Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando, La Union: $721 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando, La Union
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San Fernando, La Union Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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San Fernando, La Union

🇵🇭 Philippines

$721

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $721 in San Fernando, La Union versus $1,294 in Phuket.

San Fernando, La Union $721
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,102 in San Fernando, La Union versus $2,204 in Phuket.

San Fernando, La Union $1,102
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,484 in San Fernando, La Union versus $3,115 in Phuket.

San Fernando, La Union $1,484
Phuket $3,115

Living in San Fernando, La Union costs roughly 44% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Fernando, La Union 47% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.97 ₱253

$4.39 ฿148

-9.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.71 ₱1,062

$32.31 ฿1,086

-48.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.69 ₱171

$8.70 ฿293

-69.08%

Cappuccino

$2.14 ₱136

$2.72 ฿91.6

-21.32%

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

$0.69 ₱43.67

$0.93 ฿31.28

-25.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.23

$0.50 ฿16.79

-34.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ₱75.4

$2.53 ฿85.1

-52.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₱131

$3.63 ฿122

-43.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₱105

$1.74 ฿58.5

-5.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₱69.6

$1.45 ฿48.77

-24.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ₱56.7

$1.50 ฿50.5

-40.67%

Eggs

$1.90 ₱121

$2.17 ฿73.0

-12.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.52 ₱351

$19.09 ฿642

-71.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.09 ₱260

$3.40 ฿114

20.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.11 ₱452

$10.90 ฿366

-34.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ₱152

$2.94 ฿98.9

-18.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₱99.6

$1.69 ฿56.9

-7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱148

$2.19 ฿73.8

6.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₱74.6

$2.12 ฿71.4

-44.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 ₱131

$1.46 ฿49.03

41.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 ₱146

$1.37 ฿45.99

67.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₱68.8

$1.08 ฿36.17

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.65

$0.55 ฿18.34

-3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ₱180

$4.43 ฿149

-36.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 ₱479

$18.25 ฿614

-58.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₱62.9

$1.77 ฿59.6

-44.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱122

$2.88 ฿96.8

-32.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.92

$1.45 ฿48.66

-84.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.52 ₱796

$54.9 ฿1,845

-77.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₱51.0

$1.51 ฿50.9

-47.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.72

$0.78 ฿26.08

-74.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 ₱122

$3.84 ฿129

-50.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 ₱65.7

$1.49 ฿50.0

-30.87%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$26.9K ฿903.7K

-22.63%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$26.3K ฿885.7K

-27.65%

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

$119 ₱7,589

$97.8 ฿3,288

22.02%

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

$15.64 ₱994

$11.29 ฿380

38.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.84 ₱1,515

$17.19 ฿578

38.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.64 ₱2,012

$68.3 ฿2,297

-53.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.16 ₱328

$10.92 ฿367

-52.75%

Cinema Ticket

$5.22 ₱332

$7.43 ฿250

-29.74%

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

$130 ₱8,240

$530 ฿17.8K

-75.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,895 ₱501.9K

$18.8K ฿631.4K

-57.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.12 ₱2,106

$61.7 ฿2,073

-46.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.07 ₱1,213

$28.25 ฿950

-32.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 ₱4,402

$96.0 ฿3,228

-27.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.4 ₱3,520

$86.8 ฿2,919

-36.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 ₱16.0K

$721 ฿24.2K

-65.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$167 ₱10.6K

$509 ฿17.1K

-67.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ₱31.1K

$1,950 ฿65.6K

-74.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₱22.3K

$1,397 ฿47.0K

-74.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,657 ₱168.9K

$4,192 ฿140.9K

-36.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,125 ₱71.5K

$3,298 ฿110.9K

-65.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

5.57

24.24%

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

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

San Fernando, La Union

$179 24.8%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 49.2% $88

Accommodation & Living

San Fernando, La Union

$167 23.2%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 205% $342

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Fernando, La Union

$159 22%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 20.5% $33

Eating Out

San Fernando, La Union

$80 11.1%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 50% $40

Clothing & Footwear

San Fernando, La Union

$80 11%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 54.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

San Fernando, La Union

$42 5.8%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 97.6% $41

Getting Around

San Fernando, La Union

$15 2.1%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 335% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $251 in San Fernando, La Union and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17 in San Fernando, La Union vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $267 per month, with San Fernando, La Union cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 San Fernando, La Union

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

03:29 3:29 AM

02:29 2:29 AM

1 h behind San Fernando, La Union

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,003

79,308

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 63.58 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.57 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Fernando, La Union Phuket 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Fernando, La Union
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Fernando, La Union is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,082 in San Fernando, La Union and $1,940 in Phuket 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: $251 in San Fernando, La Union versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $130 in San Fernando, La Union versus $530 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $721 in San Fernando, La Union versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Fernando, La Union but tight or insufficient in Phuket. 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 Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find San Fernando, La Union gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.