Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carbondale, IL and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Carbondale, IL: $1,764 a month against $1,949 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in San Jose despite lower rent and utilities.

85

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Carbondale, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,764

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,764 in Carbondale, IL versus $1,949 in San Jose.

Carbondale, IL $1,764
San Jose $1,949

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,118 in Carbondale, IL versus $2,903 in San Jose.

Carbondale, IL $2,118
San Jose $2,903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,473 in Carbondale, IL versus $3,857 in San Jose.

Carbondale, IL $2,473
San Jose $3,857

Living in Carbondale, IL costs roughly 9% less than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Carbondale, IL 32% above, San Jose 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.32 $18.32

$12.22 ₡5,510

49.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.75 $38.75

$60.1 ₡27.1K

-35.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.87 $8.87

$11.77 ₡5,305

-24.64%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$4.30 ₡1,939

18.60%

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

$2.23 $2.23

$2.72 ₡1,226

-18.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.84 ₡830

5.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.28 ₡1,480

33.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.36 ₡1,966

84.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$2.38 ₡1,074

-62.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.12 ₡1,408

-2.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.41 ₡1,086

72.61%

Eggs

$3.80 $3.80

$3.47 ₡1,564

9.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 $13.12

$10.57 ₡4,767

24.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.45 $11.45

$10.56 ₡4,758

8.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.75 $18.75

$13.75 ₡6,196

36.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$5.04 ₡2,274

13.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.61 ₡727

6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.03 $6.03

$4.59 ₡2,069

31.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.84 ₡1,731

28.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.77 ₡1,700

-55.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$3.76 ₡1,693

-36.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.12 ₡506

132.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.20 ₡1,441

-33.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.66 $10.66

$5.84 ₡2,632

82.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.16 $13.16

$19.73 ₡8,897

-33.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.75 ₡1,240

-38.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.66 ₡1,650

-54.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.46 ₡1,110

-17.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.54 ₡692

-9.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.08 $20.08

$8.46 ₡3,815

137.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.55 ₡699

-36.13%

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

$37.9K $37.9K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

74.56%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-22.81%

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

$189 $189

$94.7 ₡42.7K

99.54%

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

$86.1 $86.1

$35.11 ₡15.8K

145.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 $74.7

$58.6 ₡26.4K

27.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 $11.95

$7.83 ₡3,532

52.62%

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

$1,731 $1,731

$971 ₡437.9K

78.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

43.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.38 $46.38

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-35.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.29 $33.29

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-39.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 $81.7

$129 ₡58.2K

-36.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 $150

$133 ₡60.0K

12.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 $658

$934 ₡420.9K

-29.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 $557

$770 ₡347.2K

-27.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$840 $840

$2,277 ₡1.0M

-63.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 $836

$1,795 ₡809.1K

-53.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,856 $3,856

$1,006 ₡453.5K

283.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

8.62

-23.43%

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

Last update for Carbondale, IL: October 5, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carbondale, IL

$557 31.6%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 38.2% $213

Groceries & Markets

Carbondale, IL

$396 22.4%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 0.8% $3.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carbondale, IL

$350 19.8%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 46.2% $161

Eating Out

Carbondale, IL

$289 16.4%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 21.1% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Carbondale, IL

$140 7.9%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 24.7% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Carbondale, IL

$24 * 1.4%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 268% $64

Getting Around

Carbondale, IL

$9 * 0.5%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 785% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $658 in Carbondale, IL and $934 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carbondale, IL pays 283% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Carbondale, IL vs $60.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $396 vs $399 per month, with Carbondale, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Carbondale, IL

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

15:03 3:03 PM

14:03 2:03 PM

1 h behind Carbondale, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,881

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Carbondale, IL San Jose 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Carbondale, 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

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

Carbondale, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in San Jose. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Carbondale, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 283% higher in Carbondale, IL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $658 in Carbondale, IL versus $934 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in San Jose. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,764 per month in Carbondale, IL versus $1,949 in San Jose – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,764 in Carbondale, IL versus $1,949 in San Jose, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Carbondale, IL but tight or insufficient in San Jose. The gap between the two cities makes Carbondale, IL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Carbondale, IL delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,764 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Carbondale, IL hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Carbondale, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.