Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Gallen and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $3,632 in St. Gallen, rent and utilities included – about $27,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

178

Cost of Living Index in St. Gallen
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St. Gallen Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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St. Gallen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,632

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in St. Gallen and in Bucharest

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,632 in St. Gallen versus $1,351 in Bucharest.

St. Gallen $3,632
Bucharest $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,284 in St. Gallen versus $2,033 in Bucharest.

St. Gallen $5,284
Bucharest $2,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,937 in St. Gallen versus $2,715 in Bucharest.

St. Gallen $6,937
Bucharest $2,715

Living in St. Gallen is roughly 169% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Gallen 171% above, Bucharest 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.41 CHF 24.41

$14.46 RON 68.4

103.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 121

$57.7 RON 273

152.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.82 CHF 14.79

$7.50 RON 35.46

137.60%

Cappuccino

$5.99 CHF 4.97

$3.43 RON 16.20

74.64%

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

$5.81 CHF 4.83

$2.46 RON 11.63

136.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 CHF 4.42

$2.33 RON 11.01

128.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.23 CHF 7.66

$3.80 RON 17.97

142.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 CHF 5.12

$4.10 RON 19.41

50.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.85

$1.65 RON 7.79

35.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 CHF 2.64

$1.35 RON 6.39

135.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 3.06

$1.78 RON 8.42

106.74%

Eggs

$7.68 CHF 6.37

$3.66 RON 17.33

109.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.41 CHF 21.09

$8.57 RON 40.54

196.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.97 CHF 24.05

$6.80 RON 32.17

326.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.85 CHF 32.25

$11.72 RON 55.4

231.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CHF 2.62

$1.29 RON 6.11

144.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 CHF 1.33

$1.56 RON 7.37

3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.92

$1.54 RON 7.28

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 CHF 4.99

$2.48 RON 11.75

142.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 CHF 1.41

$0.83 RON 3.92

104.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.80

$0.80 RON 3.77

170.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 CHF 1.79

$0.84 RON 3.98

157.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 CHF 0.98

$0.93 RON 4.39

26.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.65 CHF 8.84

$6.44 RON 30.45

65.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 CHF 9.39

$6.32 RON 29.91

79.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 CHF 1.81

$1.26 RON 5.94

73.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 CHF 1.92

$1.60 RON 7.59

44.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.17 CHF 3.46

$0.81 RON 3.85

414.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$128 CHF 106

$21.13 RON 99.9

507.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 CHF 5.51

$0.60 RON 2.86

1006.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.79 CHF 3.98

$0.61 RON 2.91

685.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$77.3 CHF 64.2

$6.17 RON 29.19

1153.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.84

$1.96 RON 9.27

13.27%

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

$35.3K CHF 29.3K

$28.1K RON 133.1K

25.47%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.7K

$26.3K RON 124.3K

50.09%

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

$305 CHF 253

$197 RON 931

54.98%

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

$38.46 CHF 31.92

$8.34 RON 39.44

361.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 CHF 44.95

$9.19 RON 43.47

489.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.7 CHF 67.0

$49.87 RON 236

61.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

Cinema Ticket

$30.32 CHF 25.16

$8.46 RON 40.01

258.39%

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

$2,308 CHF 1,915

$639 RON 3,023

261.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.8K CHF 26.4K

$14.4K RON 68.1K

120.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$146 CHF 122

$90.6 RON 429

61.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.6 CHF 53.7

$38.05 RON 180

69.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 122

$79.7 RON 377

84.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$179 CHF 148

$93.2 RON 441

91.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,734 CHF 1,439

$673 RON 3,184

157.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,698 CHF 1,410

$449 RON 2,123

278.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,854 CHF 2,369

$1,098 RON 5,195

159.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 CHF 1,787

$729 RON 3,448

195.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 10.0K

$3,740 RON 17.7K

222.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,070 CHF 7,528

$2,189 RON 10.4K

314.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,528 CHF 5,418

$1,323 RON 6,259

393.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

6.74

-68.84%

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

Last update for St. Gallen: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St. Gallen

$1.7K 46%

Bucharest

$449 33.5% 73.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

St. Gallen

$572 15.5%

Bucharest

$222 16.5% 61.3% $351

Eating Out

St. Gallen

$464 12.6%

Bucharest

$226 16.8% 51.3% $238

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St. Gallen

$398 10.8%

Bucharest

$214 16% 46.1% $183

Clothing & Footwear

St. Gallen

$242 6.6%

Bucharest

$136 10.1% 43.8% $106

Getting Around

St. Gallen

$176 4.8%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 84% $147

Sport & Entertainment

St. Gallen

$141 3.8%

Bucharest

$67 5% 52.7% $75

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,734 in St. Gallen and $673 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 393% 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: $145 in St. Gallen vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $572 vs $222 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 St. Gallen

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

05:08 5:08 AM

06:08 6:08 AM

1 h ahead of St. Gallen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,213

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.07 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

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).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

St. Gallen Bucharest 1,330 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

St. Gallen
Bucharest

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

St. Gallen vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Gallen and Bucharest differ by about 169% in total monthly costs ($3,632 vs $1,351 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 393% higher in St. Gallen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,734 in St. Gallen versus $673 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,632 per month in St. Gallen versus $1,351 in Bucharest – a 169% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 507% less than in St. Gallen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,351 in Bucharest versus $3,632 in St. Gallen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in St. Gallen. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest 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, St. Gallen and Bucharest 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 Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 169% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.