Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Streamwood, IL and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,924 a month against $2,519 in Streamwood, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Streamwood, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

123

Cost of Living Index in Streamwood, IL
Learn more

Streamwood, IL Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

Streamwood, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,519

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,519 per month in Streamwood, IL vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Streamwood, IL $2,519
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $3,740 per month in Streamwood, IL vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Streamwood, IL $3,740
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $4,961 per month in Streamwood, IL vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Streamwood, IL $4,961
San Jose $3,929

Streamwood, IL costs about 31% more than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Streamwood, IL and San Jose sit above the global median – Streamwood, IL by 86%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.86 $19.86

$12.29 ₡5,513

61.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$62.3 ₡27.9K

21.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 $11.94

$11.53 ₡5,171

3.56%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$4.35 ₡1,953

23.91%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$2.64 ₡1,183

15.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.86 ₡836

34.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.32 ₡1,490

76.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.80 $7.80

$4.52 ₡2,026

72.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$2.39 ₡1,073

-61.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.08 ₡1,381

13.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.50 ₡1,119

17.20%

Eggs

$3.57 $3.57

$3.48 ₡1,562

2.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 $10.14

$10.74 ₡4,815

-5.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.30 $11.30

$10.32 ₡4,629

9.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.36 $14.36

$14.10 ₡6,325

1.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$5.03 ₡2,256

-4.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.59 ₡714

5.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$4.84 ₡2,171

-7.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$3.96 ₡1,776

21.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.76 ₡1,684

-26.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.73 ₡1,674

-17.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.08 ₡485

42.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.25 ₡1,456

-54.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.86 $10.86

$5.86 ₡2,627

85.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 $12.14

$20.28 ₡9,095

-40.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.90 ₡1,300

-41.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.73 ₡1,673

17.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.08 ₡486

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.10 $40.10

$65.5 ₡29.4K

-38.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.50 ₡1,123

63.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.63 ₡732

25.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.25 $44.25

$8.71 ₡3,904

408.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.58 ₡709

-31.01%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-25.74%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-39.61%

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

$173 $173

$93.7 ₡42.0K

84.78%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$35.42 ₡15.9K

43.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 $54.9

$60.0 ₡26.9K

-8.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.70 $41.70

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-42.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.19 $8.19

$25.83 ₡11.6K

-68.29%

Cinema Ticket

$15.23 $15.23

$7.74 ₡3,471

96.77%

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

$1,505 $1,505

$1,005 ₡450.9K

49.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

37.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 $56.8

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-22.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.21 $45.21

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-18.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 $98.2

$128 ₡57.5K

-23.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$130 ₡58.5K

-21.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 $1,616

$932 ₡418.0K

73.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 $1,287

$760 ₡340.8K

69.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,495 $2,495

$1,922 ₡862.0K

29.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,185 $2,185

$1,276 ₡572.1K

71.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,301 ₡1.0M

18.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,365 $2,365

$1,833 ₡821.9K

29.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,119 $7,119

$1,029 ₡461.3K

592.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

8.62

-25.41%

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

Last update for Streamwood, IL: October 20, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Streamwood, IL

$1.3K 51.1%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 40.9% $527

Groceries & Markets

Streamwood, IL

$356 14.1%

San Jose

$403 21% 13.3% $47

Eating Out

Streamwood, IL

$326 13%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 29.9% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Streamwood, IL

$279 11.1%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 32.2% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Streamwood, IL

$136 5.4%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 28.2% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Streamwood, IL

$72 2.9%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 22% $16

Getting Around

Streamwood, IL

$63 2.5%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 28.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,616 in Streamwood, IL versus $932 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 592% higher in Streamwood, 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 $76.0 in Streamwood, IL versus $62.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $356 in Streamwood, IL vs $403 in San Jose – so Streamwood, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Streamwood, IL

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

18:30 6:30 PM

17:30 5:30 PM

1 h behind Streamwood, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,535

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Streamwood, IL San Jose 3,590 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Streamwood, 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

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

Yes – Streamwood, IL is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,778 per month in Streamwood, IL and $2,886 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 $76.0 in Streamwood, IL and $62.0 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 $2,519 in Streamwood, IL and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 31%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,924, than in Streamwood, IL at $2,519. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Streamwood, 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, Streamwood, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.