City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Austin | Fort Smith | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $798/mo | 94.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $155,600 | 196.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $50,799 | 70.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.2 | 95.3 | 9.3% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 102.6 | 91.1 | 12.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 91.7 | 76.6 | 19.7% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 110.4 | 86.6 | 27.4% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Austin, you'd need $69,621 in Fort Smith to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fort Smith, AR is about 30.4% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 48% lower in Fort Smith than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $55,697 in Fort Smith to keep the same standard of living.