City comparison
Conway, AR is about 175 miles (275 km) from Monroe, LA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 3 h 45 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Conway, AR to Monroe, LA takes about 21 min, covering roughly 175 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Conway has a population of 65,159, vs 47,631 in Monroe — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, Conway covers about 47 sq mi vs 30 sq mi for Monroe.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Conway | Monroe | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $942/mo | $790/mo | 19.2% higher in Conway |
| Median home value | $223,900 | $158,200 | 41.5% higher in Conway |
| Median household income | $54,036 | $36,550 | 47.8% higher in Conway |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.1 | ≈ equal (Monroe slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 76.5 | 74.3 | 3.0% higher in Conway |
| Transportation index | 95.8 | 96.1 | ≈ equal (Monroe slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 95.3 | 95.6 | ≈ equal (Monroe slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Conway, you'd need $87,448 in Monroe to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Monroe, LA is about 12.6% cheaper overall than Conway, AR, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 54% higher in Conway than in Monroe. If you earn $80,000 in Conway, you'd need about $69,959 in Monroe to keep the same standard of living.