Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Gallen and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $3,632 in St. Gallen, rent and utilities included – about $32,400 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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St. Gallen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,632

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,632 in St. Gallen versus $934 in Cebu.

St. Gallen $3,632
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,284 in St. Gallen versus $1,415 in Cebu.

St. Gallen $5,284
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,937 in St. Gallen versus $1,896 in Cebu.

St. Gallen $6,937
Cebu $1,896

Living in St. Gallen is roughly 289% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: St. Gallen is 171% above, Cebu is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.41 CHF 24.41

$3.03 ₱190

870.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 121

$23.48 ₱1,473

519.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.82 CHF 14.79

$4.09 ₱256

335.70%

Cappuccino

$5.99 CHF 4.97

$2.52 ₱158

137.70%

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

$5.81 CHF 4.83

$1.54 ₱96.9

277.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 CHF 4.42

$0.49 ₱30.98

987.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.23 CHF 7.66

$1.79 ₱112

415.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 CHF 5.12

$2.26 ₱142

173.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.85

$1.95 ₱122

14.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 CHF 2.64

$1.43 ₱89.7

122.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 3.06

$1.02 ₱63.8

260.78%

Eggs

$7.68 CHF 6.37

$2.06 ₱129

272.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.41 CHF 21.09

$9.81 ₱615

159.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.97 CHF 24.05

$4.61 ₱289

528.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.85 CHF 32.25

$7.70 ₱483

404.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CHF 2.62

$3.31 ₱207

-4.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 CHF 1.33

$1.45 ₱90.9

11.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.92

$2.36 ₱148

-2.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 CHF 4.99

$1.54 ₱96.4

290.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 CHF 1.41

$2.36 ₱148

-27.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.80

$1.99 ₱125

8.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 CHF 1.79

$1.15 ₱72.1

87.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 CHF 0.98

$0.67 ₱42.15

76.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.65 CHF 8.84

$3.00 ₱188

255.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 CHF 9.39

$6.35 ₱398

78.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 CHF 1.81

$1.31 ₱81.9

66.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 CHF 1.92

$1.73 ₱108

33.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.17 CHF 3.46

$0.25 ₱15.78

1568.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$128 CHF 106

$12.65 ₱793

913.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 CHF 5.51

$0.74 ₱46.32

797.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.79 CHF 3.98

$0.21 ₱13.11

2180.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$77.3 CHF 64.2

$4.33 ₱271

1685.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.84

$1.33 ₱83.5

66.92%

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

$35.3K CHF 29.3K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

62.27%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.7K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

103.41%

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

$305 CHF 253

$121 ₱7,563

153.00%

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

$38.46 CHF 31.92

$14.45 ₱907

166.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 CHF 44.95

$28.29 ₱1,774

91.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.7 CHF 67.0

$32.68 ₱2,050

146.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

Cinema Ticket

$30.32 CHF 25.16

$5.46 ₱342

455.31%

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

$2,308 CHF 1,915

$273 ₱17.1K

744.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.8K CHF 26.4K

$8,156 ₱511.5K

289.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$146 CHF 122

$49.57 ₱3,109

195.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.6 CHF 53.7

$24.87 ₱1,560

159.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 122

$76.6 ₱4,804

92.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$179 CHF 148

$59.3 ₱3,717

201.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,734 CHF 1,439

$506 ₱31.7K

242.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,698 CHF 1,410

$309 ₱19.4K

448.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,854 CHF 2,369

$1,052 ₱66.0K

171.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 CHF 1,787

$619 ₱38.8K

247.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 10.0K

$2,915 ₱182.9K

314.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,070 CHF 7,528

$1,867 ₱117.1K

385.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,528 CHF 5,418

$341 ₱21.4K

1813.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

7.2

-70.83%

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

Last update for St. Gallen: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St. Gallen

$1.7K 46%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 81.8% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

St. Gallen

$572 15.5%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 63.2% $362

Eating Out

St. Gallen

$464 12.6%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 80.9% $375

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St. Gallen

$398 10.8%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 58.9% $234

Clothing & Footwear

St. Gallen

$242 6.6%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 60.8% $147

Getting Around

St. Gallen

$176 4.8%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 91.2% $160

Sport & Entertainment

St. Gallen

$141 3.8%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 69.1% $98

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,734 in St. Gallen and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 1814% 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 $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $572 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 St. Gallen

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

06:58 6:58 AM

12:58 12:58 PM

6 h ahead of St. Gallen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,213

964,169

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.07 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, 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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

St. Gallen Cebu 10,930 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

St. Gallen
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 289% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1814% 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 $506 in Cebu. 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 $934 in Cebu – a 289% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 914% less than in St. Gallen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $3,632 in St. Gallen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in St. Gallen. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in St. Gallen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, St. Gallen and Cebu 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 289% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.