Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Champaign, IL and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,161 in Champaign, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Champaign, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

104

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Champaign, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,161

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,161 per month in Champaign, IL vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Champaign, IL $2,161
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $3,133 per month in Champaign, IL vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Champaign, IL $3,133
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $4,106 per month in Champaign, IL vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Champaign, IL $4,106
San Jose $3,934

Champaign, IL costs about 12% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Champaign, IL and San Jose sit above the global median – Champaign, IL by 60%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.25 $15.25

$12.38 ₡5,551

23.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 $60.8

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-0.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$11.45 ₡5,135

-11.70%

Cappuccino

$4.83 $4.83

$4.39 ₡1,967

10.02%

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

$2.15 $2.15

$2.70 ₡1,211

-20.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.93 ₡864

-10.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 $5.57

$3.20 ₡1,433

74.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 $5.35

$4.41 ₡1,979

21.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$2.44 ₡1,093

-65.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.05 ₡1,369

2.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.41 ₡1,081

29.88%

Eggs

$3.88 $3.88

$3.40 ₡1,523

14.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.19 $12.19

$10.75 ₡4,823

13.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$10.43 ₡4,679

-42.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 $12.81

$13.99 ₡6,273

-8.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$5.25 ₡2,353

-34.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.59 ₡712

-13.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$4.69 ₡2,103

-33.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.95 ₡1,770

15.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.92 ₡1,760

-48.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.68 ₡1,651

-39.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.12 ₡503

97.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 $1.25

$3.19 ₡1,429

-60.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.25 $10.25

$6.00 ₡2,692

70.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$19.56 ₡8,771

-24.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.82 ₡1,263

-23.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.59 ₡1,611

13.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.12 ₡503

-13.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.38 $20.38

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-69.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.50 ₡1,119

0.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.63 ₡733

-2.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.56 ₡701

-25.64%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

56.74%

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

$32.3K $32.3K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-9.36%

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

$240 $240

$95.2 ₡42.7K

151.96%

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

$45.66 $45.66

$35.58 ₡16.0K

28.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 $67.6

$58.6 ₡26.3K

15.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.34 $25.34

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-65.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.85 $11.85

$24.85 ₡11.1K

-52.31%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 $11.09

$7.58 ₡3,401

46.31%

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

$993 $993

$1,001 ₡449.0K

-0.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K $19.9K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

16.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.98 $48.98

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-30.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$130 ₡58.2K

-10.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$131 ₡58.7K

-6.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 $1,453

$927 ₡415.8K

56.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 $1,016

$774 ₡347.2K

31.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 $1,941

$1,967 ₡882.0K

-1.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 $1,691

$1,288 ₡577.6K

31.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,688 $1,688

$2,274 ₡1.0M

-25.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 $1,709

$1,831 ₡821.0K

-6.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,674 $3,674

$1,016 ₡455.8K

261.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

8.62

-20.88%

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

Last update for Champaign, 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

Champaign, IL

$1K 47%

San Jose

$774 40% 23.8% $242

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Champaign, IL

$353 16.3%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 46.4% $164

Groceries & Markets

Champaign, IL

$316 14.6%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 26.8% $85

Eating Out

Champaign, IL

$264 12.2%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 13.2% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Champaign, IL

$129 * 6%

San Jose

$174 9% 34.8% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Champaign, IL

$48 2.2%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 84.9% $40

Getting Around

Champaign, IL

$35 1.6%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 136% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,453 in Champaign, 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 261% higher in Champaign, 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 $61.0 in Champaign, IL versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $316 vs $401 – making Champaign, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Champaign, IL

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

20:15 8:15 PM

19:15 7:15 PM

1 h behind Champaign, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

88,302

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

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Highest

Between locations

Champaign, IL San Jose 3,380 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Champaign, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,161 in Champaign, IL, $1,938 in San Jose – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,241 per month in Champaign, 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 27% cheaper in Champaign, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Champaign, IL and $61.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Champaign, IL at $2,161. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Champaign, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,938 in San Jose to $2,161 in Champaign, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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