Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando, La Union: $719 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando, La Union
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San Fernando, La Union Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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San Fernando, La Union

🇵🇭 Philippines

$719

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $719 in San Fernando, La Union versus $918 in Cebu.

San Fernando, La Union $719
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,102 in San Fernando, La Union versus $1,409 in Cebu.

San Fernando, La Union $1,102
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,485 in San Fernando, La Union versus $1,900 in Cebu.

San Fernando, La Union $1,485
Cebu $1,900

Living in San Fernando, La Union costs roughly 22% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Fernando, La Union 47% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.93 ₱248

$3.09 ₱194

27.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.86 ₱936

$24.22 ₱1,525

-38.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.45 ₱154

$3.92 ₱247

-37.50%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ₱121

$2.51 ₱158

-23.51%

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

$0.63 ₱39.53

$1.59 ₱100

-60.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱18.67

$0.53 ₱33.43

-43.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 ₱72.3

$1.78 ₱112

-35.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.17 ₱137

-17.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₱106

$1.92 ₱121

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 ₱67.7

$1.36 ₱85.4

-20.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.0

$1.01 ₱63.5

1.98%

Eggs

$1.93 ₱122

$2.03 ₱128

-4.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.38 ₱402

$9.86 ₱621

-35.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ₱238

$4.39 ₱277

-14.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 ₱471

$7.60 ₱479

-1.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ₱150

$3.30 ₱208

-27.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₱101

$1.39 ₱87.8

15.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 ₱170

$2.33 ₱147

16.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 ₱76.1

$1.50 ₱94.3

-19.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 ₱142

$2.36 ₱149

-4.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 ₱131

$1.90 ₱119

8.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ₱62.8

$1.19 ₱74.9

-15.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.41

$0.63 ₱39.71

-7.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₱187

$3.00 ₱189

-1.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.16 ₱451

$6.03 ₱379

18.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱70.0

$1.23 ₱77.7

-9.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₱103

$1.75 ₱110

-6.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.89

$0.25 ₱15.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.92 ₱687

$12.64 ₱796

-13.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.2

$0.77 ₱48.62

5.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.52

$0.23 ₱14.53

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 ₱111

$4.46 ₱281

-60.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 ₱64.5

$1.31 ₱82.8

-22.14%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-1.14%

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

$18.3K ₱1.1M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-4.60%

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

$109 ₱6,863

$120 ₱7,569

-9.34%

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

$16.96 ₱1,068

$14.00 ₱882

21.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.32 ₱1,720

$27.54 ₱1,734

-0.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.83 ₱2,067

$32.33 ₱2,035

1.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.60 ₱290

$6.65 ₱419

-30.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.76 ₱363

$5.65 ₱356

1.95%

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

$114 ₱7,179

$275 ₱17.3K

-58.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,119 ₱574.1K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

15.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.24 ₱2,093

$49.33 ₱3,106

-32.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.66 ₱1,112

$25.24 ₱1,589

-30.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.9 ₱4,524

$77.0 ₱4,846

-6.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.6 ₱3,503

$57.2 ₱3,601

-2.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 ₱16.5K

$500 ₱31.5K

-47.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₱10.7K

$309 ₱19.4K

-45.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 ₱32.8K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-51.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₱22.7K

$615 ₱38.7K

-41.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,558 ₱161.1K

$2,886 ₱181.7K

-11.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,037 ₱65.3K

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-45.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.2

-5.69%

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

Last update for San Fernando, La Union: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

San Fernando, La Union

$183 25.5%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 12.4% $23

Accommodation & Living

San Fernando, La Union

$169 23.6%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 82.3% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Fernando, La Union

$153 21.3%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 5.5% $8.5

Clothing & Footwear

San Fernando, La Union

$80 11.2%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 17% $14

Eating Out

San Fernando, La Union

$75 10.4%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 18% $13

Sport & Entertainment

San Fernando, La Union

$44 6.2%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 1.6% $0.7

Getting Around

San Fernando, La Union

$14 1.9%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 12.7% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $262 in San Fernando, La Union and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15.00 in San Fernando, La Union vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $206 per month, with San Fernando, La Union cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 San Fernando, La Union

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

08:01 8:01 AM

Same time as San Fernando, La Union

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,003

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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

From you

San Fernando, La Union
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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

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

San Fernando, La Union is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,079 in San Fernando, La Union and $1,377 in Cebu 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: $262 in San Fernando, La Union versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $719 per month in San Fernando, La Union versus $918 in Cebu – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in San Fernando, La Union runs roughly 16% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though San Fernando, La Union gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, San Fernando, La Union is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, San Fernando, La Union and Cebu 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 28% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.