Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alton, IL and San Jose

For one person, living costs are similar in Alton, IL and in San Jose: $1,895 and $1,924 a month, rent and utilities included.

92

Cost of Living Index in Alton, IL
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Alton, IL Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Alton, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,895

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alton, IL 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 Alton, IL and in San Jose actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,895 per month in Alton, IL vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Alton, IL $1,895
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $2,862 per month in Alton, IL vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Alton, IL $2,862
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $3,829 per month in Alton, IL vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Alton, IL $3,829
San Jose $3,929

Alton, IL is about 2% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Alton, IL and San Jose sit above the global median – Alton, IL by 40%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$12.29 ₡5,513

69.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 $55.6

$62.3 ₡27.9K

-10.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 $11.17

$11.53 ₡5,171

-3.12%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$4.35 ₡1,953

13.79%

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

$1.46 $1.46

$2.64 ₡1,183

-44.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.86 ₡836

-6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.32 ₡1,490

17.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 $5.88

$4.52 ₡2,026

30.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$2.39 ₡1,073

-66.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 $2.59

$3.08 ₡1,381

-15.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.50 ₡1,119

25.20%

Eggs

$3.16 $3.16

$3.48 ₡1,562

-9.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$10.74 ₡4,815

-13.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$10.32 ₡4,629

-34.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.42 $23.42

$14.10 ₡6,325

66.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$5.03 ₡2,256

-15.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.59 ₡714

-25.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$4.84 ₡2,171

7.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.96 ₡1,776

23.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$3.76 ₡1,684

-41.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.73 ₡1,674

-26.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.08 ₡485

94.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$3.25 ₡1,456

-35.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 $11.08

$5.86 ₡2,627

89.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 $12.05

$20.28 ₡9,095

-40.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.90 ₡1,300

-36.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.73 ₡1,673

-28.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.50 ₡1,123

18.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.63 ₡732

3.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.58 ₡709

-37.97%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-17.08%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-37.62%

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

$331 $331

$93.7 ₡42.0K

253.59%

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

$43.44 $43.44

$35.42 ₡15.9K

22.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.7 $77.7

$60.0 ₡26.9K

29.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.07 $27.07

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-62.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 $11.95

$7.74 ₡3,471

54.39%

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

$279 $279

$1,005 ₡450.9K

-72.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.36 $40.36

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-44.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-22.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 $65.4

$128 ₡57.5K

-49.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.1 $76.1

$130 ₡58.5K

-41.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 $763

$932 ₡418.0K

-18.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 $627

$760 ₡340.8K

-17.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 $1,099

$1,922 ₡862.0K

-42.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 $1,275

$1,276 ₡572.1K

-0.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,513 $1,513

$2,301 ₡1.0M

-34.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,455 $1,455

$1,833 ₡821.9K

-20.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,813 $3,813

$1,029 ₡461.3K

270.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-30.39%

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

Last update for Alton, IL: October 18, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alton, IL

$627 33.1%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 21.2% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alton, IL

$452 23.9%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 58.2% $263

Groceries & Markets

Alton, IL

$349 18.4%

San Jose

$403 21% 15.5% $54

Eating Out

Alton, IL

$303 16%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 24.5% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Alton, IL

$101 5.3%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 72.4% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Alton, IL

$51 2.7%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 72.8% $37

Getting Around

Alton, IL

$11 * 0.6%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 604% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in Alton, IL versus $932 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 271% higher in Alton, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Alton, IL versus $62.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $403 – making Alton, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alton, IL

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

16:30 4:30 PM

15:30 3:30 PM

1 h behind Alton, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,676

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alton, IL San Jose 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Alton, IL
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

Alton, IL vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose costs about 2% more than Alton, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,842 per month in Alton, IL and $2,886 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alton, IL, 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 $1,895 in Alton, IL and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 2%.

Kindergarten costs $279 per month in Alton, IL and $1,005 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Alton, IL, where all-in costs run around $1,895, than in San Jose at $1,924. In Alton, IL it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Alton, IL costs $1,895 versus $1,924 in San Jose. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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