Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fort Smith, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
94

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

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Fort Smith, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR.

Medellin $1,639
Fort Smith, AR $1,951

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $2,992 in Fort Smith, AR.

Medellin $2,413
Fort Smith, AR $2,992

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $4,033 in Fort Smith, AR.

Medellin $3,186
Fort Smith, AR $4,033

Living in Medellin costs roughly 16% less than in Fort Smith, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Fort Smith, AR 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$20.20 $20.20

-59.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$64.6 $64.6

-27.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$11.43 $11.43

-16.89%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$5.32 $5.32

-43.42%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$2.39 $2.39

-24.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$2.00 $2.00

-29.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$5.96 $5.96

-46.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$9.04 $9.04

-36.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$0.95 $0.95

58.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$3.26 $3.26

-26.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$3.78 $3.78

-53.17%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$2.89 $2.89

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$7.55 $7.55

34.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$10.76 $10.76

-8.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$19.61 $19.61

-28.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$4.77 $4.77

-16.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.45 $1.45

6.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$2.48 $2.48

-12.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$2.11 $2.11

3.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$1.90 $1.90

3.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$1.58 $1.58

0.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$1.75 $1.75

-34.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$2.28 $2.28

-45.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$8.33 $8.33

-52.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$13.89 $13.89

-1.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.82 $1.82

-8.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$2.64 $2.64

-14.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$1.22 $1.22

-4.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$35.44 $35.44

118.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$2.68 $2.68

-52.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$1.29 $1.29

58.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$29.99 $29.99

-71.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$0.76 $0.76

77.63%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$26.0K $26.0K

31.23%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$25.6K $25.6K

35.52%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$276 $276

-38.45%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$69.5 $69.5

-80.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$69.1 $69.1

-59.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$27.06 $27.06

61.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$16.22 $16.22

5.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$13.52 $13.52

-48.89%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$918 $918

-13.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$23.5K $23.5K

-61.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$54.7 $54.7

54.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$41.77 $41.77

38.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$91.8 $91.8

47.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$77.6 $77.6

26.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$683 $683

76.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$646 $646

-0.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,536 $1,536

32.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,295 $1,295

-21.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$1,557 $1,557

167.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,561 $1,561

22.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$3,154 $3,154

-79.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.38

71.47%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Fort Smith, AR

$646 33.1% 0.7% $4.4

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Fort Smith, AR

$342 17.6% 15.3% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Fort Smith, AR

$414 21.2% 96.1% $203

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Fort Smith, AR

$325 16.7% 91.8% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Fort Smith, AR

$120 6.1% 29.2% $49

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Fort Smith, AR

$49 2.5% 47.2% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Fort Smith, AR

$54 2.8% 6% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $683 in Fort Smith, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Smith, AR pays about 4.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $65 in Fort Smith, AR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $342 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Fort Smith, AR

🕒 Local time

03:08 3:08 AM

02:08 2:08 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

89,142

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,598 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Fort Smith, AR 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Fort Smith, AR

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

Medellin vs Fort Smith, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 16% 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.

On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Medellin. 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $683 in Fort Smith, AR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR – Medellin is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Fort Smith, AR runs roughly 54% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Medellin gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Fort Smith, AR on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.