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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,727 in St. Gallen versus $3,715 in Uster.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,400 in St. Gallen versus $5,466 in Uster.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,074 in St. Gallen versus $7,216 in Uster.

Monthly costs are close between St. Gallen and Uster; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Gallen 171% above, Uster 170% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.15 CHF 24.52

$30.82 CHF 25.06

-2.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 121

$125 CHF 101

19.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.71 CHF 15.21

$18.34 CHF 14.91

2.02%

Cappuccino

$6.16 CHF 5.01

$6.30 CHF 5.12

-2.22%

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

$6.01 CHF 4.89

$5.60 CHF 4.55

7.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 CHF 4.37

$4.86 CHF 3.95

10.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.06 CHF 7.37

$8.75 CHF 7.11

3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.38 CHF 5.19

$6.86 CHF 5.58

-7.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.79

$2.23 CHF 1.82

-1.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 CHF 2.56

$3.39 CHF 2.76

-7.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 CHF 3.09

$4.50 CHF 3.66

-15.56%

Eggs

$7.79 CHF 6.33

$7.71 CHF 6.27

1.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.42 CHF 20.67

$33.08 CHF 26.89

-23.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.72 CHF 23.35

$29.96 CHF 24.36

-4.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.92 CHF 33.27

$43.94 CHF 35.72

-6.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.58

$3.73 CHF 3.03

-15.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 CHF 1.27

$2.13 CHF 1.73

-26.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.98

$2.92 CHF 2.38

-16.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.12 CHF 4.98

$4.73 CHF 3.84

29.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.44

$2.03 CHF 1.65

-12.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.78

$2.32 CHF 1.88

-5.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 CHF 1.86

$2.40 CHF 1.95

-4.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CHF 0.98

$1.39 CHF 1.13

-12.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.15 CHF 9.06

$11.02 CHF 8.96

1.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 CHF 9.38

$13.64 CHF 11.09

-15.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 CHF 1.82

$3.22 CHF 2.62

-30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.97

$2.83 CHF 2.30

-14.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.26 CHF 3.46

$4.50 CHF 3.66

-5.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$132 CHF 107

$101 CHF 82.0

30.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.66 CHF 5.41

$5.73 CHF 4.66

16.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.84 CHF 3.94

$3.54 CHF 2.88

36.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$82.0 CHF 66.6

$63.3 CHF 51.5

29.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.88

$2.32 CHF 1.88

-0.43%

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

$36.3K CHF 29.5K

$43.2K CHF 35.1K

-15.82%

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

$40.7K CHF 33.1K

$40.4K CHF 32.9K

0.71%

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

$322 CHF 262

$207 CHF 168

55.85%

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

$39.10 CHF 31.78

$33.27 CHF 27.05

17.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 CHF 44.73

$66.4 CHF 53.9

-17.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.1 CHF 66.8

$76.2 CHF 62.0

7.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$98.8 CHF 80.4

$46.53 CHF 37.83

112.42%

Cinema Ticket

$31.40 CHF 25.53

$22.02 CHF 17.90

42.60%

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

$2,390 CHF 1,943

$1,851 CHF 1,505

29.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K CHF 26.5K

$33.8K CHF 27.5K

-3.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$150 CHF 122

$171 CHF 139

-12.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.8 CHF 52.7

$89.5 CHF 72.8

-27.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 119

$154 CHF 125

-4.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$182 CHF 148

$181 CHF 147

0.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,797 CHF 1,461

$1,834 CHF 1,491

-2.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 CHF 1,405

$1,830 CHF 1,488

-5.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,898 CHF 2,356

$3,057 CHF 2,485

-5.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,236 CHF 1,818

$2,481 CHF 2,017

-9.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10.1K

$16.7K CHF 13.6K

-25.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,216 CHF 7,492

$12.6K CHF 10.2K

-26.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,049 CHF 5,731

$6,920 CHF 5,626

1.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

1.72

22.09%

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

Last update for St. Gallen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Uster: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,797 in St. Gallen and $1,834 in Uster. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 2% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $148 in St. Gallen vs $125 in Uster. Groceries flip the comparison at $581 vs $639, with St. Gallen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Uster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 2% 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: $1,797 in St. Gallen versus $1,834 in Uster. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Uster runs roughly 30% less than in St. Gallen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in St. Gallen pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Uster is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Uster 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 Uster are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Uster wins on affordability, St. Gallen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.