Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Evanston, IL and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,938 a month against $2,592 in Evanston, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Evanston, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,592

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,592 per month in Evanston, IL vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Evanston, IL $2,592
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $4,449 per month in Evanston, IL vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Evanston, IL $4,449
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $6,305 per month in Evanston, IL vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Evanston, IL $6,305
San Jose $3,934

Evanston, IL costs about 34% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Evanston, IL and San Jose sit above the global median – Evanston, IL by 92%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.26 $21.26

$12.38 ₡5,551

71.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 $85.6

$60.9 ₡27.3K

40.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.75 $12.75

$11.45 ₡5,135

11.35%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$4.39 ₡1,967

29.38%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$2.70 ₡1,211

-0.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.93 ₡864

17.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.20 ₡1,433

122.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 $8.19

$4.41 ₡1,979

85.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.44 ₡1,093

-57.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.05 ₡1,369

28.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.41 ₡1,081

79.25%

Eggs

$4.82 $4.82

$3.40 ₡1,523

41.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.41 $14.41

$10.75 ₡4,823

34.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.93 $14.93

$10.43 ₡4,679

43.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 $20.11

$13.99 ₡6,273

43.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$5.25 ₡2,353

1.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.59 ₡712

5.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$4.69 ₡2,103

-14.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.95 ₡1,770

21.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.92 ₡1,760

-31.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.68 ₡1,651

-22.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.12 ₡503

87.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.19 ₡1,429

-26.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.66 $10.66

$6.00 ₡2,692

77.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.98 $14.98

$19.56 ₡8,771

-23.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.82 ₡1,263

-9.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.59 ₡1,611

-5.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.12 ₡503

117.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.2 $75.2

$66.8 ₡30.0K

12.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.50 ₡1,119

64.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.63 ₡733

-12.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.26 $43.26

$8.50 ₡3,812

408.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.56 ₡701

-35.90%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

57.91%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-29.86%

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

$192 $192

$95.2 ₡42.7K

101.54%

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

$61.6 $61.6

$35.58 ₡16.0K

73.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 $72.2

$58.6 ₡26.3K

23.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.1 $76.1

$72.7 ₡32.6K

4.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.8 $60.8

$24.85 ₡11.1K

144.47%

Cinema Ticket

$14.83 $14.83

$7.58 ₡3,401

95.65%

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

$1,516 $1,516

$1,001 ₡449.0K

51.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

84.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 $64.7

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-8.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-8.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$130 ₡58.2K

-16.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$131 ₡58.7K

-3.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 $1,645

$927 ₡415.8K

77.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 $1,118

$774 ₡347.2K

44.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,989 $3,989

$1,967 ₡882.0K

102.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,954 $2,954

$1,288 ₡577.6K

129.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.6K $14.6K

$2,274 ₡1.0M

540.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.8K $12.8K

$1,831 ₡821.0K

600.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,335 $5,335

$1,016 ₡455.8K

424.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

8.62

-21.46%

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

Last update for Evanston, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Evanston, IL

$1.1K 43.1%

San Jose

$774 40% 30.7% $343

Groceries & Markets

Evanston, IL

$441 17%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 9.1% $40

Eating Out

Evanston, IL

$348 13.4%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 34.2% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Evanston, IL

$326 12.6%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 41.8% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Evanston, IL

$157 6.1%

San Jose

$174 9% 10.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Evanston, IL

$106 4.1%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 16.9% $18

Getting Around

Evanston, IL

$96 3.7%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 14.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,645 in Evanston, 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 425% higher in Evanston, 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 $86.0 in Evanston, IL versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $441 vs $401 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Evanston, IL

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

01:55 1:55 AM

00:55 12:55 AM

1 h behind Evanston, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,486

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Evanston, IL San Jose 3,590 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Evanston, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,592 in Evanston, IL, $1,938 in San Jose – roughly 34% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,888 per month in Evanston, 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.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Evanston, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Evanston, 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 Evanston, IL at $2,592. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Evanston, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Evanston, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,938 in San Jose to $2,592 in Evanston, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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