR

$52 2.2% 50.8% $54

Getting Around

Manhattan, KS

$75 * 3.3%

Bentonville, AR

$8.8 * 0.4% 88.2% $66

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $900 in Manhattan, KS versus $1,632 in Bentonville, AR. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 65% higher in Bentonville, AR. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Manhattan, KS versus $60 in Bentonville, AR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $402 vs $323 – making Bentonville, AR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Manhattan, KS

🇺🇸 Bentonville, AR

🕒 Local time

22:16 10:16 PM

Same time as Manhattan, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,694,251

54,164

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Manhattan, KS Bentonville, AR 380 km

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Manhattan, KS
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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

Manhattan, KS vs Bentonville, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,248 in Manhattan, KS, $2,339 in Bentonville, AR – Manhattan, KS comes out roughly 4% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,372 per month in Manhattan, KS and $3,508 in Bentonville, AR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manhattan, KS, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $900 there versus $1,632 in Bentonville, AR.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,248 in Manhattan, KS and $2,339 in Bentonville, AR. That makes Manhattan, KS about 4% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $814 per month in Manhattan, KS and $1,150 in Bentonville, AR. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Manhattan, KS – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Manhattan, KS. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bentonville, AR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.