Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Walton Beach, FL and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,162 in Fort Walton Beach, FL, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Fort Walton Beach, FL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

105

Cost of Living Index in Fort Walton Beach, FL
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Fort Walton Beach, FL Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Fort Walton Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,162

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fort Walton Beach, FL 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 Walton Beach, FL and in San Jose actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,162 per month in Fort Walton Beach, FL vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Fort Walton Beach, FL $2,162
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $3,344 per month in Fort Walton Beach, FL vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Fort Walton Beach, FL $3,344
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $4,526 per month in Fort Walton Beach, FL vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Fort Walton Beach, FL $4,526
San Jose $3,934

Fort Walton Beach, FL costs about 12% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Fort Walton Beach, FL and San Jose sit above the global median – Fort Walton Beach, FL by 60%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 $14.82

$12.38 ₡5,551

19.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$60.9 ₡27.3K

31.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 $10.38

$11.45 ₡5,135

-9.34%

Cappuccino

$4.92 $4.92

$4.39 ₡1,967

12.07%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$2.70 ₡1,211

-2.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.93 ₡864

5.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.20 ₡1,433

52.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 $7.05

$4.41 ₡1,979

59.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.44 ₡1,093

-57.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 $2.86

$3.05 ₡1,369

-6.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.41 ₡1,081

-16.18%

Eggs

$3.02 $3.02

$3.40 ₡1,523

-11.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 $11.40

$10.75 ₡4,823

6.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.43 ₡4,679

-5.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.01 $14.01

$13.99 ₡6,273

0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$5.25 ₡2,353

-32.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.59 ₡712

-1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$4.69 ₡2,103

-30.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.95 ₡1,770

-27.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$3.92 ₡1,760

-63.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.68 ₡1,651

-44.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.12 ₡503

56.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$3.19 ₡1,429

-52.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.20 $9.20

$6.00 ₡2,692

53.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$19.56 ₡8,771

-55.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.82 ₡1,263

-34.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.59 ₡1,611

-43.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.12 ₡503

81.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.66 $49.66

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-25.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 $6.14

$2.50 ₡1,119

145.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.63 ₡733

11.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.52 $45.52

$8.50 ₡3,812

435.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.56 ₡701

-39.10%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

18.71%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-29.10%

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

$171 $171

$95.2 ₡42.7K

79.78%

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

$49.37 $49.37

$35.58 ₡16.0K

38.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$58.6 ₡26.3K

9.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.91 $46.91

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-35.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 $13.39

$7.58 ₡3,401

76.65%

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

$826 $826

$1,001 ₡449.0K

-17.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K $13.5K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-21.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.36 $30.36

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-56.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.91 $19.91

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-64.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 $95.8

$130 ₡58.2K

-26.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$131 ₡58.7K

-19.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,643 $1,643

$927 ₡415.8K

77.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 $1,048

$774 ₡347.2K

35.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,842 $2,842

$1,967 ₡882.0K

44.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 $2,008

$1,288 ₡577.6K

55.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,773 $4,773

$2,274 ₡1.0M

109.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,831 ₡821.0K

178.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,269 $3,269

$1,016 ₡455.8K

221.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

8.62

-25.52%

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

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

$1K 48.5%

San Jose

$774 40% 26.1% $274

Groceries & Markets

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$304 14%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 32.1% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$285 13.2%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 33.5% $96

Eating Out

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$266 12.3%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 13.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$113 5.2%

San Jose

$174 9% 54% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$74 3.4%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 19.2% $14

Getting Around

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$73 3.4%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 12.2% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,643 in Fort Walton Beach, FL versus $927 in San Jose. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 222% higher in Fort Walton Beach, FL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Fort Walton Beach, FL versus $61.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $304 in Fort Walton Beach, FL vs $401 in San Jose – so Fort Walton Beach, FL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Walton Beach, FL

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

15:31 3:31 PM

14:31 2:31 PM

1 h behind Fort Walton Beach, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,507

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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Between locations

Fort Walton Beach, FL San Jose 2,290 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Fort Walton Beach, FL
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 Walton Beach, FL vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,162 in Fort Walton Beach, FL, $1,938 in San Jose – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,244 per month in Fort Walton Beach, FL and $2,907 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 32% cheaper in Fort Walton Beach, FL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Fort Walton Beach, FL and $61.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Fort Walton Beach, FL at $2,162. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fort Walton Beach, FL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,938 in San Jose to $2,162 in Fort Walton Beach, FL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fort Walton Beach, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.