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: $3,806 in St. Gallen versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,351 in St. Gallen versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,896 in St. Gallen versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in St. Gallen is roughly 209% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: St. Gallen is 178% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.81 CHF 24.61

$4.41 ฿147

575.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 120

$32.26 ฿1,077

349.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.58 CHF 15.34

$8.93 ฿298

108.06%

Cappuccino

$6.09 CHF 5.03

$2.90 ฿96.6

110.00%

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

$5.96 CHF 4.92

$0.88 ฿29.38

577.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 CHF 4.31

$0.48 ฿16.06

987.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.08 CHF 7.49

$2.35 ฿78.5

286.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CHF 5.28

$3.72 ฿124

72.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.90

$1.87 ฿62.3

22.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 CHF 2.56

$1.47 ฿48.94

111.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.85 CHF 3.18

$1.55 ฿51.8

148.39%

Eggs

$7.90 CHF 6.52

$2.10 ฿70.1

276.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.34 CHF 20.91

$19.59 ฿654

29.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.79 CHF 23.76

$3.42 ฿114

741.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.29 CHF 32.43

$11.38 ฿380

245.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 CHF 2.53

$2.98 ฿99.6

2.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 CHF 1.33

$1.68 ฿56.2

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 CHF 1.96

$2.21 ฿73.7

7.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.09 CHF 5.03

$2.16 ฿72.1

181.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 CHF 1.39

$1.52 ฿50.9

10.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.78

$1.34 ฿44.67

61.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 CHF 1.84

$1.13 ฿37.67

97.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 CHF 1.02

$0.55 ฿18.24

125.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.16 CHF 9.21

$4.26 ฿142

161.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 CHF 9.26

$19.09 ฿637

-41.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 CHF 1.84

$1.78 ฿59.4

25.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CHF 1.96

$2.78 ฿92.9

-14.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.24 CHF 3.50

$2.23 ฿74.4

90.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$131 CHF 108

$22.74 ฿759

476.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.59 CHF 5.44

$3.03 ฿101

117.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.78 CHF 3.95

$1.02 ฿34.15

368.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.7 CHF 64.9

$3.89 ฿130

1922.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$1.49 ฿49.77

48.99%

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

$35.8K CHF 29.6K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

34.77%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.9K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

47.59%

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

$314 CHF 259

$102 ฿3,420

206.77%

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

$37.99 CHF 31.36

$11.33 ฿378

235.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 CHF 46.19

$17.40 ฿581

221.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.9 CHF 66.8

$52.1 ฿1,738

55.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$98.0 CHF 80.9

$11.07 ฿370

785.64%

Cinema Ticket

$30.58 CHF 25.24

$7.69 ฿257

297.66%

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

$2,297 CHF 1,896

$561 ฿18.7K

309.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.1K CHF 27.3K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

187.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 CHF 123

$63.0 ฿2,104

137.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 CHF 54.2

$29.52 ฿986

122.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 CHF 121

$98.0 ฿3,272

49.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 152

$88.5 ฿2,954

108.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,825 CHF 1,506

$738 ฿24.6K

147.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 CHF 1,415

$482 ฿16.1K

255.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,906 CHF 2,398

$2,107 ฿70.3K

37.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 CHF 1,822

$1,226 ฿40.9K

80.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.5K CHF 10.3K

$3,617 ฿120.7K

245.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,126 CHF 7,532

$2,603 ฿86.9K

250.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,752 CHF 5,573

$494 ฿16.5K

1267.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

5.57

-62.30%

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

Last update for St. Gallen: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,825 in St. Gallen and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 1268% 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 $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $575 vs $274 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, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 209% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1268% 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: $1,825 in St. Gallen versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,297 in St. Gallen versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 110% higher in St. Gallen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,806 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 209% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.