Fort Smith cost of living score 76.6 Less expensive 23.4% lower than the US average 1.2% lower than the Arkansas average Fort Smith, Arkansas gets a BestPlaces Cost of Living score of 76.6, which means the total cost of housing, food, childcare, transportation, healthcare, taxes, and other necessities is 23.4% lower than the U.S. average and 1.2% higher than the average for Arkansas.