Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Fort Scott, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,480 in Fort Scott, KS, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Fort Scott, KS outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Fort Scott, KS
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Fort Scott, KS Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Fort Scott, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,480

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Fort Scott, KS

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

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $2,480 in Fort Scott, KS, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Fort Scott, KS $2,480

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $3,004 in Fort Scott, KS, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Fort Scott, KS $3,004

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $3,527 in Fort Scott, KS, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Fort Scott, KS $3,527

San Jose is about 22% cheaper than Fort Scott, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Jose and Fort Scott, KS sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Fort Scott, KS by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$16.44 $16.44

-25.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$77.7 $77.7

-19.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$9.47 $9.47

21.75%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$5.63 $5.63

-22.74%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.13 $2.13

23.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$1.63 $1.63

14.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$6.15 $6.15

-46.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$6.80 $6.80

-33.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$0.97 $0.97

146.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$4.02 $4.02

-23.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$5.92 $5.92

-57.77%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$5.34 $5.34

-34.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$8.21 $8.21

30.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$8.73 $8.73

18.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$13.60 $13.60

3.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$4.59 $4.59

9.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.52 $1.52

4.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$2.70 $2.70

79.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$4.61 $4.61

-14.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$1.92 $1.92

95.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.47 $2.47

51.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$1.51 $1.51

-28.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$2.01 $2.01

61.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$9.07 $9.07

-35.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$18.64 $18.64

8.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.51 $2.51

15.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$4.37 $4.37

-14.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$1.84 $1.84

-41.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$3.08 $3.08

-18.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.99 $1.99

-18.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$31.87 $31.87

-72.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$1.00 $1.00

58.00%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$27.1K $27.1K

23.82%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$26.0K $26.0K

60.39%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$176 $176

-46.80%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$55.6 $55.6

-36.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$63.2 $63.2

-5.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$38.63 $38.63

87.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$10.05 $10.05

-22.99%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$1,056 $1,056

-4.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$25.9K $25.9K

-34.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$59.1 $59.1

23.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$50.6 $50.6

9.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$111 $111

15.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$120 $120

8.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$1,625 $1,625

-42.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$1,297 $1,297

-41.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$2,552 $2,552

-24.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$878 $878

45.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$2,522 $2,522

-8.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$2,721 $2,721

-32.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.77

27.33%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Fort Scott, KS: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Fort Scott, KS

$1.3K 52.3% 70.6% $537

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Fort Scott, KS

$369 14.9% 8.4% $34

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Fort Scott, KS

$287 11.6% 25.4% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Fort Scott, KS

$295 11.9% 55.9% $106

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Fort Scott, KS

$153 6.2% 11.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Fort Scott, KS

$59 2.4% 33.3% $29

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Fort Scott, KS

$20 * 0.8% 74.7% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in San Jose versus $1,625 in Fort Scott, KS. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in San Jose versus $78.0 in Fort Scott, KS. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $369 in Fort Scott, KS – so Fort Scott, KS wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Fort Scott, KS

🕒 Local time

16:01 4:01 PM

17:01 5:01 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

7,700

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Fort Scott, KS 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Fort Scott, KS

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

San Jose vs Fort Scott, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Scott, KS costs about 29% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $3,721 in Fort Scott, KS. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,924 in San Jose and $2,480 in Fort Scott, KS. That's a gap of about 29%.

Kindergarten costs $1,005 per month in San Jose and $1,056 in Fort Scott, KS. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Fort Scott, KS at $2,480. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fort Scott, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,924 versus $2,480 in Fort Scott, KS. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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