Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Fernando, La Union and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando, La Union: $721 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Other living expenses 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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San Fernando, La Union

🇵🇭 Philippines

$721

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Fernando, La Union and in Playa del Carmen

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 Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $721 per month in San Fernando, La Union vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Fernando, La Union $721
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,102 per month in San Fernando, La Union vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Fernando, La Union $1,102
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,484 per month in San Fernando, La Union vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Fernando, La Union $1,484
Playa del Carmen $2,962

San Fernando, La Union is about 40% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Fernando, La Union and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – San Fernando, La Union 47% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.97 ₱250

$10.67 MX$198

-62.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.71 ₱1,053

$43.80 MX$815

-61.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.69 ₱170

$11.79 MX$219

-77.18%

Cappuccino

$2.14 ₱135

$3.79 MX$70.4

-43.54%

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

$0.69 ₱43.30

$1.30 MX$24.12

-46.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.05

$0.83 MX$15.50

-60.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ₱74.7

$3.15 MX$58.5

-62.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₱130

$4.93 MX$91.8

-58.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₱104

$1.41 MX$26.20

17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₱69.0

$2.20 MX$40.83

-50.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ₱56.2

$1.47 MX$27.39

-39.46%

Eggs

$1.90 ₱120

$2.50 MX$46.43

-24.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.52 ₱348

$7.29 MX$136

-24.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.09 ₱258

$7.95 MX$148

-48.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.11 ₱448

$12.86 MX$239

-44.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ₱150

$2.90 MX$53.9

-17.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₱98.7

$1.38 MX$25.73

13.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.49 MX$46.32

-6.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₱74.0

$2.03 MX$37.75

-42.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 ₱130

$2.02 MX$37.66

1.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 ₱145

$1.90 MX$35.40

21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₱68.2

$1.14 MX$21.28

-5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.36

$1.24 MX$23.04

-57.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ₱178

$4.27 MX$79.4

-33.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 ₱475

$9.81 MX$183

-23.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₱62.3

$1.59 MX$29.49

-37.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱121

$2.75 MX$51.1

-29.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.80

$0.51 MX$9.58

-56.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.52 ₱789

$27.39 MX$509

-54.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₱50.6

$4.76 MX$88.6

-83.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.61

$3.25 MX$60.4

-93.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 ₱121

$5.39 MX$100

-64.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 ₱65.1

$1.53 MX$28.42

-32.68%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.2K MX$394.5K

-1.96%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$23.3K MX$432.6K

-18.07%

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

$119 ₱7,523

$83.5 MX$1,553

42.95%

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

$15.64 ₱986

$23.19 MX$431

-32.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.84 ₱1,502

$27.61 MX$514

-13.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.64 ₱1,994

$56.4 MX$1,050

-43.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.16 ₱325

$28.19 MX$524

-81.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.22 ₱329

$5.00 MX$93.0

4.40%

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

$130 ₱8,169

$207 MX$3,851

-37.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,895 ₱497.6K

$5,231 MX$97.3K

50.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.12 ₱2,087

$43.45 MX$808

-23.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.07 ₱1,202

$42.54 MX$791

-55.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 ₱4,364

$72.8 MX$1,353

-4.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.4 ₱3,489

$88.4 MX$1,644

-37.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 ₱15.8K

$995 MX$18.5K

-74.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$167 ₱10.5K

$382 MX$7,112

-56.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ₱30.9K

$1,674 MX$31.1K

-70.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₱22.1K

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-67.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,657 ₱167.5K

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-32.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,125 ₱70.9K

$6,138 MX$114.1K

-81.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

11.45

-39.56%

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 Playa del Carmen: 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%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 44% $79

Accommodation & Living

San Fernando, La Union

$167 23.2%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 129% $215

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Fernando, La Union

$159 22%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 15.5% $25

Eating Out

San Fernando, La Union

$80 11.1%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 151% $121

Clothing & Footwear

San Fernando, La Union

$80 11%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 39.8% $32

Sport & Entertainment

San Fernando, La Union

$42 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 57.9% $24

Getting Around

San Fernando, La Union

$15 2.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 232% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $251 in San Fernando, La Union versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17 in San Fernando, La Union versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $179 vs $257 – making San Fernando, La Union the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 San Fernando, La Union

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

15:39 3:39 PM

13 h behind San Fernando, La Union

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,003

149,923

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.83 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 November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 63.03 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.24 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 18.6 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.72 MXN (100 MXN = 4.83 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Fernando, La Union Playa del Carmen 14,910 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

San Fernando, La Union
Playa del Carmen

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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,082 per month in San Fernando, La Union and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Fernando, La Union, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $251 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $721 in San Fernando, La Union and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes San Fernando, La Union about 40% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 54% less in San Fernando, La Union. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Fernando, La Union, where all-in costs run around $721, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In San Fernando, La Union it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Fernando, La Union – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, San Fernando, La Union is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 40% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.