Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Berwyn, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,449 in Berwyn, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Berwyn, IL
Learn more

Berwyn, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Berwyn, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,449

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,449 in Berwyn, IL.

San Jose $1,924
Berwyn, IL $2,449

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,926 in San Jose versus $3,655 in Berwyn, IL.

San Jose $2,926
Berwyn, IL $3,655

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,929 in San Jose versus $4,860 in Berwyn, IL.

San Jose $3,929
Berwyn, IL $4,860

Living in San Jose costs roughly 21% less than in Berwyn, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 42% above, Berwyn, IL 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$19.67 $19.67

-37.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$74.7 $74.7

-16.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$9.83 $9.83

17.29%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$5.04 $5.04

-13.69%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.58 $2.58

2.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$1.97 $1.97

-5.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$6.09 $6.09

-45.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$7.09 $7.09

-36.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$0.83 $0.83

187.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$3.60 $3.60

-14.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$5.30 $5.30

-52.83%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$4.69 $4.69

-25.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$10.01 $10.01

7.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$13.92 $13.92

-25.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$16.75 $16.75

-15.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$5.04 $5.04

-0.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.50 $1.50

6.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$3.91 $3.91

23.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$5.00 $5.00

-20.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$2.59 $2.59

45.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.58 $2.58

44.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.14 $2.14

-49.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$2.39 $2.39

35.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$10.95 $10.95

-46.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$15.16 $15.16

33.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.96 $1.96

47.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$3.49 $3.49

6.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$1.76 $1.76

-38.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$2.85 $2.85

-12.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.37 $1.37

18.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$21.24 $21.24

-58.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$1.24 $1.24

27.42%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$33.9K $33.9K

-0.92%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$25.9K $25.9K

61.00%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$195 $195

-51.99%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$68.7 $68.7

-48.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$61.2 $61.2

-2.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$43.38 $43.38

67.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$13.97 $13.97

-44.60%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$1,693 $1,693

-40.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$24.3K $24.3K

-30.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$54.4 $54.4

34.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$40.43 $40.43

37.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$94.9 $94.9

35.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$115 $115

13.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$1,401 $1,401

-33.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$1,183 $1,183

-35.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$2,623 $2,623

-26.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$2,052 $2,052

-37.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$2,341 $2,341

-1.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$2,156 $2,156

-15.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.65

29.62%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Berwyn, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Berwyn, IL

$1.2K 48.3% 55.6% $423

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Berwyn, IL

$406 16.6% 0.8% $3.1

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Berwyn, IL

$310 12.7% 35.5% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Berwyn, IL

$325 13.3% 71.9% $136

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Berwyn, IL

$137 5.6% 21.2% $37

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Berwyn, IL

$71 2.9% 19% $17

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Berwyn, IL

$17 * 0.7% 79.2% $64

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 $932 in San Jose and $1,401 in Berwyn, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in San Jose vs $75.0 in Berwyn, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $406 per month, with San Jose cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Berwyn, IL

🕒 Local time

23:58 11:58 PM

00:58 12:58 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

57,250

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

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

San Jose is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,886 in San Jose and $3,674 in Berwyn, IL 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: $932 in San Jose versus $1,401 in Berwyn, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,005 in San Jose versus $1,693 in Berwyn, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Jose – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $75.0 in Berwyn, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,924 in San Jose versus $2,449 in Berwyn, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in San Jose but tight or insufficient in Berwyn, IL. The gap between the two cities makes San Jose the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Jose is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Berwyn, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, San Jose and Berwyn, IL are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Jose gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Berwyn, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.