Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando, La Union: $719 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando, La Union
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San Fernando, La Union Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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San Fernando, La Union

🇵🇭 Philippines

$719

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $719 in San Fernando, La Union versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

San Fernando, La Union $719
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,102 in San Fernando, La Union versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

San Fernando, La Union $1,102
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,485 in San Fernando, La Union versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

San Fernando, La Union $1,485
Mexico City $3,333

Living in San Fernando, La Union costs roughly 54% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Fernando, La Union is 47% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.93 ₱248

$10.75 MX$199

-63.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.86 ₱936

$50.3 MX$929

-70.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.45 ₱154

$11.10 MX$205

-77.93%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ₱121

$3.68 MX$68.1

-47.83%

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

$0.63 ₱39.53

$1.65 MX$30.42

-61.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱18.67

$1.30 MX$24.08

-76.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 ₱72.3

$3.32 MX$61.3

-65.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₱112

$5.54 MX$102

-67.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₱106

$1.77 MX$32.68

-5.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 ₱67.7

$3.05 MX$56.4

-64.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.0

$2.01 MX$37.20

-48.76%

Eggs

$1.93 ₱122

$2.77 MX$51.1

-30.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.38 ₱402

$11.91 MX$220

-46.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ₱238

$9.33 MX$172

-59.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 ₱471

$15.02 MX$278

-50.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ₱150

$3.08 MX$56.8

-22.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₱101

$1.95 MX$35.97

-17.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 ₱170

$2.03 MX$37.54

33.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 ₱76.1

$2.21 MX$40.92

-45.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 ₱142

$2.02 MX$37.41

11.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 ₱131

$1.82 MX$33.67

13.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ₱62.8

$1.52 MX$28.07

-34.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.41

$1.28 MX$23.65

-54.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₱187

$5.27 MX$97.4

-43.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.16 ₱451

$16.12 MX$298

-55.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱70.0

$1.95 MX$36.05

-43.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₱103

$4.25 MX$78.6

-61.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.89

$0.31 MX$5.82

-19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.92 ₱687

$19.85 MX$367

-44.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.2

$2.00 MX$36.93

-59.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.52

$0.53 MX$9.86

-60.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 ₱111

$5.62 MX$104

-68.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 ₱64.5

$1.52 MX$28.07

-32.89%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$21.0K MX$388.7K

-0.15%

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

$18.3K ₱1.1M

$25.2K MX$465.3K

-27.46%

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

$109 ₱6,863

$62.5 MX$1,155

74.43%

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

$16.96 ₱1,068

$28.77 MX$532

-41.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.32 ₱1,720

$34.45 MX$637

-20.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.83 ₱2,067

$57.1 MX$1,055

-42.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.60 ₱290

$24.81 MX$458

-81.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.76 ₱363

$6.67 MX$123

-13.64%

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

$114 ₱7,179

$431 MX$7,964

-73.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,119 ₱574.1K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-22.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.24 ₱2,093

$70.8 MX$1,308

-53.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.66 ₱1,112

$51.8 MX$958

-65.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.9 ₱4,524

$109 MX$2,011

-33.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.6 ₱3,503

$112 MX$2,076

-50.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 ₱16.5K

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-75.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₱10.7K

$665 MX$12.3K

-74.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 ₱32.8K

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-77.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₱22.7K

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-70.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,558 ₱161.1K

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-28.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,037 ₱65.3K

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-47.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.3

-39.91%

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 Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

San Fernando, La Union

$183 25.5%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 76.1% $139

Accommodation & Living

San Fernando, La Union

$169 23.6%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 293% $496

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Fernando, La Union

$153 21.3%

Mexico City

$126 8% 18% $28

Clothing & Footwear

San Fernando, La Union

$80 11.2%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 92.7% $74

Eating Out

San Fernando, La Union

$75 10.4%

Mexico City

$203 13% 171% $128

Sport & Entertainment

San Fernando, La Union

$44 6.2%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 58.8% $26

Getting Around

San Fernando, La Union

$14 1.9%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 86.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $262 in San Fernando, La Union and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15.00 in San Fernando, La Union vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $323 per month, with San Fernando, La Union cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 San Fernando, La Union

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

18:16 6:16 PM

14 h behind San Fernando, La Union

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,003

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Fernando, La Union Mexico City 14,130 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

San Fernando, La Union
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Fernando, La Union and Mexico City differ by about 118% in total monthly costs ($719 vs $1,567 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 $1,079 in San Fernando, La Union and $2,351 in Mexico City 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 $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Fernando, La Union runs roughly 82% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $114 in San Fernando, La Union versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $719 in San Fernando, La Union versus $1,567 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, San Fernando, La Union and Mexico City 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 118% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.