Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mundelein, IL and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,438 in Mundelein, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mundelein, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

118

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Mundelein, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,438

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,438 in Mundelein, IL versus $1,924 in San Jose.

Mundelein, IL $2,438
San Jose $1,924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,620 in Mundelein, IL versus $2,926 in San Jose.

Mundelein, IL $3,620
San Jose $2,926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,802 in Mundelein, IL versus $3,929 in San Jose.

Mundelein, IL $4,802
San Jose $3,929

Living in Mundelein, IL is roughly 27% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mundelein, IL 80% above, San Jose 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 $16.19

$12.29 ₡5,513

31.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.1 $54.1

$62.3 ₡27.9K

-13.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.90 $7.90

$11.53 ₡5,171

-31.48%

Cappuccino

$5.76 $5.76

$4.35 ₡1,953

32.41%

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

$3.20 $3.20

$2.64 ₡1,183

21.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.86 ₡836

31.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.90 $6.90

$3.32 ₡1,490

107.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$4.52 ₡2,026

75.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$2.39 ₡1,073

-68.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.08 ₡1,381

12.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.50 ₡1,119

-13.20%

Eggs

$3.78 $3.78

$3.48 ₡1,562

8.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.69 $14.69

$10.74 ₡4,815

36.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.93 $12.93

$10.32 ₡4,629

25.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 $19.83

$14.10 ₡6,325

40.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$5.03 ₡2,256

-12.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.59 ₡714

3.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$4.84 ₡2,171

7.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.96 ₡1,776

20.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.76 ₡1,684

-26.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.73 ₡1,674

-17.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.08 ₡485

95.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$3.25 ₡1,456

-28.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.62 $10.62

$5.86 ₡2,627

81.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 $15.81

$20.28 ₡9,095

-22.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.90 ₡1,300

-6.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.73 ₡1,673

21.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.08 ₡486

107.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.50 ₡1,123

56.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.63 ₡732

25.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.95 $43.95

$8.71 ₡3,904

404.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.58 ₡709

-33.54%

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

$31.0K $31.0K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-7.70%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-38.37%

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

$177 $177

$93.7 ₡42.0K

88.61%

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

$53.5 $53.5

$35.42 ₡15.9K

50.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.43 $45.43

$60.0 ₡26.9K

-24.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.55 $45.55

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-37.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 $15.18

$7.74 ₡3,471

96.12%

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

$1,713 $1,713

$1,005 ₡450.9K

70.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

36.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 $65.0

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-11.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.73 $49.73

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-10.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$128 ₡57.5K

-17.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$130 ₡58.5K

-5.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,483 $1,483

$932 ₡418.0K

59.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 $1,199

$760 ₡340.8K

57.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,267 $2,267

$1,922 ₡862.0K

17.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 $2,114

$1,276 ₡572.1K

65.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,043 $3,043

$2,301 ₡1.0M

32.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,086 $2,086

$1,833 ₡821.9K

13.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

8.62

-22.39%

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

Last update for Mundelein, IL: October 20, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mundelein, IL

$1.2K 49.2%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 36.6% $439

Groceries & Markets

Mundelein, IL

$416 17.1%

San Jose

$403 21% 3% $13

Eating Out

Mundelein, IL

$295 12.1%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 22.5% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mundelein, IL

$276 11.3%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 31.4% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Mundelein, IL

$154 6.3%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 12.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Mundelein, IL

$76 3.1%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 16% $12

Getting Around

Mundelein, IL

$23 * 1%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 249% $57

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 $1,483 in Mundelein, IL and $932 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mundelein, IL vs $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries flip the comparison at $416 vs $403, with San Jose cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mundelein, IL

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

01:00 1:00 AM

00:00 12:00 AM

1 h behind Mundelein, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,560

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Mundelein, IL San Jose 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Mundelein, 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

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

San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,658 in Mundelein, IL and $2,886 in San Jose to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,483 in Mundelein, IL versus $932 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,713 in Mundelein, IL versus $1,005 in San Jose. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $54.0 in Mundelein, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,438 in Mundelein, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Mundelein, IL. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Jose is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mundelein, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mundelein, IL and San Jose are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Mundelein, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.