Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Gallen and Uster

For one person, living costs are similar in St. Gallen and in Uster: $3,635 and $3,689 a month, rent and utilities included.

178

Cost of Living Index in St. Gallen
Learn more

St. Gallen Living Index
178

Cost of Living Index in Uster
Learn more

Uster Living Index

Jump to prices

St. Gallen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,635

/mo nomad

Uster

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,635 in St. Gallen versus $3,689 in Uster.

St. Gallen $3,635
Uster $3,689

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,183 in St. Gallen versus $5,289 in Uster.

St. Gallen $5,183
Uster $5,289

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,730 in St. Gallen versus $6,889 in Uster.

St. Gallen $6,730
Uster $6,889

Living in St. Gallen costs roughly 1% less than in Uster, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Gallen 169% above, Uster 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.02 CHF 23.90

$30.11 CHF 24.80

-3.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$143 CHF 118

$120 CHF 98.7

19.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.94 CHF 14.78

$18.34 CHF 15.10

-2.18%

Cappuccino

$5.96 CHF 4.91

$6.04 CHF 4.97

-1.32%

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

$5.81 CHF 4.79

$5.33 CHF 4.39

9.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 4.13

$4.79 CHF 3.95

4.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.92 CHF 7.34

$8.59 CHF 7.08

3.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 CHF 5.19

$6.73 CHF 5.54

-6.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.75

$2.23 CHF 1.83

-4.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 CHF 2.55

$3.34 CHF 2.75

-7.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 CHF 2.96

$4.39 CHF 3.61

-18.22%

Eggs

$7.63 CHF 6.29

$7.35 CHF 6.05

3.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.24 CHF 20.79

$32.17 CHF 26.49

-21.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.21 CHF 23.23

$29.34 CHF 24.17

-3.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.20 CHF 32.29

$42.64 CHF 35.12

-8.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 CHF 2.53

$3.44 CHF 2.84

-10.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 CHF 1.31

$2.10 CHF 1.73

-24.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.89

$2.81 CHF 2.31

-18.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 CHF 4.84

$4.58 CHF 3.78

28.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 CHF 1.41

$2.04 CHF 1.68

-15.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 CHF 1.71

$2.18 CHF 1.79

-4.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$2.43 CHF 2.00

-7.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 CHF 0.96

$1.33 CHF 1.10

-12.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.00 CHF 9.06

$10.65 CHF 8.77

3.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 CHF 9.21

$12.97 CHF 10.69

-13.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 CHF 1.74

$3.25 CHF 2.68

-35.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 CHF 1.83

$3.34 CHF 2.75

-33.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.26 CHF 3.51

$4.60 CHF 3.79

-7.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$125 CHF 103

$99.8 CHF 82.2

25.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.73 CHF 5.54

$5.46 CHF 4.50

23.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.56 CHF 3.75

$3.28 CHF 2.70

39.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.0 CHF 64.3

$59.4 CHF 48.94

31.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.89

$2.19 CHF 1.80

5.02%

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

$34.2K CHF 28.2K

$43.3K CHF 35.6K

-20.95%

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

$39.3K CHF 32.3K

$39.7K CHF 32.7K

-1.13%

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

$309 CHF 254

$233 CHF 192

32.50%

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

$37.13 CHF 30.58

$31.89 CHF 26.26

16.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 CHF 45.11

$65.4 CHF 53.8

-16.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.0 CHF 65.1

$73.6 CHF 60.6

7.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.51 CHF 37.49

Cinema Ticket

$30.06 CHF 24.76

$21.75 CHF 17.92

38.21%

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

$2,233 CHF 1,839

$1,802 CHF 1,484

23.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.0K CHF 26.4K

$32.6K CHF 26.8K

-1.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 118

$164 CHF 135

-12.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.6 CHF 52.4

$86.4 CHF 71.1

-26.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 CHF 119

$143 CHF 118

0.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$179 CHF 147

$173 CHF 142

3.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,720 CHF 1,417

$1,678 CHF 1,382

2.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 CHF 1,369

$1,759 CHF 1,448

-5.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,818 CHF 2,321

$2,928 CHF 2,412

-3.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CHF 1,773

$2,382 CHF 1,962

-9.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.9K CHF 9,807

$15.9K CHF 13.1K

-24.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,042 CHF 7,447

$12.1K CHF 9,993

-25.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,580 CHF 5,419

$6,850 CHF 5,642

-3.95%

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: October 11, 2026

Last update for Uster: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St. Gallen

$1.7K 45.7%

Uster

$1.8K 47.7% 5.8% $96

Groceries & Markets

St. Gallen

$565 15.5%

Uster

$623 16.9% 10.3% $58

Eating Out

St. Gallen

$458 12.6%

Uster

$465 12.6% 1.6% $7.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St. Gallen

$401 11%

Uster

$330 9% 17.6% $70

Clothing & Footwear

St. Gallen

$239 6.6%

Uster

$255 6.9% 6.9% $17

Getting Around

St. Gallen

$172 4.7%

Uster

$140 3.8% 18.5% $32

Sport & Entertainment

St. Gallen

$139 3.8%

Uster

$117 3.2% 15.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,720 in St. Gallen and $1,678 in Uster. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Uster pays 4% 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: $143 in St. Gallen vs $120 in Uster. Groceries flip the comparison at $565 vs $623, with St. Gallen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇭 St. Gallen

🇨🇭 Uster

🕒 Local time

07:41 7:41 AM

Same time as St. Gallen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,213

33,097

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

St. Gallen Uster 50 km

From you

St. Gallen
Uster

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 Uster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Gallen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Uster. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,720 in St. Gallen versus $1,678 in Uster. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in St. Gallen runs roughly 26% less than in Uster. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,233 in St. Gallen versus $1,802 in Uster. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. St. Gallen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, St. Gallen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Uster, 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.

Expats usually find St. Gallen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Uster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.