Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Decatur, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Decatur, IL: $1,725 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in San Jose outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Decatur, IL
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Decatur, IL Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Decatur, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $1,725 in Decatur, IL, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Decatur, IL $1,725

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $2,654 in Decatur, IL, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Decatur, IL $2,654

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $3,582 in Decatur, IL, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Decatur, IL $3,582

San Jose costs about 12% more than Decatur, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Decatur, IL sit above the global median – San Jose by 44%, Decatur, IL by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$19.96 $19.96

-37.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$83.4 $83.4

-27.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$8.74 $8.74

31.01%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$5.41 $5.41

-18.85%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$2.24 $2.24

20.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$1.66 $1.66

16.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$5.02 $5.02

-36.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$6.12 $6.12

-27.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.34 $1.34

82.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$3.06 $3.06

-0.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$2.03 $2.03

18.72%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$4.74 $4.74

-28.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$13.87 $13.87

-22.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$14.86 $14.86

-29.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$13.08 $13.08

6.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$4.31 $4.31

21.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$2.02 $2.02

-21.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$4.03 $4.03

16.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$3.27 $3.27

20.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$0.91 $0.91

330.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$1.09 $1.09

237.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.48 $1.48

-24.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$3.07 $3.07

3.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$15.87 $15.87

-62.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$14.81 $14.81

32.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$2.20 $2.20

28.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$1.99 $1.99

80.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$3.17 $3.17

-21.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.42 $1.42

14.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$25.28 $25.28

-66.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.16 $1.16

34.48%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$37.0K $37.0K

-39.36%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$25.5K $25.5K

39.50%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$85.6 $85.6

11.20%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$67.2 $67.2

-47.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$60.2 $60.2

-2.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$74.7 $74.7

-2.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$11.82 $11.82

-35.87%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$1,525 $1,525

-34.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$32.0K $32.0K

-46.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$68.1 $68.1

3.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$51.5 $51.5

8.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$101 $101

27.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$144 $144

-9.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$867 $867

6.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$551 $551

40.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$993 $993

98.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$805 $805

60.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$940 $940

141.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$941 $941

94.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$4,599 $4,599

-77.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.77

27.33%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Decatur, IL: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Decatur, IL

$551 31.9% 28.8% $223

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Decatur, IL

$385 22.3% 4.1% $16

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Decatur, IL

$304 17.6% 32.5% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Decatur, IL

$213 12.3% 12.4% $24

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Decatur, IL

$164 9.5% 5.7% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Decatur, IL

$98 5.7% 11.9% $10

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Decatur, IL

$10 * 0.6% 87.5% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $867 in Decatur, 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 353% higher in Decatur, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose versus $83.0 in Decatur, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in San Jose vs $385 in Decatur, IL – so Decatur, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Decatur, IL

🕒 Local time

20:49 8:49 PM

21:49 9:49 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

77,047

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

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Decatur, IL 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $2,588 in Decatur, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Decatur, IL, 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 $61.0 in San Jose and $83.0 in Decatur, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in San Jose, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Decatur, IL, where all-in costs run around $1,725, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Decatur, IL it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Decatur, IL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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