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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $688 in San Fernando, La Union.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,025 in San Fernando, La Union.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,363 in San Fernando, La Union.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 112% more expensive than in San Fernando, La Union, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, San Fernando, La Union is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$3.64 ₱224

259.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$17.85 ₱1,099

201.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$3.35 ₱206

188.96%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$2.39 ₱147

56.49%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$0.78 ₱48.30

107.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.39 ₱24.21

197.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$1.35 ₱83.4

139.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$2.12 ₱130

123.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$2.96 ₱182

-44.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$1.26 ₱77.6

118.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$0.95 ₱58.6

96.84%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$2.03 ₱125

23.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$8.11 ₱499

25.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$4.36 ₱268

89.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$7.51 ₱462

57.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$2.88 ₱177

4.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.51 ₱93.2

19.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$2.63 ₱162

-23.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$1.53 ₱94.4

30.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$2.28 ₱140

-8.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$2.61 ₱161

-13.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$1.11 ₱68.1

31.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$0.71 ₱43.41

52.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$2.86 ₱176

52.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$8.85 ₱545

91.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.15 ₱71.0

50.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$1.97 ₱121

81.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.28 ₱17.26

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$0.78 ₱47.82

70.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$0.22 ₱13.49

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$2.17 ₱134

141.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.19 ₱73.5

12.61%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$26.3K ₱1.6M

-26.10%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$20.7K ₱1.3M

15.38%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$115 ₱7,050

-64.47%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$32.66 ₱2,011

-17.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$26.98 ₱1,661

13.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$13.15 ₱810

301.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$4.52 ₱278

489.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$6.11 ₱376

6.55%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$154 ₱9,450

178.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$5,905 ₱363.5K

77.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$44.89 ₱2,764

27.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$26.87 ₱1,655

69.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$35.92 ₱2,211

189.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$39.67 ₱2,442

171.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$132 ₱8,117

660.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$123 ₱7,602

404.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$252 ₱15.5K

735.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$216 ₱13.3K

463.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$2,200 ₱135.4K

76.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$946 ₱58.2K

114.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for San Fernando, La Union: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $132 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 $292 vs $217 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 112% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $688 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 $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,032 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $132 in San Fernando, La Union. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $154 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 $688 in San Fernando, La Union versus $1,456 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 112% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.