Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Schwyz and St. Gallen

For one person, living is cheaper in St. Gallen: $3,451 a month against $3,569 in Schwyz, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Schwyz despite lower rent and utilities.

Schwyz, Switzerland
St. Gallen, Switzerland
Schwyz
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,569
/mo nomad
St. Gallen
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,451
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Schwyz 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 Schwyz and in St. Gallen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,569 per month in Schwyz vs $3,451 in St. Gallen, rent included.

  • Schwyz $3,569
  • St. Gallen $3,451

A couple spends around $5,568 per month in Schwyz vs $5,120 in St. Gallen, rent included.

  • Schwyz $5,568
  • St. Gallen $5,120

A family of three spends $7,566 per month in Schwyz vs $6,789 in St. Gallen, rent included.

  • Schwyz $7,566
  • St. Gallen $6,789

Schwyz costs about 3% more than St. Gallen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Schwyz and St. Gallen sit above the global median – Schwyz by 162%, St. Gallen by 154%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Schwyz
St. Gallen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$30.11 CHF 24.83
$28.78 CHF 23.74
4.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$120 CHF 99.1
$144 CHF 119
-16.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$18.35 CHF 15.13
$18.04 CHF 14.88
1.72%
Cappuccino
$5.95 CHF 4.91
$6.03 CHF 4.97
-1.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.42 CHF 4.47
$5.95 CHF 4.91
-8.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.77 CHF 3.94
$5.10 CHF 4.21
-6.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.45 CHF 6.97
$8.80 CHF 7.26
-3.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.58 CHF 5.43
$6.38 CHF 5.26
3.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Schwyz
St. Gallen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 CHF 1.79
$2.25 CHF 1.86
-3.56%
White Bread (500g)
$3.94 CHF 3.25
$3.16 CHF 2.61
24.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.23 CHF 3.49
$3.77 CHF 3.11
12.20%
Eggs
$7.47 CHF 6.16
$7.72 CHF 6.36
-3.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$32.24 CHF 26.59
$24.91 CHF 20.55
29.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$29.35 CHF 24.21
$29.02 CHF 23.94
1.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$41.47 CHF 34.21
$39.94 CHF 32.95
3.83%
Apples (1kg)
$3.70 CHF 3.05
$3.06 CHF 2.52
20.92%
Banana (1kg)
$2.13 CHF 1.76
$1.56 CHF 1.28
36.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.98 CHF 2.46
$2.40 CHF 1.98
24.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.47 CHF 4.51
$6.17 CHF 5.09
-11.35%
Potato (1kg)
$2.34 CHF 1.93
$1.71 CHF 1.41
36.84%
Onion (1kg)
$2.61 CHF 2.15
$2.14 CHF 1.76
21.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.41 CHF 1.99
$2.20 CHF 1.82
9.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 CHF 0.97
$1.18 CHF 0.97
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.77 CHF 8.88
$10.98 CHF 9.06
-1.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.02 CHF 10.74
$11.23 CHF 9.27
15.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.99 CHF 2.47
$2.10 CHF 1.73
42.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.89 CHF 3.21
$2.28 CHF 1.88
70.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Schwyz
St. Gallen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.17 CHF 3.44
$4.08 CHF 3.37
2.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$102 CHF 83.9
$86.4 CHF 71.3
17.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.99 CHF 4.94
$6.62 CHF 5.46
-9.52%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$6.09 CHF 5.02
$4.76 CHF 3.93
27.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.91 CHF 29.62
$79.2 CHF 65.3
-54.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.33 CHF 1.93
$2.23 CHF 1.84
4.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.9K CHF 32.1K
$38.4K CHF 31.7K
1.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.1K CHF 32.2K
$38.6K CHF 31.8K
1.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Schwyz
St. Gallen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$279 CHF 230
$312 CHF 257
-10.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.25 CHF 30.73
$37.60 CHF 31.01
-0.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.2 CHF 51.3
$54.0 CHF 44.50
15.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Schwyz
St. Gallen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$90.4 CHF 74.6
$79.6 CHF 65.6
13.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$46.55 CHF 38.40
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$27.72 CHF 22.87
$28.27 CHF 23.32
-1.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Schwyz
St. Gallen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,828 CHF 1,508
$2,308 CHF 1,904
-20.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$33.0K CHF 27.2K
$32.2K CHF 26.6K
2.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Schwyz
St. Gallen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$162 CHF 134
$144 CHF 119
12.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.8 CHF 55.1
$64.0 CHF 52.8
4.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$153 CHF 126
$146 CHF 120
4.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$273 CHF 225
$183 CHF 151
49.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Schwyz
St. Gallen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,753 CHF 1,446
$1,895 CHF 1,563
-7.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,500 CHF 1,238
$1,504 CHF 1,240
-0.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,003 CHF 2,477
$2,868 CHF 2,366
4.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,810 CHF 2,318
$2,256 CHF 1,861
24.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$16.7K CHF 13.7K
$11.3K CHF 9,285
48.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$12.4K CHF 10.2K
$8,285 CHF 6,834
49.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Schwyz
St. Gallen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$7,090 CHF 5,848
$6,694 CHF 5,522
5.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.9
2.1
-9.52%

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

Last update for Schwyz: October 27, 2026

Last update for St. Gallen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Schwyz
$1.5K
St. Gallen
$1.5K 0.2% $3.4
Groceries & Markets
Schwyz
$631
St. Gallen
$575 8.9% $56
Eating Out
Schwyz
$463
St. Gallen
$458 1.2% $5.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Schwyz
$379
St. Gallen
$404 6.6% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Schwyz
$295
St. Gallen
$242 17.9% $53
Getting Around
Schwyz
$155
St. Gallen
$133 14% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Schwyz
$146
St. Gallen
$136 6.7% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,753 in Schwyz versus $1,895 in St. Gallen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 6% higher in Schwyz. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in Schwyz versus $144 in St. Gallen. Groceries tell a different story – $631 in Schwyz vs $575 in St. Gallen – so St. Gallen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Schwyz
🇨🇭 St. Gallen
🕒 Local time
22:59 10:59 PM
22:59 10:59 PM
Same time as Schwyz
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
14,750
78,213
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.825 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.921 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Schwyz St. Gallen 71 km
From you
  • Schwyz
  • 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
Schwyz vs St. Gallen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Schwyz and in St. Gallen compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,569 in Schwyz, $3,451 in St. Gallen – St. Gallen comes out roughly 3% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Schwyz compared to St. Gallen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,354 per month in Schwyz and $5,177 in St. Gallen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do apartment prices compare in Schwyz and in St. Gallen?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,753 in Schwyz and $1,895 in St. Gallen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 10% more in Schwyz, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in Schwyz and $144 in St. Gallen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is feasible on a $2,500 budget?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,569 in Schwyz and $3,451 in St. Gallen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
How does quality of life compare between Schwyz and St. Gallen?
It depends on your priorities. St. Gallen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,451 in St. Gallen to $3,569 in Schwyz. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Schwyz or St. Gallen safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Schwyz and St. Gallen?
If budget matters most, go with St. Gallen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Schwyz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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