Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Gallen and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Gallen and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,569 in St. Gallen versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,433 in St. Gallen versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,296 in St. Gallen versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in St. Gallen is roughly 182% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: St. Gallen is 166% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.20 CHF 23.81

$4.70 ฿153

542.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 117

$45.37 ฿1,482

228.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.33 CHF 14.45

$8.43 ฿275

117.44%

Cappuccino

$6.23 CHF 4.91

$2.93 ฿95.6

112.63%

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

$5.87 CHF 4.63

$0.69 ฿22.40

750.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 CHF 4.24

$0.37 ฿11.99

1354.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 CHF 5.81

$2.41 ฿78.6

205.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 CHF 5.64

$3.72 ฿122

92.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.76

$2.23 ฿72.9

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CHF 2.11

$1.83 ฿59.8

46.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 CHF 2.82

$2.17 ฿70.8

64.98%

Eggs

$8.15 CHF 6.42

$2.21 ฿72.3

268.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.21 CHF 21.45

$19.74 ฿645

37.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.59 CHF 25.69

$3.63 ฿119

797.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.95 CHF 32.29

$13.53 ฿442

202.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 CHF 2.47

$3.28 ฿107

-4.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 CHF 1.46

$1.61 ฿52.6

14.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 CHF 2.03

$2.41 ฿78.6

7.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.26 CHF 5.72

$2.08 ฿68.1

249.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 CHF 2.02

$1.53 ฿49.93

67.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.85

$1.48 ฿48.36

58.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CHF 1.84

$0.99 ฿32.29

136.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CHF 0.87

$0.51 ฿16.67

117.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.04 CHF 8.71

$4.41 ฿144

150.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 CHF 9.31

$19.38 ฿633

-39.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 CHF 1.70

$1.78 ฿58.1

21.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 CHF 1.82

$2.71 ฿88.6

-14.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.32 CHF 3.41

$1.37 ฿44.79

215.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.6 CHF 63.5

$11.39 ฿372

607.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 CHF 5.41

$3.02 ฿98.6

127.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.20 CHF 3.31

$0.99 ฿32.48

324.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.0 CHF 62.3

$14.10 ฿461

460.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 CHF 1.66

$1.36 ฿44.51

54.41%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.5K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

41.58%

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

$41.5K CHF 32.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

25.99%

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

$332 CHF 262

$122 ฿3,975

172.65%

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

$59.3 CHF 46.73

$13.57 ฿443

336.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 CHF 41.63

$18.31 ฿598

188.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.2 CHF 64.1

$60.2 ฿1,967

34.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$99.3 CHF 78.3

$17.14 ฿560

479.58%

Cinema Ticket

$30.30 CHF 23.89

$8.69 ฿284

248.68%

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

$2,792 CHF 2,202

$693 ฿22.6K

302.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.9K CHF 27.5K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

122.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 CHF 117

$59.5 ฿1,944

148.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.8 CHF 51.1

$34.77 ฿1,136

86.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$156 CHF 123

$115 ฿3,743

36.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$238 CHF 187

$83.3 ฿2,720

185.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 CHF 1,431

$613 ฿20.0K

195.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 CHF 1,203

$437 ฿14.3K

249.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 CHF 2,154

$2,094 ฿68.4K

30.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,369 CHF 1,868

$1,509 ฿49.3K

56.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K CHF 8,511

$3,749 ฿122.5K

187.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,655 CHF 6,823

$2,616 ฿85.4K

230.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,138 CHF 5,628

$508 ฿16.6K

1304.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

5.33

-53.10%

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

Last update for St. Gallen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,814 in St. Gallen and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 1305% 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: $149 in St. Gallen vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $611 vs $293 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 182% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

St. Gallen pays 1305% more on average, 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: $1,814 in St. Gallen versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,792 in St. Gallen versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 109% higher in St. Gallen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,569 in St. Gallen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in St. Gallen. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket 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 Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 182% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.