Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abilene, TX and Fort Walton Beach, FL

For one person, living costs are similar in Abilene, TX and in Fort Walton Beach, FL: $2,186 and $2,162 a month, rent and utilities included.

106

Cost of Living Index in Abilene, TX
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Abilene, TX Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Fort Walton Beach, FL
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Fort Walton Beach, FL Living Index

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Abilene, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,186

/mo nomad

Fort Walton Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,162

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Abilene, TX and in Fort Walton Beach, FL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Abilene, TX and in Fort Walton Beach, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,186 in Abilene, TX versus $2,162 in Fort Walton Beach, FL.

Abilene, TX $2,186
Fort Walton Beach, FL $2,162

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,178 in Abilene, TX versus $3,344 in Fort Walton Beach, FL.

Abilene, TX $3,178
Fort Walton Beach, FL $3,344

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,169 in Abilene, TX versus $4,526 in Fort Walton Beach, FL.

Abilene, TX $4,169
Fort Walton Beach, FL $4,526

Living in Abilene, TX is roughly 1% more expensive than in Fort Walton Beach, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Abilene, TX 62% above, Fort Walton Beach, FL 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.06 $18.06

$14.82 $14.82

21.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 $64.4

$80.0 $80.0

-19.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.13 $9.13

$10.38 $10.38

-12.04%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.92 $4.92

11.18%

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

$2.38 $2.38

$2.62 $2.62

-9.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.03 $2.03

-8.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.89 $4.89

1.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 $5.81

$7.05 $7.05

-17.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.86 $2.86

-18.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$2.02 $2.02

178.71%

Eggs

$3.73 $3.73

$3.02 $3.02

23.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 $8.39

$11.40 $11.40

-26.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 $13.02

$9.88 $9.88

31.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 $14.06

$14.01 $14.01

0.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.55 $3.55

-4.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.57 $1.57

-38.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$3.24 $3.24

44.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.87 $2.87

84.67%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.43 $1.43

195.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.05 $2.05

71.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.75 $1.75

41.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.51 $1.51

29.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 $5.85

$9.20 $9.20

-36.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 $11.31

$8.75 $8.75

29.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.85 $1.85

37.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.03 $2.03

102.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.03 $2.03

-15.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 $53.3

$49.66 $49.66

7.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 $6.14

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.86 $14.86

$45.52 $45.52

-67.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.95 $0.95

-9.47%

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

$19.1K $19.1K

$26.6K $26.6K

-28.15%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$25.2K $25.2K

-3.03%

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

$236 $236

$171 $171

38.05%

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

$58.7 $58.7

$49.37 $49.37

18.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$64.5 $64.5

-4.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.16 $20.16

$46.91 $46.91

-57.02%

Cinema Ticket

$12.02 $12.02

$13.39 $13.39

-10.23%

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

$826 $826

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K $13.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.11 $42.11

$30.36 $30.36

38.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.74 $19.74

$19.91 $19.91

-0.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.9 $62.9

$95.8 $95.8

-34.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 $65.6

$105 $105

-37.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 $1,160

$1,643 $1,643

-29.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$981 $981

$1,048 $1,048

-6.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 $1,847

$2,842 $2,842

-35.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 $1,601

$2,008 $2,008

-20.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,667 $1,667

$4,773 $4,773

-65.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,711 $1,711

$5,105 $5,105

-66.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,281 $3,281

$3,269 $3,269

0.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

6.42

1.09%

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

Last update for Abilene, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Fort Walton Beach, FL: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Abilene, TX

$981 44.9%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$1K 48.5% 6.8% $67

Groceries & Markets

Abilene, TX

$368 16.8%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$304 14% 17.5% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Abilene, TX

$356 16.3%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$285 13.2% 20% $71

Eating Out

Abilene, TX

$291 13.3%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$266 12.3% 8.6% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Abilene, TX

$86 3.9%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$113 5.2% 31.9% $27

Getting Around

Abilene, TX

$60 * 2.8%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$73 3.4% 21.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Abilene, TX

$44 2%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$74 3.4% 66.8% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,160 in Abilene, TX and $1,643 in Fort Walton Beach, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abilene, TX pays 0% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $64.0 in Abilene, TX vs $80.0 in Fort Walton Beach, FL. Groceries flip the comparison at $368 vs $304, with Fort Walton Beach, FL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Abilene, TX

🇺🇸 Fort Walton Beach, FL

🕒 Local time

04:19 4:19 AM

Same time as Abilene, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

125,182

19,507

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Abilene, TX Fort Walton Beach, FL 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Abilene, TX
Fort Walton Beach, FL

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

Abilene, TX vs Fort Walton Beach, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Abilene, TX and Fort Walton Beach, FL differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,186 vs $2,162 including rent). Fort Walton Beach, FL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 0% higher in Abilene, TX, 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: $1,160 in Abilene, TX versus $1,643 in Fort Walton Beach, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Fort Walton Beach, FL – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $64.0 in Abilene, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Fort Walton Beach, FL runs roughly 7% less than in Abilene, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,162 in Fort Walton Beach, FL versus $2,186 in Abilene, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Fort Walton Beach, FL but tight or insufficient in Abilene, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Fort Walton Beach, FL the clear choice for anyone on this 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 Walton Beach, FL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Abilene, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.