Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rock Island, IL and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,664 in Rock Island, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Rock Island, IL
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Rock Island, IL Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Rock Island, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,664

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,664 in Rock Island, IL versus $1,924 in San Jose.

Rock Island, IL $2,664
San Jose $1,924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,843 in Rock Island, IL versus $2,926 in San Jose.

Rock Island, IL $3,843
San Jose $2,926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,023 in Rock Island, IL versus $3,929 in San Jose.

Rock Island, IL $5,023
San Jose $3,929

Living in Rock Island, IL is roughly 38% 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: Rock Island, IL 97% above, San Jose 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.07 $20.07

$12.29 ₡5,513

63.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 $67.2

$62.3 ₡27.9K

7.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 $12.84

$11.53 ₡5,171

11.36%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$4.35 ₡1,953

35.63%

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

$3.14 $3.14

$2.64 ₡1,183

18.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.86 ₡836

29.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 $7.08

$3.32 ₡1,490

113.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.52 ₡2,026

76.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.39 ₡1,073

-60.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.08 ₡1,381

13.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$2.50 ₡1,119

69.20%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$3.48 ₡1,562

6.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 $15.09

$10.74 ₡4,815

40.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$10.32 ₡4,629

27.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.09 $20.09

$14.10 ₡6,325

42.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$5.03 ₡2,256

-5.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.59 ₡714

2.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$4.84 ₡2,171

6.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$3.96 ₡1,776

20.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.76 ₡1,684

-25.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.73 ₡1,674

-16.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.08 ₡485

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.25 ₡1,456

-25.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 $10.72

$5.86 ₡2,627

82.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.51 $15.51

$20.28 ₡9,095

-23.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.90 ₡1,300

-8.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.73 ₡1,673

16.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.08 ₡486

68.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.50 ₡1,123

58.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.63 ₡732

22.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.24 $44.24

$8.71 ₡3,904

407.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.58 ₡709

-36.71%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-7.21%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-38.49%

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

$267 $267

$93.7 ₡42.0K

185.03%

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

$52.3 $52.3

$35.42 ₡15.9K

47.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.6 $80.6

$60.0 ₡26.9K

34.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.16 $45.16

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-37.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$15.12 $15.12

$7.74 ₡3,471

95.35%

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

$1,719 $1,719

$1,005 ₡450.9K

70.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

40.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 $64.5

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-11.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 $50.9

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-8.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$128 ₡57.5K

-16.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$130 ₡58.5K

-8.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 $1,812

$932 ₡418.0K

94.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 $1,239

$760 ₡340.8K

62.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 $2,614

$1,922 ₡862.0K

36.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 $2,021

$1,276 ₡572.1K

58.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,912 $2,912

$2,301 ₡1.0M

26.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 $2,284

$1,833 ₡821.9K

24.65%

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 Rock Island, 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

Rock Island, IL

$1.2K 46.5%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 38.6% $479

Groceries & Markets

Rock Island, IL

$431 16.2%

San Jose

$403 21% 6.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rock Island, IL

$400 15%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 52.7% $211

Eating Out

Rock Island, IL

$343 12.9%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 33.4% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Rock Island, IL

$154 5.8%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 12.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Rock Island, IL

$75 2.8%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 16.8% $13

Getting Around

Rock Island, IL

$21 * 0.8%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 280% $59

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 $1,812 in Rock Island, IL and $932 in San Jose. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Rock Island, IL vs $62.0 in San Jose for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $431 vs $403 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rock Island, IL

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

16:22 4:22 PM

15:22 3:22 PM

1 h behind Rock Island, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,108

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Rock Island, IL San Jose 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Rock Island, 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

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

San Jose wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Rock Island, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Jose the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Rock Island, 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: $1,812 in Rock Island, IL versus $932 in San Jose. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Rock Island, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,664 per month in Rock Island, IL versus $1,924 in San Jose – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,664 in Rock Island, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Rock Island, IL. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Jose delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,924 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Jose hard to pass up.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Rock Island, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.