Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Aurora, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,697 in Aurora, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Aurora, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Aurora, IL
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Aurora, IL Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Aurora, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,697

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Aurora, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Jose and in Aurora, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,949 per month in San Jose vs $2,697 in Aurora, IL, rent included.

San Jose $1,949
Aurora, IL $2,697

A couple spends around $2,903 per month in San Jose vs $3,815 in Aurora, IL, rent included.

San Jose $2,903
Aurora, IL $3,815

A family of three spends $3,857 per month in San Jose vs $4,932 in Aurora, IL, rent included.

San Jose $3,857
Aurora, IL $4,932

San Jose is about 28% cheaper than Aurora, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Jose and Aurora, IL sit above the global median – San Jose by 45%, Aurora, IL by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$14.27 $14.27

-14.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$59.4 $59.4

1.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$11.80 $11.80

-0.25%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$5.25 $5.25

-18.10%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$2.98 $2.98

-8.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$2.35 $2.35

-21.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$5.10 $5.10

-35.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$8.07 $8.07

-45.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$0.89 $0.89

167.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$3.47 $3.47

-10.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$4.28 $4.28

-43.69%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$3.53 $3.53

-1.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$9.05 $9.05

16.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$11.45 $11.45

-7.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$16.00 $16.00

-14.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$4.59 $4.59

9.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$1.65 $1.65

-2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$3.77 $3.77

21.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$3.26 $3.26

17.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$1.91 $1.91

97.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$2.67 $2.67

40.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$1.78 $1.78

-37.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$1.61 $1.61

98.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$10.64 $10.64

-45.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$13.52 $13.52

45.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$2.27 $2.27

21.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$2.91 $2.91

25.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

$133 $133

-51.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$3.93 $3.93

-37.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$2.05 $2.05

-24.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$42.88 $42.88

-80.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.04 $1.04

49.04%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$24.8K $24.8K

-12.66%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$24.8K $24.8K

40.64%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$177 $177

-46.41%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$51.2 $51.2

-31.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$54.0 $54.0

8.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$29.64 $29.64

143.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$11.87 $11.87

-34.04%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$1,488 $1,488

-34.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$23.8K $23.8K

-28.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$57.1 $57.1

25.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$50.7 $50.7

8.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$87.7 $87.7

47.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$81.3 $81.3

63.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

$1,662 $1,662

-43.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

$1,425 $1,425

-45.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

$2,205 $2,205

-11.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

$2,218 $2,218

-40.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

$9,824 $9,824

-76.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

$3,179 $3,179

-43.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

$3,784 $3,784

-73.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.45

33.64%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Aurora, IL: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Aurora, IL

$1.4K 53.6% 85% $655

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Aurora, IL

$353 13.3% 11.5% $46

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Aurora, IL

$276 10.4% 20.8% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Aurora, IL

$282 10.6% 49.6% $93

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Aurora, IL

$124 4.7% 28.8% $50

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Aurora, IL

$53 2% 39.2% $34

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Aurora, IL

$147 * 5.5% 85% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $934 in San Jose versus $1,662 in Aurora, IL. 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 276% higher in Aurora, 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 $60.0 in San Jose versus $59.0 in Aurora, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $353 – making Aurora, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Aurora, IL

🕒 Local time

07:44 7:44 AM

08:44 8:44 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

180,542

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Aurora, IL 3,560 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Aurora, IL

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

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

Aurora, IL costs about 38% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,924 per month in San Jose and $4,045 in Aurora, IL. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in San Jose and $59.0 in Aurora, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,949 in San Jose and $2,697 in Aurora, IL. That's a gap of about 38%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Aurora, IL at $2,697. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aurora, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,949 versus $2,697 in Aurora, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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