Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
94

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Fort Smith, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY 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 New York, NY and in Fort Smith, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in New York, NY is roughly 153% more expensive than in Fort Smith, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$20.20 $20.20

41.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$64.6 $64.6

83.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.43 $11.43

31.58%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.32 $5.32

22.74%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.39 $2.39

65.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.00 $2.00

50.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.96 $5.96

36.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.04 $9.04

8.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.95 $0.95

44.21%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.26 $3.26

52.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$3.78 $3.78

106.61%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$2.89 $2.89

106.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$7.55 $7.55

150.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$10.76 $10.76

67.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$19.61 $19.61

-2.86%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.77 $4.77

41.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.45 $1.45

56.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$2.48 $2.48

175.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$2.11 $2.11

236.02%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.90 $1.90

122.11%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$1.58 $1.58

194.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.75 $1.75

64.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.28 $2.28

14.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$8.33 $8.33

125.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$13.89 $13.89

44.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.82 $1.82

89.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.64 $2.64

52.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.22 $1.22

138.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$35.44 $35.44

291.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.68 $2.68

14.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.29 $1.29

64.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$29.99 $29.99

39.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.76 $0.76

53.95%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$26.0K $26.0K

32.82%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.6K $25.6K

1.05%

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

$219 $219

$276 $276

-20.40%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$69.5 $69.5

6.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$69.1 $69.1

1.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$27.06 $27.06

313.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$16.22 $16.22

361.53%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$13.52 $13.52

63.76%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$918 $918

287.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$23.5K $23.5K

164.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$54.7 $54.7

38.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$41.77 $41.77

22.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$91.8 $91.8

34.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$77.6 $77.6

80.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$683 $683

558.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$646 $646

376.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$1,536 $1,536

515.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,295 $1,295

300.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$1,557 $1,557

1062.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,561 $1,561

328.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,154 $3,154

65.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.38

7.52%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 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

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Fort Smith, AR

$646 33.1% 79% $2.4K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Fort Smith, AR

$342 17.6% 39.2% $221

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Fort Smith, AR

$325 16.7% 26.1% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Fort Smith, AR

$414 21.2% 13.8% $50

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Fort Smith, AR

$120 6.1% 31.8% $56

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Fort Smith, AR

$49 2.5% 69.9% $115

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Fort Smith, AR

$54 2.8% 65.4% $102

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $683 in Fort Smith, AR. 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: $118 in New York, NY vs $65 in Fort Smith, AR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $342 per month, with Fort Smith, AR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Fort Smith, AR

🕒 Local time

00:25 12:25 AM

23:25 11:25 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

89,142

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

New York, NY
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

New York, NY vs Fort Smith, AR: 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.

Average pay runs 66% higher in New York, NY, 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: $4,499 in New York, NY 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 $4,941 per month in New York, NY versus $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR – 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.