Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Robinson, IL and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,349 in Robinson, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Robinson, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

113

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

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Robinson, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,349

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,349 per month in Robinson, IL vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Robinson, IL $2,349
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $3,361 per month in Robinson, IL vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Robinson, IL $3,361
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $4,373 per month in Robinson, IL vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Robinson, IL $4,373
San Jose $3,929

Robinson, IL costs about 22% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Robinson, IL and San Jose sit above the global median – Robinson, IL by 73%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.89 $10.89

$12.29 ₡5,513

-11.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 $54.0

$62.3 ₡27.9K

-13.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 $9.26

$11.53 ₡5,171

-19.69%

Cappuccino

$5.11 $5.11

$4.35 ₡1,953

17.47%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$2.64 ₡1,183

-17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.86 ₡836

-14.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 $6.17

$3.32 ₡1,490

85.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 $6.88

$4.52 ₡2,026

52.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 $0.71

$2.39 ₡1,073

-70.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.08 ₡1,381

-21.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.50 ₡1,119

98.80%

Eggs

$2.92 $2.92

$3.48 ₡1,562

-16.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 $13.12

$10.74 ₡4,815

22.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 $6.87

$10.32 ₡4,629

-33.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$14.10 ₡6,325

-57.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$5.03 ₡2,256

-20.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.59 ₡714

-11.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$4.84 ₡2,171

-25.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$3.96 ₡1,776

7.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.76 ₡1,684

-32.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.73 ₡1,674

-31.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.08 ₡485

105.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$3.25 ₡1,456

-29.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.06 $9.06

$5.86 ₡2,627

54.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.52 $15.52

$20.28 ₡9,095

-23.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.90 ₡1,300

-2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.73 ₡1,673

1.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.08 ₡486

74.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.50 ₡1,123

9.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.63 ₡732

-15.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.30 $30.30

$8.71 ₡3,904

247.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.58 ₡709

-36.71%

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

$33.2K $33.2K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-1.20%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-38.05%

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

$179 $179

$93.7 ₡42.0K

90.71%

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

$58.1 $58.1

$35.42 ₡15.9K

64.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 $68.7

$60.0 ₡26.9K

14.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.53 $43.53

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-40.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$11.14 $11.14

$7.74 ₡3,471

43.93%

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

$399 $399

$1,005 ₡450.9K

-60.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K $15.9K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-6.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.55 $49.55

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-32.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.60 $35.60

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-35.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 $60.7

$128 ₡57.5K

-52.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 $79.1

$130 ₡58.5K

-39.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$570 $570

$932 ₡418.0K

-38.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 $1,303

$760 ₡340.8K

71.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,551 $2,551

$1,922 ₡862.0K

32.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,176 $2,176

$1,276 ₡572.1K

70.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,663 $2,663

$2,301 ₡1.0M

15.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,667 $2,667

$1,833 ₡821.9K

45.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,031 $5,031

$1,029 ₡461.3K

389.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

8.62

-25.75%

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

Last update for Robinson, 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

Robinson, IL

$1.3K 55.5%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 41.7% $543

Groceries & Markets

Robinson, IL

$321 13.7%

San Jose

$403 21% 25.8% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Robinson, IL

$305 13%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 38.1% $116

Eating Out

Robinson, IL

$236 10.1%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 3% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Robinson, IL

$101 4.3%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 72.1% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Robinson, IL

$66 2.8%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 33.8% $22

Getting Around

Robinson, IL

$17 * 0.7%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 369% $63

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $570 in Robinson, 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 389% higher in Robinson, 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 $54.0 in Robinson, IL versus $62.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $403 – making Robinson, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Robinson, IL

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

01:50 1:50 AM

00:50 12:50 AM

1 h behind Robinson, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,443

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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Highest

Between locations

Robinson, IL San Jose 3,250 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Robinson, 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

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

Robinson, IL costs about 22% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,523 per month in Robinson, 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 $2,349 in Robinson, IL and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 22%.

Kindergarten costs $399 per month in Robinson, 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 Robinson, IL at $2,349. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Robinson, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,924 versus $2,349 in Robinson, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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