Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrington, IL and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,677 in Barrington, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Barrington, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,677

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,677 per month in Barrington, IL vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Barrington, IL $2,677
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $4,008 per month in Barrington, IL vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Barrington, IL $4,008
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $5,339 per month in Barrington, IL vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Barrington, IL $5,339
San Jose $3,929

Barrington, IL costs about 39% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Barrington, IL and San Jose sit above the global median – Barrington, IL by 98%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.21 $20.21

$12.29 ₡5,513

64.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 $74.5

$62.3 ₡27.9K

19.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 $11.36

$11.53 ₡5,171

-1.47%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$4.35 ₡1,953

20.46%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$2.64 ₡1,183

-1.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.86 ₡836

10.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.32 ₡1,490

80.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 $7.14

$4.52 ₡2,026

57.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$2.39 ₡1,073

-51.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.08 ₡1,381

23.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.50 ₡1,119

73.20%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$3.48 ₡1,562

22.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.24 $15.24

$10.74 ₡4,815

41.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.09 $11.09

$10.32 ₡4,629

7.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.23 $17.23

$14.10 ₡6,325

22.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$5.03 ₡2,256

14.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.59 ₡714

24.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.84 ₡2,171

-5.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$3.96 ₡1,776

70.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.76 ₡1,684

-26.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$3.73 ₡1,674

-41.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.08 ₡485

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$3.25 ₡1,456

-29.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.15 $10.15

$5.86 ₡2,627

73.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.22 $17.22

$20.28 ₡9,095

-15.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.90 ₡1,300

-35.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$3.73 ₡1,673

-8.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.08 ₡486

82.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 $117

$65.5 ₡29.4K

78.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.50 ₡1,123

37.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.63 ₡732

-3.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.06 $33.06

$8.71 ₡3,904

279.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.58 ₡709

-25.95%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-17.36%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-36.31%

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

$230 $230

$93.7 ₡42.0K

145.89%

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

$48.44 $48.44

$35.42 ₡15.9K

36.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 $59.0

$60.0 ₡26.9K

-1.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 $67.2

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-7.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.27 $15.27

$25.83 ₡11.6K

-40.88%

Cinema Ticket

$14.61 $14.61

$7.74 ₡3,471

88.76%

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

$1,481 $1,481

$1,005 ₡450.9K

47.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.6K $27.6K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

63.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-28.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.21 $41.21

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-25.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 $89.8

$128 ₡57.5K

-30.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$130 ₡58.5K

-13.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 $1,604

$932 ₡418.0K

72.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 $1,222

$760 ₡340.8K

60.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,922 ₡862.0K

31.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,167 $2,167

$1,276 ₡572.1K

69.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,376 $2,376

$2,301 ₡1.0M

3.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,187 $2,187

$1,833 ₡821.9K

19.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,760 $5,760

$1,029 ₡461.3K

459.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.62

-23.78%

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

Last update for Barrington, IL: October 20, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barrington, IL

$1.2K 45.7%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 37.8% $462

Groceries & Markets

Barrington, IL

$430 16.1%

San Jose

$403 21% 6.2% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barrington, IL

$338 12.6%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 44% $149

Eating Out

Barrington, IL

$322 12%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 28.8% $93

Getting Around

Barrington, IL

$136 5.1%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 40.7% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Barrington, IL

$133 5%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 30.9% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Barrington, IL

$96 3.6%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 8.6% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,604 in Barrington, 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 460% higher in Barrington, IL, 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 $75.0 in Barrington, IL versus $62.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $430 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Barrington, IL

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

14:29 2:29 PM

13:29 1:29 PM

1 h behind Barrington, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,772

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 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

Barrington, IL San Jose 3,600 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Barrington, 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

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

Barrington, IL costs about 39% more than San Jose, 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 $4,015 per month in Barrington, 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 San Jose, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 78% less in San Jose. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,481 per month in Barrington, 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 $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Barrington, IL at $2,677. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barrington, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,924 versus $2,677 in Barrington, IL. 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 San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barrington, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.