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

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2613
$1169
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6659
$3119
🏠 One person rent
$1594
$496
🏘️ Family rent
$3123
$1078
🍽️ Food expenses
$649
$471
🚐 Transport expenses
$210
$71.8
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5285
$877
😷 Air quality
Good
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
100
60
😀 Quality of life
96
67
🏙️ Population
2.75M
342K

The cost of living in Chicago is 124% more expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 505th and 4518th ($2613 vs $1169) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 455th and 3rd 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 2 months in Chicago compared to 0.8 months in San Jose, Costa Rica. Chicago ranked 2nd best city to live in the United States vs San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st in Costa Rica, while ranked 16th and 4043rd 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
$17.5
$10.8
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$80.3
$51.7
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$10.6
$9.47
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$6.98
$3.31
☕ Cappuccino
$5.12
$4.21
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.87
$1.78
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1958
$597
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1297
$368
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3908
$1266
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2652
$901
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$103
$42.3
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$158
$64.2
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$61.2
$40
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.64%
8.83%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3227
$1778
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2803
$1310
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.52
$0.88
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$87.1
$40.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$15.1
$13.9
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.1
$1.45
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.04
$1.96
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.79
$2.32
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.74
$2.15
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.8
$3.59
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.8
$9.52
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.5
$9.16
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19.9
$13.2
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.27
$4.79
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.94
$1.38
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.02
$2.62
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.53
$2.58
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.42
$2.45
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.8
$2.21
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.53
$1.45
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.9
$3.02
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.1
$15.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.65
$2.25
🚬 Cigarette pack
$15.7
$4.81
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$9.23
$6.97
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.71
$8.01
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.85
$3.06
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.94
$3.18
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$73.1
$57.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$14.8
$7.43
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$78.7
$62.4
💇 Haircut, simple
$28.3
$13.6
👖 Brand Jeans
$61.8
$84.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$99.6
$113
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2675
$369
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$15494
$9894

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2476
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2544
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2446
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2346
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2387
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2199
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2257
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2326
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2317
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2300
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2290
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2323
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2295
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2245
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2282
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2244
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2264
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2215
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2264
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2204
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2258
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$2013
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2248
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2258
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2240
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2162
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$2030
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2257
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2253
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2269
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2250
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2267
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2264
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2238
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2239
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2089
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2221
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$2038
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2241
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2240

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1040
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1163
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1009
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$1024
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1147
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1114
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$1220
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1473
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$805
246 km or 153 mi David
$789
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$647
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$680
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$699
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$787
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$548
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$961
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$458
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$614
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$593
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$940
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$627
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$980
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1157
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$917
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1189
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1316
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1171
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1182
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$863
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1107
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1031
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$702
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$738
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1147
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1117
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1112
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1093
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1153
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$676
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$892