Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Springfield, IL and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,675 in Springfield, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Springfield, IL
Learn more

Springfield, IL Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

Springfield, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,675

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Springfield, IL and in San Jose

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Springfield, IL and in San Jose actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,675 per month in Springfield, IL vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Springfield, IL $2,675
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $3,965 per month in Springfield, IL vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Springfield, IL $3,965
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $5,255 per month in Springfield, IL vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Springfield, IL $5,255
San Jose $3,857

Springfield, IL costs about 37% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Springfield, IL and San Jose sit above the global median – Springfield, IL by 100%, San Jose by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.54 $14.54

$12.22 ₡5,510

18.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.11 $42.11

$60.1 ₡27.1K

-29.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 $10.19

$11.77 ₡5,305

-13.42%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.30 ₡1,939

27.44%

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

$2.04 $2.04

$2.72 ₡1,226

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.84 ₡830

-16.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.28 ₡1,480

-6.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 $4.05

$4.36 ₡1,966

-7.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$2.38 ₡1,074

-68.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.12 ₡1,408

7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$2.41 ₡1,086

268.46%

Eggs

$3.17 $3.17

$3.47 ₡1,564

-8.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.33 $19.33

$10.57 ₡4,767

82.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.04 $17.04

$10.56 ₡4,758

61.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.92 $32.92

$13.75 ₡6,196

139.42%

Apples (1kg)

$8.51 $8.51

$5.04 ₡2,274

68.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.61 ₡727

-19.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.94 $8.94

$4.59 ₡2,069

94.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$3.84 ₡1,731

48.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$3.77 ₡1,700

-14.06%

Onion (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$3.76 ₡1,693

17.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.12 ₡506

74.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.20 ₡1,441

-47.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.98 $9.98

$5.84 ₡2,632

70.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 $11.21

$19.73 ₡8,897

-43.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.75 ₡1,240

-54.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$3.66 ₡1,650

-55.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.12 ₡503

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.33 $40.33

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-38.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 $5.74

$2.46 ₡1,110

133.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.54 ₡692

-33.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.25 $18.25

$8.46 ₡3,815

115.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.55 ₡699

-41.94%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

66.74%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-24.49%

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

$232 $232

$94.7 ₡42.7K

144.59%

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

$95.0 $95.0

$35.11 ₡15.8K

170.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 $64.2

$58.6 ₡26.4K

9.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.5 $50.5

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-30.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$25.19 ₡11.4K

-20.05%

Cinema Ticket

$12.45 $12.45

$7.83 ₡3,532

59.00%

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

$941 $941

$971 ₡437.9K

-3.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 $106

$71.6 ₡32.3K

48.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 $55.3

$54.9 ₡24.7K

0.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 $125

$129 ₡58.2K

-3.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$133 ₡60.0K

4.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 $910

$934 ₡420.9K

-2.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 $1,137

$770 ₡347.2K

47.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,863 $1,863

$1,945 ₡876.7K

-4.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,192 $2,192

$1,316 ₡593.5K

66.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,175 $3,175

$2,277 ₡1.0M

39.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,176 $1,176

$1,795 ₡809.1K

-34.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,963 $3,963

$1,006 ₡453.5K

293.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

8.62

-24.01%

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

Last update for Springfield, IL: October 5, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Springfield, IL

$1.1K 43.3%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 32.3% $367

Groceries & Markets

Springfield, IL

$524 20%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 23.9% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Springfield, IL

$391 14.9%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 51.8% $202

Eating Out

Springfield, IL

$250 9.5%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 8.9% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Springfield, IL

$192 7.3%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 8.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Springfield, IL

$75 2.9%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 16.5% $12

Getting Around

Springfield, IL

$56 2.2%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 41.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $910 in Springfield, IL versus $934 in San Jose. 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 294% higher in Springfield, 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 $42.00 in Springfield, IL versus $60.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $524 in Springfield, IL vs $399 in San Jose – so San Jose wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Springfield, IL

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

04:45 4:45 AM

03:45 3:45 AM

1 h behind Springfield, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

116,482

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Springfield, IL San Jose 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Springfield, IL
San Jose

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

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

Yes – Springfield, IL is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,013 per month in Springfield, IL and $2,924 in San Jose. 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 $42.00 in Springfield, IL and $60.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,675 in Springfield, IL and $1,949 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 37%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Springfield, IL at $2,675. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Springfield, 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, Springfield, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.