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

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2667
$1239
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6807
$3174
🏠 One person rent
$1579
$555
🏘️ Family rent
$3056
$1038
🍽️ Food expenses
$700
$479
🚐 Transport expenses
$205
$75
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4901
$923
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
100
60
😀 Quality of life
96
65
🏙️ Population
2.75M
342K

The cost of living in Chicago is 115% more expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 483rd and 4497th ($2667 vs $1239) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 425th and 5th 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 20th and 4226th 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
$10.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$87.3
$49.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$11.7
$9.49
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.62
$3.03
☕ Cappuccino
$5.4
$4.75
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.12
$1.91
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1974
$645
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1280
$417
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3828
$1229
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2594
$842
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$102
$47.5
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$156
$73.6
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$59.1
$44.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.61%
11.24%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3554
$1929
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3158
$1540
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.49
$0.94
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$76.5
$40.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.6
$15.2
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.12
$1.41
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.02
$1.93
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.92
$2.27
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5
$1.93
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.69
$3.34
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.8
$10.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.8
$9.11
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19.9
$14
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.97
$3.89
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.91
$1.37
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.81
$3.47
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.56
$2.75
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.34
$2.6
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.08
$2.6
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.93
$1.68
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.86
$3.05
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.8
$16.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.9
$2.28
🚬 Cigarette pack
$16.6
$4.96
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.6
$8.1
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.03
$6.99
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.65
$2.75
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.81
$3.91
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$63.1
$55.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$15
$8.01
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$126
$66.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$29.3
$12.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$62.2
$70.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$95.5
$119
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2457
$501
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$19423
$12846

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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
$2427
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2463
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2424
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2375
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2376
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2177
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2307
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2344
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2352
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2326
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2367
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2412
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2393
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2292
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2313
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2305
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2360
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2358
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2292
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2268
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2292
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1950
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2293
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2296
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2295
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2224
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1975
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2276
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2392
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2363
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2276
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2380
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2290
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2269
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2280
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2134
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2331
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$2002
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2274
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2357

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1246
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1233
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$961
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$1277
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1201
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1310
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$898
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1687
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$890
246 km or 153 mi David
$833
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$664
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$697
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$712
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$774
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$550
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1056
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$457
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$639
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$593
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1098
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$638
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1091
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1182
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$953
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1249
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1384
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1231
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1249
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$829
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1081
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1088
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$715
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$734
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1192
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1173
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1161
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1145
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1202
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$650
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$883