Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Carbondale, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Carbondale, IL: $1,764 a month against $1,949 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in San Jose despite lower rent and utilities.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Carbondale, IL
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Carbondale, IL Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Carbondale, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,764

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,949 in San Jose versus $1,764 in Carbondale, IL.

San Jose $1,949
Carbondale, IL $1,764

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,903 in San Jose versus $2,118 in Carbondale, IL.

San Jose $2,903
Carbondale, IL $2,118

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,857 in San Jose versus $2,473 in Carbondale, IL.

San Jose $3,857
Carbondale, IL $2,473

Living in San Jose is roughly 10% more expensive than in Carbondale, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose 45% above, Carbondale, IL 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$18.32 $18.32

-33.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$38.75 $38.75

55.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$8.87 $8.87

32.69%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$5.10 $5.10

-15.69%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$2.23 $2.23

21.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$1.95 $1.95

-5.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$4.38 $4.38

-25.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$8.03 $8.03

-45.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$0.90 $0.90

164.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$3.03 $3.03

2.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$4.16 $4.16

-42.07%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$3.80 $3.80

-8.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$13.12 $13.12

-19.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$11.45 $11.45

-7.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$18.75 $18.75

-26.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$5.73 $5.73

-12.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$1.72 $1.72

-6.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$6.03 $6.03

-23.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$4.92 $4.92

-21.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$1.66 $1.66

127.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$2.40 $2.40

56.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$2.60 $2.60

-56.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$2.14 $2.14

49.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$10.66 $10.66

-45.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$13.16 $13.16

49.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$1.70 $1.70

61.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$1.66 $1.66

120.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$2.04 $2.04

20.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$1.39 $1.39

10.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$20.08 $20.08

-57.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$0.99 $0.99

56.57%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$37.9K $37.9K

-42.71%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$26.9K $26.9K

29.54%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$189 $189

-49.88%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$86.1 $86.1

-59.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$74.7 $74.7

-21.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$11.95 $11.95

-34.48%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$1,731 $1,731

-43.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$24.5K $24.5K

-30.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$46.38 $46.38

54.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$33.29 $33.29

64.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$81.7 $81.7

57.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$150 $150

-11.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

$658 $658

42.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

$557 $557

38.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

$840 $840

171.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

$836 $836

114.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

$3,856 $3,856

-73.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.6

30.61%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Carbondale, IL: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Carbondale, IL

$557 31.6% 27.6% $213

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Carbondale, IL

$396 22.4% 0.8% $3.2

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Carbondale, IL

$289 16.4% 26.8% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Carbondale, IL

$350 19.8% 85.7% $161

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Carbondale, IL

$140 7.9% 19.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Carbondale, IL

$24 * 1.4% 72.8% $64

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Carbondale, IL

$9 * 0.5% 88.7% $71

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 $934 in San Jose and $658 in Carbondale, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carbondale, IL pays 283% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60.0 in San Jose vs $39.00 in Carbondale, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $396 per month, with Carbondale, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Carbondale, IL

🕒 Local time

15:03 3:03 PM

16:03 4:03 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

24,881

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Carbondale, IL 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Carbondale, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in San Jose. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Carbondale, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 283% lower in Carbondale, IL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $934 in San Jose versus $658 in Carbondale, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in San Jose. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,949 per month in San Jose versus $1,764 in Carbondale, IL – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,764 in Carbondale, IL versus $1,949 in San Jose, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Carbondale, IL but tight or insufficient in San Jose. The gap between the two cities makes Carbondale, IL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Carbondale, IL delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,764 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Carbondale, IL hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Carbondale, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in San Jose. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.