Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and San Fernando, La Union Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and San Fernando, La Union

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $677 in San Fernando, La Union.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,032 in San Fernando, La Union.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,387 in San Fernando, La Union.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 117% more expensive than San Fernando, La Union, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, San Fernando, La Union is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.62 ₱224

264.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$18.01 ₱1,111

199.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.24 ₱200

190.74%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.48 ₱153

43.15%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.78 ₱48.35

107.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.37 ₱22.54

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.30 ₱79.9

140.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.10 ₱130

120.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$2.94 ₱181

-42.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.27 ₱78.3

114.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$0.93 ₱57.4

105.38%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.00 ₱123

27.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$8.17 ₱504

22.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.24 ₱261

90.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.51 ₱463

54.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.96 ₱182

0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.55 ₱95.4

16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.64 ₱163

-23.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.61 ₱99.3

26.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$2.30 ₱142

-7.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$2.61 ₱161

-13.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.06 ₱65.5

32.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.73 ₱44.80

54.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.92 ₱180

46.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$8.20 ₱506

89.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.21 ₱74.5

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.99 ₱123

80.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.28 ₱17.37

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.82 ₱50.6

68.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.24 ₱14.88

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.07 ₱128

163.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.16 ₱71.2

12.07%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$26.2K ₱1.6M

-28.56%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$20.7K ₱1.3M

11.61%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$111 ₱6,873

-63.34%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$32.80 ₱2,023

-18.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$27.83 ₱1,716

7.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$13.42 ₱828

287.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$4.49 ₱277

497.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.82 ₱359

8.25%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$153 ₱9,463

184.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$5,736 ₱353.7K

81.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$44.93 ₱2,770

26.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$26.48 ₱1,633

67.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$35.74 ₱2,204

187.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$40.67 ₱2,508

159.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$131 ₱8,067

681.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$123 ₱7,593

412.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$249 ₱15.4K

757.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$215 ₱13.3K

477.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,315 ₱142.8K

68.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$974 ₱60.1K

111.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.67

70.01%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for San Fernando, La Union: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $131 in San Fernando, La Union. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $18.00 in San Fernando, La Union for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $216 per month, with San Fernando, La Union cheaper across the board.

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

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

Mexico City and San Fernando, La Union differ by about 117% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $677 including rent). San Fernando, La Union is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,016 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $131 in San Fernando, La Union. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $153 in San Fernando, La Union. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Fernando, La Union – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $677 in San Fernando, La Union versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Fernando, La Union but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes San Fernando, La Union the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Mexico City and San Fernando, La Union are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Fernando, La Union gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.