Chicago vs San Jose, Costa Rica - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2678
$1324
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6655
$3344
🏠 One person rent
$1596
$606
🏘️ Family rent
$2946
$1094
🍽️ Food expenses
$700
$499
🚐 Transport expenses
$200
$78
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4876
$990
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
100
60
😀 Quality of life
95
66
🏙️ Population
2.75M
342K

The cost of living in Chicago is 102% more expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 529th and 4143rd ($2678 vs $1324) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 483rd and 2nd in the United States and Costa Rica, respectively. Check the United States vs Costa Rica comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Chicago compared to 0.7 months in San Jose, Costa Rica. Chicago ranked 3rd best city to live in the United States vs San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st in Costa Rica, while ranked 23rd and 4085th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Chicago vs San Jose, Costa Rica infographic

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Prices in Chicago vs San Jose, Costa Rica

Prices for goods and services in Chicago and San Jose are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Chicago San Jose
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$21.9
$11.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$90.6
$51.4
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12
$9.6
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7
$2.9
☕ Cappuccino
$5.4
$4.5
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.95
$1.97
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1841
$738
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1327
$444
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3729
$1315
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2474
$874
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$104
$53.7
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$159
$82.5
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$62.1
$49.2
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.68%
10.31%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3391
$2883
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2689
$1718
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.48
$0.98
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$75.1
$41.6
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.1
$16.2
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.06
$1.42
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.94
$2.07
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.68
$2.32
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.61
$1.94
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.13
$3.34
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.5
$11.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.2
$8.97
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.3
$14.3
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.67
$3.92
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.84
$1.46
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.36
$3.91
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.43
$2.99
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.18
$2.99
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.71
$2.81
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.81
$1.85
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.85
$3.17
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.9
$18.6
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.04
$2.43
🚬 Cigarette pack
$15
$5.13
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.5
$8.09
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.02
$7.94
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.63
$3.22
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.76
$3.77
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$63
$65
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$14.8
$9.08
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$127
$72.3
💇 Haircut, simple
$29.8
$15.2
👖 Brand Jeans
$59
$68.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$94.4
$125
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2114
$601
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$24502
$12527

Cost of living in other countries

ChicagoSan Jose

Cost of living

$349

$907

$6.64K

More cities to compare

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2425
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2421
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2510
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2426
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2444
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2194
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2256
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2401
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2418
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2384
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2314
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2334
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2389
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2264
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2377
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2392
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2363
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2509
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2359
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2393
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2360
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1938
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2362
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2363
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2344
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2396
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1948
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2350
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2378
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2446
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2369
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2506
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2342
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2367
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2342
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2227
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2345
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1954
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2351
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2371

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1296
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1269
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1024
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$801
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1225
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1213
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$932
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1710
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$839
246 km or 153 mi David
$890
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$666
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$701
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$710
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$738
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$624
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1089
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$455
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$632
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$598
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1116
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$638
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1117
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1172
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$957
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1328
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1479
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1310
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1304
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$863
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1088
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1083
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$753
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$755
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1204
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1182
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1175
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1160
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1194
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$626
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$903