Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Fort Smith, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Smith, AR: $1,951 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $22,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
94

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Fort Smith, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Fort Smith, AR $1,951

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $2,992 in Fort Smith, AR.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Fort Smith, AR $2,992

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,033 in Fort Smith, AR.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Fort Smith, AR $4,033

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 94% 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: Seattle, WA 178% above, Fort Smith, AR 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$20.20 $20.20

25.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$64.6 $64.6

56.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.43 $11.43

29.13%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.32 $5.32

22.18%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.39 $2.39

34.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.00 $2.00

57.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.96 $5.96

33.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$9.04 $9.04

-10.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.95 $0.95

23.16%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.26 $3.26

62.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.78 $3.78

69.31%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$2.89 $2.89

75.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$7.55 $7.55

147.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.76 $10.76

73.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$19.61 $19.61

16.68%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.77 $4.77

27.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.45 $1.45

34.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.48 $2.48

122.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$2.11 $2.11

209.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.90 $1.90

83.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.58 $1.58

108.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.75 $1.75

60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.28 $2.28

13.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$8.33 $8.33

49.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$13.89 $13.89

7.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.82 $1.82

130.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.64 $2.64

119.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.22 $1.22

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$35.44 $35.44

198.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.68 $2.68

-3.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.29 $1.29

27.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$29.99 $29.99

0.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.76 $0.76

85.53%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

41.76%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.6K $25.6K

3.94%

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

$308 $308

$276 $276

11.60%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$69.5 $69.5

-0.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$69.1 $69.1

24.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$27.06 $27.06

182.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$16.22 $16.22

118.87%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$13.52 $13.52

33.28%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$918 $918

199.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.5K $23.5K

30.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$54.7 $54.7

44.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$41.77 $41.77

30.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$91.8 $91.8

38.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$77.6 $77.6

104.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$683 $683

267.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$646 $646

200.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,536 $1,536

233.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,295 $1,295

173.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$1,557 $1,557

373.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,561 $1,561

220.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,154 $3,154

105.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.38

7.99%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: 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

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Fort Smith, AR

$646 33.1% 66.7% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Fort Smith, AR

$342 17.6% 37.4% $205

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Fort Smith, AR

$414 21.2% 10.5% $49

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Fort Smith, AR

$325 16.7% 19.9% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Fort Smith, AR

$120 6.1% 36.6% $69

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Fort Smith, AR

$49 2.5% 61.7% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Fort Smith, AR

$54 2.8% 51.9% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $683 in Fort Smith, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $65 in Fort Smith, AR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $342 per month, with Fort Smith, AR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Fort Smith, AR

🕒 Local time

22:12 10:12 PM

00:12 12:12 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

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

Seattle, WA Fort Smith, AR 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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

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

Fort Smith, AR wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Seattle, WA. 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 in Seattle, WA is about 2.1 times higher, 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA 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 $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR – Fort Smith, AR is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Fort Smith, AR runs roughly 67% less than in Seattle, WA. 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 48% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.