Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quincy, IL and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,374 in Quincy, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Quincy, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Quincy, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,374
/mo nomad
San Jose
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,924
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,374 in Quincy, IL versus $1,924 in San Jose.

  • Quincy, IL $2,374
  • San Jose $1,924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,368 in Quincy, IL versus $2,926 in San Jose.

  • Quincy, IL $3,368
  • San Jose $2,926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,361 in Quincy, IL versus $3,929 in San Jose.

  • Quincy, IL $4,361
  • San Jose $3,929

Living in Quincy, IL is roughly 23% more expensive than in San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Quincy, IL 75% above, San Jose 42% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Quincy, IL
San Jose
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.89 $14.89
$12.29 ₡5,513
21.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.9 $59.9
$62.3 ₡27.9K
-3.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.08 $10.08
$11.53 ₡5,171
-12.58%
Cappuccino
$4.29 $4.29
$4.35 ₡1,953
-1.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 $2.25
$2.64 ₡1,183
-14.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.22 $1.22
$1.86 ₡836
-34.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 $3.05
$3.32 ₡1,490
-8.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.12 $5.12
$4.52 ₡2,026
13.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Quincy, IL
San Jose
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.76 $0.76
$2.39 ₡1,073
-68.20%
White Bread (500g)
$2.43 $2.43
$3.08 ₡1,381
-21.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.01 $3.01
$2.50 ₡1,119
20.40%
Eggs
$3.02 $3.02
$3.48 ₡1,562
-13.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.12 $11.12
$10.74 ₡4,815
3.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.05 $6.05
$10.32 ₡4,629
-41.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.88 $10.88
$14.10 ₡6,325
-22.84%
Apples (1kg)
$3.48 $3.48
$5.03 ₡2,256
-30.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 $1.44
$1.59 ₡714
-9.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.21 $3.21
$4.84 ₡2,171
-33.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.56 $4.56
$3.96 ₡1,776
15.15%
Potato (1kg)
$2.10 $2.10
$3.76 ₡1,684
-44.15%
Onion (1kg)
$2.24 $2.24
$3.73 ₡1,674
-39.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.24 $2.24
$1.08 ₡485
107.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 $1.27
$3.25 ₡1,456
-60.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.95 $5.95
$5.86 ₡2,627
1.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.93 $14.93
$20.28 ₡9,095
-26.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.10 $2.10
$2.90 ₡1,300
-27.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.89 $3.89
$3.73 ₡1,673
4.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Quincy, IL
San Jose
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.25 $2.25
$1.08 ₡486
108.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$65.5 ₡29.4K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.43 $2.43
$2.50 ₡1,123
-2.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 $1.57
$1.63 ₡732
-3.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.02 $30.02
$8.71 ₡3,904
244.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 $1.16
$1.58 ₡709
-26.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$33.6K ₡15.1M
-19.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K $26.6K
$41.7K ₡18.7M
-36.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quincy, IL
San Jose
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$242 $242
$93.7 ₡42.0K
157.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$44.85 $44.85
$35.42 ₡15.9K
26.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.4 $69.4
$60.0 ₡26.9K
15.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Quincy, IL
San Jose
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.71 $45.71
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-37.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$25.83 ₡11.6K
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.37 $8.37
$7.74 ₡3,471
8.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Quincy, IL
San Jose
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$332 $332
$1,005 ₡450.9K
-67.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.8K $19.8K
$16.9K ₡7.6M
16.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Quincy, IL
San Jose
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.48 $48.48
$73.1 ₡32.8K
-33.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.64 $41.64
$55.4 ₡24.9K
-24.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$34.81 $34.81
$128 ₡57.5K
-72.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.5 $98.5
$130 ₡58.5K
-24.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Quincy, IL
San Jose
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,605 $1,605
$932 ₡418.0K
72.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,298 $1,298
$760 ₡340.8K
70.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,342 $1,342
$1,922 ₡862.0K
-30.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,114 $2,114
$1,276 ₡572.1K
65.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,976 $2,976
$2,301 ₡1.0M
29.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,436 $2,436
$1,833 ₡821.9K
32.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Quincy, IL
San Jose
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,490 $1,490
$1,029 ₡461.3K
44.82%
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 Quincy, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Quincy, IL
$1.3K
San Jose
$760 41.5% $538
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quincy, IL
$356
San Jose
$189 46.9% $167
Groceries & Markets
Quincy, IL
$297
San Jose
$403 35.7% $106
Eating Out
Quincy, IL
$240
San Jose
$229 4.7% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Quincy, IL
$101
San Jose
$174 73.2% $74
Sport & Entertainment
Quincy, IL
$62
San Jose
$88 41% $26
Getting Around
Quincy, IL
$19 *
San Jose
$80 317% $61

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 $1,605 in Quincy, IL and $932 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quincy, IL pays 45% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60.0 in Quincy, IL vs $62.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $403 per month, with Quincy, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Quincy, IL
🇨🇷 San Jose
🕒 Local time
20:48 8:48 PM
19:48 7:48 PM
1 h behind Quincy, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
92,271
342,188 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Quincy, IL San Jose 3,410 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Quincy, 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
Quincy, IL vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Quincy, IL and in San Jose?
Quincy, IL and San Jose differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,374 vs $1,924 including rent). San Jose is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Quincy, IL or San Jose?
Average pay runs 45% higher in Quincy, IL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Quincy, IL and in San Jose?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,605 in Quincy, IL versus $932 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Quincy, IL pay roughly 36% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Quincy, IL or San Jose?
All in, you'll spend $2,374 per month in Quincy, IL versus $1,924 in San Jose – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,374 in Quincy, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Quincy, IL. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Quincy, IL and San Jose?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Where should expats move: Quincy, IL or San Jose?
Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Quincy, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Quincy, IL vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?