Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and San Fernando, La Union

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando, La Union: $721 a month against $943 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando, La Union
Learn more

San Fernando, La Union Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

San Fernando, La Union

🇵🇭 Philippines

$721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in San Fernando, La Union

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $943 in Cebu versus $721 in San Fernando, La Union.

Cebu $943
San Fernando, La Union $721

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,437 in Cebu versus $1,102 in San Fernando, La Union.

Cebu $1,437
San Fernando, La Union $1,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Cebu versus $1,484 in San Fernando, La Union.

Cebu $1,930
San Fernando, La Union $1,484

Living in Cebu is roughly 31% more expensive than in San Fernando, La Union, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, San Fernando, La Union 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ₱247

$3.97 ₱253

-2.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.22 ₱1,476

$16.71 ₱1,062

38.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱248

$2.69 ₱171

44.98%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱163

$2.14 ₱136

19.63%

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

$1.60 ₱102

$0.69 ₱43.67

131.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.35

$0.33 ₱21.23

54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.19 ₱75.4

47.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₱137

$2.06 ₱131

4.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ₱126

$1.65 ₱105

20.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱87.1

$1.09 ₱69.6

25.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱60.4

$0.89 ₱56.7

6.74%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱128

$1.90 ₱121

6.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ₱612

$5.52 ₱351

74.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 ₱277

$4.09 ₱260

6.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱490

$7.11 ₱452

8.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱210

$2.39 ₱152

38.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₱80.5

$1.57 ₱99.6

-19.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$2.33 ₱148

0.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ₱96.3

$1.17 ₱74.6

29.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₱142

$2.06 ₱131

8.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 ₱123

$2.30 ₱146

-16.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱75.2

$1.08 ₱68.8

9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₱41.33

$0.53 ₱33.65

22.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ₱184

$2.82 ₱180

2.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱404

$7.54 ₱479

-15.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.8

$0.99 ₱62.9

28.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱104

$1.93 ₱122

-15.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.56

$0.22 ₱13.92

4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.24 ₱778

$12.52 ₱796

-2.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱52.0

$0.80 ₱51.0

2.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.69

$0.20 ₱12.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 ₱275

$1.91 ₱122

126.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₱87.6

$1.03 ₱65.7

33.98%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

1.94%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

1.15%

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

$124 ₱7,893

$119 ₱7,589

4.01%

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

$15.93 ₱1,013

$15.64 ₱994

1.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 ₱1,785

$23.84 ₱1,515

17.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.41 ₱2,124

$31.64 ₱2,012

5.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.40 ₱407

$5.16 ₱328

24.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ₱372

$5.22 ₱332

12.07%

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

$271 ₱17.2K

$130 ₱8,240

108.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 ₱512.4K

$7,895 ₱501.9K

2.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.31 ₱3,072

$33.12 ₱2,106

45.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.56 ₱1,562

$19.07 ₱1,213

28.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 ₱4,904

$69.2 ₱4,402

11.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 ₱3,593

$55.4 ₱3,520

2.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.5K

$251 ₱16.0K

97.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.5K

$167 ₱10.6K

92.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 ₱63.0K

$490 ₱31.1K

102.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₱39.9K

$350 ₱22.3K

79.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,459 ₱283.5K

$2,657 ₱168.9K

67.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,030 ₱192.6K

$1,125 ₱71.5K

169.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.92

4.05%

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

Last update for Cebu: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Fernando, La Union: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.1%

San Fernando, La Union

$167 23.2% 48.1% $155

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 21.8%

San Fernando, La Union

$179 24.8% 13.1% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$168 17.8%

San Fernando, La Union

$159 22% 5.5% $9.3

Eating Out

Cebu

$95 10.1%

San Fernando, La Union

$80 11.1% 16.1% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

San Fernando, La Union

$80 11% 14.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$45 4.8%

San Fernando, La Union

$42 5.8% 6.7% $3

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

San Fernando, La Union

$15 2.1% 1.5% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Cebu and $251 in San Fernando, La Union. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $17 in San Fernando, La Union for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $179 per month, with San Fernando, La Union cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 San Fernando, La Union

🕒 Local time

04:21 4:21 AM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

83,003

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu San Fernando, La Union 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
San Fernando, La Union

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

Cebu vs San Fernando, La Union: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Fernando, La Union is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,415 in Cebu and $1,082 in San Fernando, La Union to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $495 in Cebu versus $251 in San Fernando, La Union. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $943 per month in Cebu versus $721 in San Fernando, La Union – San Fernando, La Union is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cebu and San Fernando, La Union are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.