Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Andrews and State College, PA Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Andrews and State College, PA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,131 per month in St. Andrews vs $2,380 in State College, PA, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,942 per month in St. Andrews vs $3,477 in State College, PA, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,754 per month in St. Andrews vs $4,575 in State College, PA, rent included.

St. Andrews is about 10% cheaper than State College, PA, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both St. Andrews and State College, PA sit above the global median – St. Andrews by 58%, State College, PA by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.67 £16.06

$18.03 $18.03

20.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 £60.2

$51.0 $51.0

59.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 £7.41

$8.86 $8.86

12.87%

Cappuccino

$4.39 £3.25

$4.54 $4.54

-3.30%

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

$2.12 £1.57

$2.61 $2.61

-18.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 £1.01

$2.04 $2.04

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 £4.28

$4.90 $4.90

17.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 £4.48

$7.03 $7.03

-13.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 £1.25

$0.93 $0.93

81.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 £1.14

$3.47 $3.47

-55.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 £1.37

$2.02 $2.02

-8.42%

Eggs

$4.01 £2.97

$3.92 $3.92

2.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 £6.04

$9.92 $9.92

-17.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.86 £7.30

$8.58 $8.58

14.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.80 £10.22

$11.92 $11.92

15.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 £2.40

$3.70 $3.70

-12.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 £1.72

$1.57 $1.57

47.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 £2.00

$4.94 $4.94

-45.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 £3.03

$4.95 $4.95

-17.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 £1.62

$2.03 $2.03

7.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 £1.45

$2.82 $2.82

-30.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 £0.92

$2.07 $2.07

-40.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 £1.56

$1.50 $1.50

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.32 £14.31

$13.96 $13.96

38.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.35 £8.41

$17.93 $17.93

-36.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 £1.60

$1.78 $1.78

21.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 £1.71

$7.38 $7.38

-68.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.01

$2.26 $2.26

80.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.0 £58.5

$84.2 $84.2

-6.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 £3.48

$5.25 $5.25

-10.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 £1.04

$2.30 $2.30

-39.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.59 £25.63

$45.43 $45.43

-23.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$0.96 $0.96

102.08%

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

$38.5K £28.5K

$23.8K $23.8K

61.81%

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

$42.1K £31.2K

$23.9K $23.9K

76.28%

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

$232 £172

$161 $161

44.73%

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

$14.07 £10.43

$39.79 $39.79

-64.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.77 £33.17

$60.9 $60.9

-26.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.32 £31.36

$24.91 $24.91

69.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.47 £15.17

Cinema Ticket

$12.47 £9.24

$11.91 $11.91

4.70%

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

$1,628 £1,207

$893 $893

82.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K £11.1K

$28.5K $28.5K

-47.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 £62.3

$45.28 $45.28

85.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.61 £30.10

$40.18 $40.18

1.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 £69.2

$80.8 $80.8

15.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 £89.4

$115 $115

5.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 £918

$1,505 $1,505

-17.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$870 £645

$1,190 $1,190

-26.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 £2,020

$2,837 $2,837

-3.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,831 £2,098

$1,992 $1,992

42.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,258 £4,637

$2,623 $2,623

138.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,754 £2,041

$2,181 $2,181

26.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,351 £2,483

$4,372 $4,372

-23.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

6.53

-9.65%

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

Last update for St. Andrews: April 12, 2026

Last update for State College, PA: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,239 in St. Andrews versus $1,505 in State College, PA. 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 30% higher in State College, PA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in St. Andrews versus $51 in State College, PA. Groceries tell a different story – $311 in St. Andrews vs $346 in State College, PA – so St. Andrews wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

St. Andrews vs State College, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,131 in St. Andrews, $2,380 in State College, PA – roughly 12% apart. State College, PA costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,196 per month in St. Andrews and $3,570 in State College, PA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St. Andrews, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 7% less in St. Andrews. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,628 per month in St. Andrews and $893 in State College, PA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in St. Andrews, where all-in costs run around $2,131, than in State College, PA at $2,380. In St. Andrews it covers expenses comfortably, while in State College, PA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with St. Andrews. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, State College, PA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.