Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Oak Lawn, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,586 in Oak Lawn, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Oak Lawn, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Oak Lawn, IL
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Oak Lawn, IL Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Oak Lawn, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $2,586 in Oak Lawn, IL, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Oak Lawn, IL $2,586

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $3,492 in Oak Lawn, IL, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Oak Lawn, IL $3,492

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $4,398 in Oak Lawn, IL, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Oak Lawn, IL $4,398

San Jose is about 26% cheaper than Oak Lawn, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both San Jose and Oak Lawn, IL sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Oak Lawn, IL by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$15.26 $15.26

-19.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$62.8 $62.8

-0.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$7.77 $7.77

48.39%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$5.43 $5.43

-19.89%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.16 $2.16

22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$1.13 $1.13

64.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$5.14 $5.14

-35.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$5.15 $5.15

-12.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$0.93 $0.93

156.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$2.37 $2.37

29.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$3.41 $3.41

-26.69%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$3.76 $3.76

-7.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$11.16 $11.16

-3.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$8.61 $8.61

19.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$13.18 $13.18

6.98%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$3.25 $3.25

54.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.95 $1.95

-18.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$3.26 $3.26

48.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$3.29 $3.29

20.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$2.15 $2.15

74.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$1.11 $1.11

236.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.06 $2.06

-47.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$2.04 $2.04

59.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$9.87 $9.87

-40.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$9.96 $9.96

103.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.06 $2.06

40.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$3.32 $3.32

12.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$2.05 $2.05

-47.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

$49.95 $49.95

31.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$5.38 $5.38

-53.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$2.82 $2.82

-42.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$17.46 $17.46

-50.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$1.12 $1.12

41.07%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$15.9K $15.9K

111.53%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$27.0K $27.0K

54.07%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$220 $220

-57.42%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$53.0 $53.0

-33.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$66.1 $66.1

-9.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$42.21 $42.21

71.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$20.35 $20.35

-61.97%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$1,336 $1,336

-24.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$12.6K $12.6K

33.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$47.58 $47.58

53.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$25.39 $25.39

118.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$58.0 $58.0

121.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$50.8 $50.8

156.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$1,601 $1,601

-41.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$1,432 $1,432

-46.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$2,851 $2,851

-32.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$1,945 $1,945

-34.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$2,575 $2,575

-10.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$2,733 $2,733

-32.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.82

26.39%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Oak Lawn, IL: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Oak Lawn, IL

$1.4K 55.4% 88.4% $672

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Oak Lawn, IL

$313 12.1% 22.3% $90

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Oak Lawn, IL

$260 10% 13.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Oak Lawn, IL

$339 13.1% 79.4% $150

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Oak Lawn, IL

$82 3.2% 53.1% $92

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Oak Lawn, IL

$83 3.2% 5.9% $5.2

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Oak Lawn, IL

$78 3% 3.5% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in San Jose versus $1,601 in Oak Lawn, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in San Jose versus $63.0 in Oak Lawn, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $313 in Oak Lawn, IL – so Oak Lawn, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Oak Lawn, IL

🕒 Local time

17:48 5:48 PM

18:48 6:48 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

58,362

💱 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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San Jose Oak Lawn, IL 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Oak Lawn, IL is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $3,879 in Oak Lawn, 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.

Public transport costs about 31% less in San Jose. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,005 per month in San Jose and $1,336 in Oak Lawn, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Oak Lawn, IL at $2,586. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oak Lawn, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Jose – 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 San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Oak Lawn, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.