Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and St. Gallen

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,704 a month against $3,632 in St. Gallen, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
178

Cost of Living Index in St. Gallen
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St. Gallen Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

St. Gallen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in St. Gallen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in St. Gallen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $3,632 in St. Gallen.

Austin, TX $2,704
St. Gallen $3,632

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $5,284 in St. Gallen.

Austin, TX $4,133
St. Gallen $5,284

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $6,937 in St. Gallen.

Austin, TX $5,562
St. Gallen $6,937

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 26% less than in St. Gallen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, St. Gallen 171% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$29.41 CHF 24.41

-31.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$145 CHF 121

-41.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$17.82 CHF 14.79

-30.70%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$5.99 CHF 4.97

-8.68%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$5.81 CHF 4.83

-34.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$5.33 CHF 4.42

-53.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$9.23 CHF 7.66

-12.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$6.17 CHF 5.12

45.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.23 CHF 1.85

-49.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.18 CHF 2.64

18.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.68 CHF 3.06

-11.68%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$7.68 CHF 6.37

-46.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$25.41 CHF 21.09

-48.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$28.97 CHF 24.05

-50.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$38.85 CHF 32.25

-58.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.16 CHF 2.62

38.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.61 CHF 1.33

-9.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.31 CHF 1.92

96.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$6.01 CHF 4.99

-30.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.70 CHF 1.41

54.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.16 CHF 1.80

9.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.16 CHF 1.79

-18.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.18 CHF 0.98

83.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$10.65 CHF 8.84

-7.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$11.32 CHF 9.39

30.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.18 CHF 1.81

27.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.31 CHF 1.92

50.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$4.17 CHF 3.46

-64.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$128 CHF 106

-68.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$6.64 CHF 5.51

-59.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$4.79 CHF 3.98

-67.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$77.3 CHF 64.2

-54.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.22 CHF 1.84

-55.41%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$35.3K CHF 29.3K

1.37%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$39.5K CHF 32.7K

-31.12%

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

$219 $219

$305 CHF 253

-28.12%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$38.46 CHF 31.92

50.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$54.2 CHF 44.95

26.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$80.7 CHF 67.0

-28.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$30.32 CHF 25.16

-53.40%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$2,308 CHF 1,915

-34.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$31.8K CHF 26.4K

-32.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$146 CHF 122

-64.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$64.6 CHF 53.7

-31.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$147 CHF 122

-42.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$179 CHF 148

-41.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,734 CHF 1,439

11.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$1,698 CHF 1,410

-25.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$2,854 CHF 2,369

28.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$2,153 CHF 1,787

17.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$12.1K CHF 10.0K

-36.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$9,070 CHF 7,528

-64.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$6,528 CHF 5,418

-21.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.1

223.33%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for St. Gallen: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

St. Gallen

$1.7K 46% 33.5% $426

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

St. Gallen

$572 15.5% 42.1% $170

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

St. Gallen

$464 12.6% 33.2% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

St. Gallen

$398 10.8% 15.1% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

St. Gallen

$242 6.6% 87.7% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

St. Gallen

$141 3.8% 64% $55

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

St. Gallen

$176 4.8% 208% $119

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,734 in St. Gallen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 28% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $145 in St. Gallen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $572 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇭 St. Gallen

🕒 Local time

22:28 10:28 PM

05:28 5:28 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

78,213

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 0.931 CHF (1 CHF = 1.07 EUR).

CHF to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX St. Gallen 8,730 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
St. Gallen

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

Austin, TX vs St. Gallen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in St. Gallen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in St. Gallen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $1,734 in St. Gallen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,632 in St. Gallen – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 217% less than in St. Gallen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,704 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and St. Gallen 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.