Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,585 in Oak Park, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
124

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

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Oak Park, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $2,585 in Oak Park, IL, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Oak Park, IL $2,585

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $3,781 in Oak Park, IL, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Oak Park, IL $3,781

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $4,977 in Oak Park, IL, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Oak Park, IL $4,977

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$19.82 $19.82

-37.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$75.3 $75.3

-17.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$11.41 $11.41

1.05%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$5.47 $5.47

-20.48%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.72 $2.72

-2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$1.96 $1.96

-5.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$6.04 $6.04

-45.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$7.18 $7.18

-37.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$1.02 $1.02

134.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$3.54 $3.54

-12.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$4.22 $4.22

-40.76%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$4.12 $4.12

-15.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$14.11 $14.11

-23.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$11.34 $11.34

-8.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$16.89 $16.89

-16.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$4.97 $4.97

1.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.57 $1.57

1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$4.41 $4.41

9.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$4.47 $4.47

-11.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$2.72 $2.72

38.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.75 $2.75

35.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$1.92 $1.92

-43.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$2.54 $2.54

27.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$9.26 $9.26

-36.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$14.83 $14.83

36.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.23 $2.23

30.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$3.46 $3.46

7.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$1.71 $1.71

-36.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$2.68 $2.68

-6.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.98 $1.98

-17.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$33.26 $33.26

-73.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$1.04 $1.04

51.92%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$25.9K $25.9K

29.54%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$24.1K $24.1K

72.70%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$198 $198

-52.61%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$59.2 $59.2

-40.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$70.7 $70.7

-15.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$37.92 $37.92

91.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$12.41 $12.41

-37.63%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$1,458 $1,458

-31.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$23.2K $23.2K

-27.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$53.1 $53.1

37.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$43.71 $43.71

26.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$87.5 $87.5

46.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$124 $124

5.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$1,575 $1,575

-40.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$1,312 $1,312

-42.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$2,550 $2,550

-24.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$2,168 $2,168

-41.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$3,118 $3,118

-26.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$2,251 $2,251

-18.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

$5,703 $5,703

-81.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.57

31.20%

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 Park, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Oak Park, IL

$1.3K 50.8% 72.6% $552

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Oak Park, IL

$403 15.6% 0.1% $0.6

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Oak Park, IL

$322 12.5% 40.6% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Oak Park, IL

$328 12.7% 73.3% $139

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Oak Park, IL

$139 5.4% 20.4% $36

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Oak Park, IL

$63 2.4% 28.7% $25

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Oak Park, IL

$19 * 0.8% 75.9% $61

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in San Jose versus $1,575 in Oak Park, 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 454% higher in Oak Park, 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 $62.0 in San Jose versus $75.0 in Oak Park, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $403 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Oak Park, IL

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

13:51 1:51 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

54,583

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,924 in San Jose, $2,585 in Oak Park, IL – roughly 34% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $3,877 in Oak Park, 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 $62.0 in San Jose and $75.0 in Oak Park, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Oak Park, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Oak Park, IL at $2,585. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oak Park, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,924 in San Jose to $2,585 in Oak Park, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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