Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Gallen and Schwyz

For one person, living is cheaper in St. Gallen: $3,451 a month against $3,569 in Schwyz, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Schwyz despite lower rent and utilities.

167

Cost of Living Index in St. Gallen
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St. Gallen Living Index
172

Cost of Living Index in Schwyz
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Schwyz Living Index

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St. Gallen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,451

/mo nomad

Schwyz

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,451 per month in St. Gallen vs $3,569 in Schwyz, rent included.

St. Gallen $3,451
Schwyz $3,569

A couple spends around $5,120 per month in St. Gallen vs $5,568 in Schwyz, rent included.

St. Gallen $5,120
Schwyz $5,568

A family of three spends $6,789 per month in St. Gallen vs $7,566 in Schwyz, rent included.

St. Gallen $6,789
Schwyz $7,566

St. Gallen is about 3% cheaper than Schwyz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both St. Gallen and Schwyz sit above the global median – St. Gallen by 154%, Schwyz by 162%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.78 CHF 23.74

$30.11 CHF 24.83

-4.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$144 CHF 119

$120 CHF 99.1

19.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.04 CHF 14.88

$18.35 CHF 15.13

-1.69%

Cappuccino

$6.03 CHF 4.97

$5.95 CHF 4.91

1.34%

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

$5.95 CHF 4.91

$5.42 CHF 4.47

9.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 CHF 4.21

$4.77 CHF 3.94

6.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.80 CHF 7.26

$8.45 CHF 6.97

4.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.38 CHF 5.26

$6.58 CHF 5.43

-3.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.86

$2.17 CHF 1.79

3.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 CHF 2.61

$3.94 CHF 3.25

-19.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 CHF 3.11

$4.23 CHF 3.49

-10.87%

Eggs

$7.72 CHF 6.36

$7.47 CHF 6.16

3.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.91 CHF 20.55

$32.24 CHF 26.59

-22.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.02 CHF 23.94

$29.35 CHF 24.21

-1.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.94 CHF 32.95

$41.47 CHF 34.21

-3.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 CHF 2.52

$3.70 CHF 3.05

-17.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 CHF 1.28

$2.13 CHF 1.76

-26.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.98

$2.98 CHF 2.46

-19.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.17 CHF 5.09

$5.47 CHF 4.51

12.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 CHF 1.41

$2.34 CHF 1.93

-26.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.76

$2.61 CHF 2.15

-18.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CHF 1.82

$2.41 CHF 1.99

-8.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 CHF 0.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 CHF 9.06

$10.77 CHF 8.88

1.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 CHF 9.27

$13.02 CHF 10.74

-13.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$2.99 CHF 2.47

-29.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 CHF 1.88

$3.89 CHF 3.21

-41.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.08 CHF 3.37

$4.17 CHF 3.44

-2.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.4 CHF 71.3

$102 CHF 83.9

-15.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 CHF 5.46

$5.99 CHF 4.94

10.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.76 CHF 3.93

$6.09 CHF 5.02

-21.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 CHF 65.3

$35.91 CHF 29.62

120.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.84

$2.33 CHF 1.93

-4.29%

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

$38.4K CHF 31.7K

$38.9K CHF 32.1K

-1.31%

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

$38.6K CHF 31.8K

$39.1K CHF 32.2K

-1.19%

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

$312 CHF 257

$279 CHF 230

11.75%

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

$37.60 CHF 31.01

$37.25 CHF 30.73

0.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.0 CHF 44.50

$62.2 CHF 51.3

-13.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.6 CHF 65.6

$90.4 CHF 74.6

-11.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.55 CHF 38.40

Cinema Ticket

$28.27 CHF 23.32

$27.72 CHF 22.87

1.98%

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

$2,308 CHF 1,904

$1,828 CHF 1,508

26.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.2K CHF 26.6K

$33.0K CHF 27.2K

-2.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 119

$162 CHF 134

-10.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.0 CHF 52.8

$66.8 CHF 55.1

-4.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 CHF 120

$153 CHF 126

-4.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 CHF 151

$273 CHF 225

-32.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,895 CHF 1,563

$1,753 CHF 1,446

8.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,504 CHF 1,240

$1,500 CHF 1,238

0.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,868 CHF 2,366

$3,003 CHF 2,477

-4.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,256 CHF 1,861

$2,810 CHF 2,318

-19.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.3K CHF 9,285

$16.7K CHF 13.7K

-32.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,285 CHF 6,834

$12.4K CHF 10.2K

-32.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,694 CHF 5,522

$7,090 CHF 5,848

-5.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

1.9

10.53%

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

Last update for St. Gallen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Schwyz: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St. Gallen

$1.5K 43.6%

Schwyz

$1.5K 42% 0.2% $3.4

Groceries & Markets

St. Gallen

$575 16.7%

Schwyz

$631 17.7% 9.8% $56

Eating Out

St. Gallen

$458 13.3%

Schwyz

$463 13% 1.2% $5.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St. Gallen

$404 11.7%

Schwyz

$379 10.6% 6.2% $25

Clothing & Footwear

St. Gallen

$242 7%

Schwyz

$295 8.3% 21.9% $53

Sport & Entertainment

St. Gallen

$136 3.9%

Schwyz

$146 4.1% 7.1% $9.7

Getting Around

St. Gallen

$133 3.9%

Schwyz

$155 4.3% 16.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,895 in St. Gallen versus $1,753 in Schwyz. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 6% higher in Schwyz. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $144 in St. Gallen versus $120 in Schwyz. Groceries tell a different story – $575 in St. Gallen vs $631 in Schwyz – so St. Gallen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇭 St. Gallen

🇨🇭 Schwyz

🕒 Local time

03:07 3:07 AM

Same time as St. Gallen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,213

14,750

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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St. Gallen Schwyz 71 km

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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 Schwyz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,451 in St. Gallen, $3,569 in Schwyz – St. Gallen comes out roughly 3% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,177 per month in St. Gallen and $5,354 in Schwyz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,895 in St. Gallen and $1,753 in Schwyz. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Schwyz, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $144 in St. Gallen and $120 in Schwyz. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,451 in St. Gallen and $3,569 in Schwyz. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. St. Gallen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,451 in St. Gallen to $3,569 in Schwyz. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with St. Gallen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Schwyz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.