Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ottawa, IL and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,633 in Ottawa, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ottawa, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

119

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Ottawa, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,633

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,633 per month in Ottawa, IL vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Ottawa, IL $2,633
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $3,645 per month in Ottawa, IL vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Ottawa, IL $3,645
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $4,657 per month in Ottawa, IL vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Ottawa, IL $4,657
San Jose $3,929

Ottawa, IL costs about 37% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ottawa, IL and San Jose sit above the global median – Ottawa, IL by 94%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.83 $14.83

$12.29 ₡5,513

20.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 $61.0

$62.3 ₡27.9K

-2.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 $10.18

$11.53 ₡5,171

-11.71%

Cappuccino

$4.76 $4.76

$4.35 ₡1,953

9.43%

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

$2.25 $2.25

$2.64 ₡1,183

-14.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.86 ₡836

-8.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.32 ₡1,490

62.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 $5.61

$4.52 ₡2,026

24.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$2.39 ₡1,073

-64.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.08 ₡1,381

-1.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.50 ₡1,119

20.40%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$3.48 ₡1,562

12.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 $12.23

$10.74 ₡4,815

13.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.20 $6.20

$10.32 ₡4,629

-39.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.51 $12.51

$14.10 ₡6,325

-11.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$5.03 ₡2,256

-33.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.59 ₡714

-10.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$4.84 ₡2,171

-36.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.96 ₡1,776

9.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.76 ₡1,684

-43.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$3.73 ₡1,674

-38.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.08 ₡485

103.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 $1.27

$3.25 ₡1,456

-60.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.60 $12.60

$5.86 ₡2,627

115.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.75 $14.75

$20.28 ₡9,095

-27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.90 ₡1,300

-28.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.73 ₡1,673

8.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.08 ₡486

90.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.50 ₡1,123

2.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.63 ₡732

-6.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.12 $33.12

$8.71 ₡3,904

280.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.58 ₡709

-25.95%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-18.32%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-34.84%

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

$234 $234

$93.7 ₡42.0K

150.30%

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

$45.76 $45.76

$35.42 ₡15.9K

29.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$60.0 ₡26.9K

11.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.21 $39.21

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-45.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.53 $26.53

$25.83 ₡11.6K

2.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 $11.26

$7.74 ₡3,471

45.48%

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

$1,001 $1,001

$1,005 ₡450.9K

-0.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

15.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.96 $47.96

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-34.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.88 $46.88

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-15.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$128 ₡57.5K

-10.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$130 ₡58.5K

-6.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 $1,641

$932 ₡418.0K

76.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,483 $1,483

$760 ₡340.8K

95.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,846 $2,846

$1,922 ₡862.0K

48.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 $2,203

$1,276 ₡572.1K

72.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,779 $2,779

$2,301 ₡1.0M

20.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,237 $2,237

$1,833 ₡821.9K

22.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,448 $2,448

$1,029 ₡461.3K

137.97%

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 Ottawa, IL: October 17, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ottawa, IL

$1.5K 56.3%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 48.7% $723

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ottawa, IL

$347 13.2%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 45.6% $158

Groceries & Markets

Ottawa, IL

$314 11.9%

San Jose

$403 21% 28.4% $89

Eating Out

Ottawa, IL

$260 9.9%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 12.1% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Ottawa, IL

$149 5.7%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 17% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Ottawa, IL

$62 2.3%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 42.7% $26

Getting Around

Ottawa, IL

$18 * 0.7%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 336% $62

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,641 in Ottawa, IL versus $932 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 138% higher in Ottawa, 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 Ottawa, IL versus $62.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $403 – making Ottawa, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ottawa, IL

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

22:54 10:54 PM

21:54 9:54 PM

1 h behind Ottawa, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,342

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

Ottawa, IL San Jose 3,520 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ottawa, 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

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

Yes – Ottawa, IL is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,950 per month in Ottawa, IL and $2,886 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 $2,633 in Ottawa, IL and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 37%.

Kindergarten costs $1,001 per month in Ottawa, IL and $1,005 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Ottawa, IL at $2,633. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ottawa, 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.

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