Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Fort Worth, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,871 in Fort Worth, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Fort Worth, TX
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Fort Worth, TX Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Fort Worth, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Fort Worth, TX

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 Worth, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,949 in San Jose versus $2,871 in Fort Worth, TX.

San Jose $1,949
Fort Worth, TX $2,871

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,903 in San Jose versus $4,130 in Fort Worth, TX.

San Jose $2,903
Fort Worth, TX $4,130

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,857 in San Jose versus $5,390 in Fort Worth, TX.

San Jose $3,857
Fort Worth, TX $5,390

Living in San Jose costs roughly 32% less than in Fort Worth, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 45% above, Fort Worth, TX 114% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$20.30 $20.30

-39.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$54.2 $54.2

10.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$12.19 $12.19

-3.45%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$6.27 $6.27

-31.42%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$2.91 $2.91

-6.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$2.46 $2.46

-25.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$5.37 $5.37

-38.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$8.09 $8.09

-46.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$0.94 $0.94

153.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$4.02 $4.02

-22.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$5.29 $5.29

-54.44%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$3.77 $3.77

-7.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$10.97 $10.97

-3.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$15.03 $15.03

-29.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$20.36 $20.36

-32.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$6.58 $6.58

-23.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$2.69 $2.69

-40.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$5.18 $5.18

-11.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$4.59 $4.59

-16.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$2.55 $2.55

47.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$3.50 $3.50

7.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$2.21 $2.21

-49.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$2.39 $2.39

33.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$9.69 $9.69

-39.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$21.30 $21.30

-7.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$2.10 $2.10

30.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$3.23 $3.23

13.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.02 $2.02

-44.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

$77.4 $77.4

-15.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$3.07 $3.07

-19.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$1.75 $1.75

-12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$23.90 $23.90

-64.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.00 $1.00

55.00%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$37.1K $37.1K

-41.45%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$25.9K $25.9K

34.73%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$206 $206

-54.01%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$92.1 $92.1

-61.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$81.3 $81.3

-27.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$56.6 $56.6

27.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

$19.94 $19.94

26.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$15.47 $15.47

-49.39%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$1,891 $1,891

-48.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$28.4K $28.4K

-40.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$59.9 $59.9

19.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$50.9 $50.9

7.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$123 $123

4.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$134 $134

-0.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

$1,670 $1,670

-44.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

$1,311 $1,311

-41.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

$2,785 $2,785

-30.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

$2,207 $2,207

-40.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

$4,058 $4,058

-43.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

$1,845 $1,845

-2.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

$4,428 $4,428

-77.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.62

30.21%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Fort Worth, TX: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Fort Worth, TX

$1.3K 46.2% 70.2% $541

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Fort Worth, TX

$459 16.2% 15.1% $60

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Fort Worth, TX

$339 11.9% 48.5% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Fort Worth, TX

$379 13.4% 101% $191

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Fort Worth, TX

$166 5.8% 5.3% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Fort Worth, TX

$88 3.1% 0.3% $0.3

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Fort Worth, TX

$97 3.4% 22.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $934 in San Jose and $1,670 in Fort Worth, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Worth, TX pays 340% 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: $60.0 in San Jose vs $54.0 in Fort Worth, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $399 vs $459, with San Jose cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Fort Worth, TX

🕒 Local time

05:55 5:55 AM

06:55 6:55 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

996,756

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

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Between locations

San Jose Fort Worth, TX 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Fort Worth, TX

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 Worth, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose and Fort Worth, TX differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,949 vs $2,871 including rent). San Jose is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 340% lower in Fort Worth, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $934 in San Jose versus $1,670 in Fort Worth, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $971 in San Jose versus $1,891 in Fort Worth, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Fort Worth, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,949 in San Jose versus $2,871 in Fort Worth, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Fort Worth, TX. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose 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 San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Fort Worth, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.