Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Smith, AR and San Jose

For one person, living costs are similar in Fort Smith, AR and in San Jose: $1,978 and $1,938 a month, rent and utilities included.

95

Cost of Living Index in Fort Smith, AR
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Fort Smith, AR Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Fort Smith, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,978

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fort Smith, AR and in San Jose

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Fort Smith, AR and in San Jose actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,978 in Fort Smith, AR versus $1,938 in San Jose.

Fort Smith, AR $1,978
San Jose $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,030 in Fort Smith, AR versus $2,936 in San Jose.

Fort Smith, AR $3,030
San Jose $2,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,081 in Fort Smith, AR versus $3,934 in San Jose.

Fort Smith, AR $4,081
San Jose $3,934

Living in Fort Smith, AR is roughly 2% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort Smith, AR 47% above, San Jose 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.37 $20.37

$12.38 ₡5,551

64.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 $65.0

$60.9 ₡27.3K

6.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 $11.35

$11.45 ₡5,135

-0.87%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$4.39 ₡1,967

21.87%

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

$2.31 $2.31

$2.70 ₡1,211

-14.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.93 ₡864

6.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 $6.13

$3.20 ₡1,433

91.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.09 $9.09

$4.41 ₡1,979

106.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.44 ₡1,093

-58.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.05 ₡1,369

12.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$2.41 ₡1,081

52.28%

Eggs

$2.97 $2.97

$3.40 ₡1,523

-12.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 $7.37

$10.75 ₡4,823

-31.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.94 $10.94

$10.43 ₡4,679

4.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.62 $19.62

$13.99 ₡6,273

40.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$5.25 ₡2,353

-5.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.59 ₡712

-10.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$4.69 ₡2,103

-45.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$3.95 ₡1,770

-46.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$3.92 ₡1,760

-51.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.68 ₡1,651

-57.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.12 ₡503

61.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$3.19 ₡1,429

-29.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.08 $8.08

$6.00 ₡2,692

34.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.13 $14.13

$19.56 ₡8,771

-27.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.82 ₡1,263

-34.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.59 ₡1,611

-29.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.12 ₡503

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.56 $35.56

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-46.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.50 ₡1,119

9.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.63 ₡733

-21.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.11 $30.11

$8.50 ₡3,812

254.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.56 ₡701

-49.36%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

13.94%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-27.39%

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

$274 $274

$95.2 ₡42.7K

187.88%

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

$70.6 $70.6

$35.58 ₡16.0K

98.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.5 $68.5

$58.6 ₡26.3K

16.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.02 $27.02

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-62.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.73 $15.73

$24.85 ₡11.1K

-36.70%

Cinema Ticket

$13.27 $13.27

$7.58 ₡3,401

75.07%

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

$890 $890

$1,001 ₡449.0K

-11.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

39.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 $52.9

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-24.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.60 $41.60

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-25.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 $93.6

$130 ₡58.2K

-27.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.1 $77.1

$131 ₡58.7K

-41.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 $681

$927 ₡415.8K

-26.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 $668

$774 ₡347.2K

-13.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 $1,500

$1,967 ₡882.0K

-23.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$1,288 ₡577.6K

3.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,547 $1,547

$2,274 ₡1.0M

-31.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,540 $1,540

$1,831 ₡821.0K

-15.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,041 $3,041

$1,016 ₡455.8K

199.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.38

8.62

-25.99%

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

Last update for Fort Smith, AR: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Smith, AR

$668 33.8%

San Jose

$774 40% 15.9% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Smith, AR

$413 20.9%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 54.2% $224

Groceries & Markets

Fort Smith, AR

$347 17.5%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 15.7% $54

Eating Out

Fort Smith, AR

$328 16.6%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 30% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Smith, AR

$119 6%

San Jose

$174 9% 45.8% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Smith, AR

$54 2.7%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 64% $34

Getting Around

Fort Smith, AR

$50 2.5%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 64.5% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $681 in Fort Smith, AR and $927 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Smith, AR pays 199% 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: $65.0 in Fort Smith, AR vs $61.0 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $347 vs $401, with Fort Smith, AR cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Smith, AR

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

10:05 10:05 AM

09:05 9:05 AM

1 h behind Fort Smith, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,142

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Fort Smith, AR San Jose 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Fort Smith, AR
San Jose

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

Fort Smith, AR vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Fort Smith, AR. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 199% higher in Fort Smith, AR, 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: $681 in Fort Smith, AR versus $927 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,978 per month in Fort Smith, AR versus $1,938 in San Jose – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in San Jose runs roughly 88% less than in Fort Smith, AR. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,938 in San Jose versus $1,978 in Fort Smith, AR, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Fort Smith, AR. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,938 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Fort Smith, AR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.