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: $3,529 in St. Gallen versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,441 in St. Gallen versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,353 in St. Gallen versus $3,317 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: St. Gallen is 164% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.33 CHF 24.57

$4.55 ฿153

566.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 119

$46.18 ฿1,553

218.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.50 CHF 14.99

$8.84 ฿297

109.28%

Cappuccino

$6.36 CHF 5.15

$3.06 ฿103

107.84%

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

$5.84 CHF 4.73

$0.73 ฿24.40

700.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 CHF 4.32

$0.40 ฿13.39

1232.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.66 CHF 6.20

$2.43 ฿81.8

215.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 CHF 5.89

$3.78 ฿127

92.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$2.26 ฿76.0

-2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 CHF 2.15

$1.81 ฿60.9

46.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.86

$2.25 ฿75.8

56.89%

Eggs

$8.31 CHF 6.73

$2.25 ฿75.5

269.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.25 CHF 22.08

$19.51 ฿656

39.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.23 CHF 26.10

$3.65 ฿123

783.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.77 CHF 33.84

$13.05 ฿439

220.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 CHF 2.65

$3.23 ฿109

1.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 CHF 1.51

$1.62 ฿54.4

14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 CHF 1.98

$2.38 ฿80.1

2.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.04 CHF 5.70

$2.03 ฿68.1

246.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.05

$1.53 ฿51.6

65.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 CHF 1.88

$1.50 ฿50.5

54.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 CHF 1.93

$0.98 ฿32.91

142.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CHF 0.90

$0.52 ฿17.39

113.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.80 CHF 8.75

$4.44 ฿149

143.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 CHF 9.34

$18.32 ฿616

-37.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 CHF 1.77

$1.86 ฿62.7

17.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.93

$2.68 ฿90.1

-10.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.21 CHF 3.41

$1.41 ฿47.46

198.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.5 CHF 66.8

$11.70 ฿393

605.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 CHF 5.50

$3.11 ฿105

118.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.10 CHF 3.32

$1.04 ฿35.06

294.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.4 CHF 64.3

$14.11 ฿474

462.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.73

$1.31 ฿44.10

63.36%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.9K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

46.11%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.1K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

22.90%

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

$324 CHF 262

$122 ฿4,118

164.37%

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

$59.4 CHF 48.09

$13.59 ฿457

336.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 CHF 42.30

$18.70 ฿629

179.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.7 CHF 67.0

$60.5 ฿2,034

36.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$100 CHF 81.0

$16.98 ฿571

489.22%

Cinema Ticket

$31.00 CHF 25.11

$9.07 ฿305

241.79%

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

$2,815 CHF 2,280

$706 ฿23.8K

298.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K CHF 27.7K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

116.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 118

$58.6 ฿1,969

147.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.6 CHF 52.3

$35.36 ฿1,189

82.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 128

$115 ฿3,883

37.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 CHF 189

$83.7 ฿2,816

178.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 CHF 1,471

$626 ฿21.0K

190.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 CHF 1,211

$445 ฿15.0K

235.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,793 CHF 2,262

$2,040 ฿68.6K

36.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 CHF 1,871

$1,492 ฿50.2K

54.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10.0K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

255.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,105 CHF 7,375

$2,577 ฿86.7K

253.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,998 CHF 5,668

$500 ฿16.8K

1300.02%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,816 in St. Gallen and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 1300% 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: $147 in St. Gallen vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $610 vs $289 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.

Average pay runs 1300% 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: $1,816 in St. Gallen versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,815 in St. Gallen versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 111% higher in St. Gallen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $3,529 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.