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 | Chicago | Fort Smith | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $798/mo | 64.7% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $155,600 | 95.7% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $50,799 | 41.1% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 98.7 | 1.5% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 94.8 | 2.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 100.5 | 1.9% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 94.8 | 2.8% 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 Chicago, you'd need $60,726 in Fort Smith to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fort Smith, AR is about 39.3% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 39% lower in Fort Smith than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $48,581 in Fort Smith to keep the same standard of living.