Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Saint Charles, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,710 in Saint Charles, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 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
132

Cost of Living Index in Saint Charles, IL
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Saint Charles, IL Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Saint Charles, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $2,710 in Saint Charles, IL, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Saint Charles, IL $2,710

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $4,230 in Saint Charles, IL, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Saint Charles, IL $4,230

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $5,749 in Saint Charles, IL, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Saint Charles, IL $5,749

San Jose is about 29% cheaper than Saint Charles, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Saint Charles, IL sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Saint Charles, IL by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$38.02 $38.02

-67.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$99.6 $99.6

-37.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$10.63 $10.63

8.47%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$6.85 $6.85

-36.50%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$3.37 $3.37

-21.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$3.07 $3.07

-39.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$7.03 $7.03

-52.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$7.54 $7.54

-40.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$0.98 $0.98

143.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$3.55 $3.55

-13.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$4.23 $4.23

-40.90%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$4.57 $4.57

-23.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$12.33 $12.33

-12.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$11.47 $11.47

-10.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$12.85 $12.85

9.73%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$5.08 $5.08

-0.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.01 $1.01

57.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$4.34 $4.34

11.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$4.78 $4.78

-17.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$2.75 $2.75

36.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$3.04 $3.04

22.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$1.57 $1.57

-31.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$2.23 $2.23

45.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$11.41 $11.41

-48.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$15.12 $15.12

34.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.93 $1.93

50.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$3.46 $3.46

7.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$2.02 $2.02

-46.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$3.24 $3.24

-22.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.64 $1.64

-0.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$32.52 $32.52

-73.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$0.99 $0.99

59.60%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$26.0K $26.0K

29.25%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$26.1K $26.1K

59.84%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$195 $195

-52.08%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$66.6 $66.6

-46.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$70.9 $70.9

-15.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$43.09 $43.09

68.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$14.74 $14.74

-47.49%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$1,358 $1,358

-25.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$26.2K $26.2K

-35.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$51.1 $51.1

42.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$39.30 $39.30

41.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$75.7 $75.7

69.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$131 $131

-0.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$1,800 $1,800

-48.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$1,277 $1,277

-40.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$2,543 $2,543

-24.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$2,472 $2,472

-48.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

$3,065 $3,065

-24.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

$2,620 $2,620

-30.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

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 Saint Charles, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Saint Charles, IL

$1.3K 47.1% 68.1% $517

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Saint Charles, IL

$380 14% 5.7% $23

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Saint Charles, IL

$494 18.2% 116% $265

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Saint Charles, IL

$333 12.3% 76.1% $144

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Saint Charles, IL

$134 4.9% 23.3% $41

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Saint Charles, IL

$73 2.7% 17.6% $16

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Saint Charles, IL

$20 * 0.7% 75.8% $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 $1,800 in Saint Charles, 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 $100 in Saint Charles, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $380 in Saint Charles, IL – so Saint Charles, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇸 Saint Charles, IL

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

13:51 1:51 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

70,329

💱 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 Saint Charles, IL 3,580 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Saint Charles, IL costs about 41% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $4,065 in Saint Charles, 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,924 in San Jose and $2,710 in Saint Charles, IL. That's a gap of about 41%.

Kindergarten costs $1,005 per month in San Jose and $1,358 in Saint Charles, 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 Saint Charles, IL at $2,710. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Charles, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Jose costs $1,924 versus $2,710 in Saint Charles, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Saint Charles, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.