Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belleville, IL and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,265 in Belleville, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Belleville, IL
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Belleville, IL Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Belleville, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,265

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,265 per month in Belleville, IL vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Belleville, IL $2,265
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $3,396 per month in Belleville, IL vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Belleville, IL $3,396
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $4,526 per month in Belleville, IL vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Belleville, IL $4,526
San Jose $3,934

Belleville, IL costs about 17% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Belleville, IL and San Jose sit above the global median – Belleville, IL by 68%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 $17.89

$12.38 ₡5,551

44.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.4 $65.4

$60.9 ₡27.3K

7.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 $9.26

$11.45 ₡5,135

-19.13%

Cappuccino

$4.16 $4.16

$4.39 ₡1,967

-5.24%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$2.70 ₡1,211

-18.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.93 ₡864

-12.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.62 $4.62

$3.20 ₡1,433

44.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 $5.04

$4.41 ₡1,979

14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.44 ₡1,093

-59.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 $2.31

$3.05 ₡1,369

-24.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.41 ₡1,081

46.47%

Eggs

$3.92 $3.92

$3.40 ₡1,523

15.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 $11.89

$10.75 ₡4,823

10.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.28 $15.28

$10.43 ₡4,679

46.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.11 $13.11

$13.99 ₡6,273

-6.29%

Apples (1kg)

$6.94 $6.94

$5.25 ₡2,353

32.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.59 ₡712

42.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.69 ₡2,103

-7.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.95 ₡1,770

-5.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$3.92 ₡1,760

-57.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$3.68 ₡1,651

-41.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.12 ₡503

58.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$3.19 ₡1,429

-27.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.00 ₡2,692

31.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$19.56 ₡8,771

-24.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.82 ₡1,263

-24.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.59 ₡1,611

-17.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.12 ₡503

-8.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.2 $77.2

$66.8 ₡30.0K

15.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.50 ₡1,119

41.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.63 ₡733

53.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.79 $17.79

$8.50 ₡3,812

109.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.56 ₡701

-39.74%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

65.57%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-31.29%

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

$242 $242

$95.2 ₡42.7K

154.02%

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

$68.9 $68.9

$35.58 ₡16.0K

93.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 $66.3

$58.6 ₡26.3K

13.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.69 $35.69

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-50.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.50 $30.50

$24.85 ₡11.1K

22.74%

Cinema Ticket

$14.19 $14.19

$7.58 ₡3,401

87.20%

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

$1,053 $1,053

$1,001 ₡449.0K

5.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K $12.5K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-26.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 $58.1

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-17.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.73 $24.73

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-55.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 $88.5

$130 ₡58.2K

-31.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$131 ₡58.7K

-20.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 $1,284

$927 ₡415.8K

38.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$944 $944

$774 ₡347.2K

21.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,091 $2,091

$1,967 ₡882.0K

6.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 $1,681

$1,288 ₡577.6K

30.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 $2,430

$2,274 ₡1.0M

6.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 $1,882

$1,831 ₡821.0K

2.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,389 $6,389

$1,016 ₡455.8K

528.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

8.62

-22.04%

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

Last update for Belleville, IL: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belleville, IL

$944 41.7%

San Jose

$774 40% 18% $170

Groceries & Markets

Belleville, IL

$389 17.2%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 3.1% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belleville, IL

$377 16.6%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 49.8% $188

Eating Out

Belleville, IL

$270 11.9%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 14.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Belleville, IL

$124 5.5%

San Jose

$174 9% 40.2% $50

Getting Around

Belleville, IL

$97 4.3%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 15.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Belleville, IL

$64 2.8%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 37.1% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,284 in Belleville, IL 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 529% higher in Belleville, 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 $65.0 in Belleville, IL versus $61.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $389 in Belleville, IL vs $401 in San Jose – so Belleville, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Belleville, IL

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

23:02 11:02 PM

22:02 10:02 PM

1 h behind Belleville, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,404

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Belleville, IL San Jose 3,230 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Belleville, 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

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

Belleville, IL costs about 17% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,398 per month in Belleville, IL 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,053 per month in Belleville, IL and $1,001 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Belleville, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Belleville, IL at $2,265. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belleville, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,938 versus $2,265 in Belleville, 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, Belleville, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.