Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edwardsville, IL and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,693 in Edwardsville, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Edwardsville, IL
Learn more

Edwardsville, IL Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

Edwardsville, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,693

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,693 per month in Edwardsville, IL vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Edwardsville, IL $2,693
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $3,826 per month in Edwardsville, IL vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Edwardsville, IL $3,826
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $4,960 per month in Edwardsville, IL vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Edwardsville, IL $4,960
San Jose $3,934

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

Both Edwardsville, IL and San Jose sit above the global median – Edwardsville, IL by 99%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.46 $21.46

$12.38 ₡5,551

73.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 $78.0

$60.9 ₡27.3K

28.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 $11.36

$11.45 ₡5,135

-0.79%

Cappuccino

$5.85 $5.85

$4.39 ₡1,967

33.26%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$2.70 ₡1,211

-6.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.93 ₡864

1.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.26 $6.26

$3.20 ₡1,433

95.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.37 $6.37

$4.41 ₡1,979

44.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.44 ₡1,093

-55.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.71 $3.71

$3.05 ₡1,369

21.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.41 ₡1,081

68.05%

Eggs

$4.21 $4.21

$3.40 ₡1,523

23.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 $13.09

$10.75 ₡4,823

21.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 $10.22

$10.43 ₡4,679

-2.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 $14.58

$13.99 ₡6,273

4.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$5.25 ₡2,353

0.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.59 ₡712

-6.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.69 ₡2,103

-10.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$3.95 ₡1,770

22.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.92 ₡1,760

-21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.68 ₡1,651

-30.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.12 ₡503

72.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.19 ₡1,429

-23.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.67 $10.67

$6.00 ₡2,692

77.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 $15.70

$19.56 ₡8,771

-19.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.82 ₡1,263

-40.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.59 ₡1,611

-18.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.12 ₡503

56.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 $99.0

$66.8 ₡30.0K

48.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.50 ₡1,119

15.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.63 ₡733

1.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.64 $32.64

$8.50 ₡3,812

284.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.56 ₡701

-38.46%

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

$38.5K $38.5K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

71.78%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-20.77%

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

$184 $184

$95.2 ₡42.7K

93.66%

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

$59.5 $59.5

$35.58 ₡16.0K

67.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.5 $69.5

$58.6 ₡26.3K

18.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.00 $41.00

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-43.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$14.50 $14.50

$7.58 ₡3,401

91.29%

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

$1,411 $1,411

$1,001 ₡449.0K

40.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K $25.2K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

47.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-25.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.21 $41.21

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-26.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 $87.6

$130 ₡58.2K

-32.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$131 ₡58.7K

-10.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,744 $1,744

$927 ₡415.8K

88.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 $1,332

$774 ₡347.2K

72.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,602 $2,602

$1,967 ₡882.0K

32.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 $1,949

$1,288 ₡577.6K

51.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,555 $2,555

$2,274 ₡1.0M

12.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,439 $2,439

$1,831 ₡821.0K

33.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,935 $4,935

$1,016 ₡455.8K

385.58%

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 Edwardsville, 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

Edwardsville, IL

$1.3K 49.5%

San Jose

$774 40% 41.9% $558

Groceries & Markets

Edwardsville, IL

$388 14.4%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 3.2% $13

Eating Out

Edwardsville, IL

$338 12.6%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 32.1% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edwardsville, IL

$313 11.6%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 39.5% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Edwardsville, IL

$134 5%

San Jose

$174 9% 29.8% $40

Getting Around

Edwardsville, IL

$117 4.4%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 30% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Edwardsville, IL

$70 2.6%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 25.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,744 in Edwardsville, 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 386% higher in Edwardsville, 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 $78.0 in Edwardsville, IL versus $61.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $388 in Edwardsville, IL vs $401 in San Jose – so Edwardsville, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Edwardsville, IL

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

22:23 10:23 PM

21:23 9:23 PM

1 h behind Edwardsville, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,808

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

Edwardsville, IL San Jose 3,260 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Edwardsville, 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

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

Yes – Edwardsville, IL is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,040 per month in Edwardsville, 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,693 in Edwardsville, IL and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 39%.

Public transport costs about 48% less in San Jose. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,938, than in Edwardsville, IL at $2,693. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edwardsville, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Jose – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Edwardsville, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.