Cost of Living Comparison Between State College, PA and St. Andrews Cost of Living Comparison Between State College, PA and St. Andrews

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,320 per month in State College, PA vs $2,118 in St. Andrews, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,479 per month in State College, PA vs $3,899 in St. Andrews, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,638 per month in State College, PA vs $5,679 in St. Andrews, rent included.

State College, PA costs about 10% more than St. Andrews, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both State College, PA and St. Andrews sit above the global median – State College, PA by 73%, St. Andrews by 58%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 $17.72

$21.70 £16.17

-18.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 $52.0

$82.4 £61.4

-36.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 $8.81

$10.10 £7.53

-12.77%

Cappuccino

$4.44 $4.44

$4.35 £3.24

2.07%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$2.11 £1.57

30.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.36 £1.01

47.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.12 $5.12

$5.93 £4.42

-13.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 $7.03

$6.20 £4.62

13.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.73 £1.29

-45.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.49 £1.11

134.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.85 £1.38

4.86%

Eggs

$3.87 $3.87

$4.21 £3.14

-8.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.82 $9.82

$8.35 £6.22

17.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.51 $8.51

$10.07 £7.50

-15.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.87 $11.87

$13.92 £10.37

-14.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.26 £2.43

9.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$2.39 £1.78

-34.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.59 £1.93

98.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$4.00 £2.98

23.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.10 £1.57

-3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.86 £1.39

54.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.22 £0.91

74.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.08 £1.55

-25.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.87 $13.87

$18.67 £13.91

-25.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 $17.97

$11.25 £8.38

59.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.23 £1.66

-24.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.27 $7.27

$2.29 £1.70

217.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

$4.03 £3.00

-43.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.1 $85.1

$80.6 £60.0

5.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 $5.24

$4.90 £3.65

6.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.38 £1.03

60.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.26 $44.26

$35.16 £26.19

25.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.87 £1.40

-52.41%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$37.9K £28.2K

-36.72%

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

$23.8K $23.8K

$40.8K £30.4K

-41.79%

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

$155 $155

$233 £173

-33.29%

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

$39.87 $39.87

$14.37 £10.70

177.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.7 $60.7

$45.15 £33.64

34.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.23 $25.23

$42.07 £31.34

-40.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.17 £15.03

Cinema Ticket

$12.21 $12.21

$12.36 £9.21

-1.21%

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

$906 $906

$1,591 £1,185

-43.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.8K $28.8K

$15.1K £11.3K

90.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.79 $45.79

$83.0 £61.9

-44.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.51 $40.51

$41.59 £30.99

-2.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 $80.6

$96.0 £71.5

-16.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$119 £88.6

-4.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,479 $1,479

$1,213 £904

21.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 $1,183

$880 £656

34.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,835 $2,835

$2,684 £2,000

5.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 $2,023

$2,871 £2,139

-29.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,607 $2,607

$6,197 £4,617

-57.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,213 $2,213

$2,678 £1,995

-17.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,388 $4,388

$3,344 £2,491

31.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

5.9

10.68%

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

Last update for State College, PA: May 31, 2026

Last update for St. Andrews: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,479 in State College, PA versus $1,213 in St. Andrews. 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 31% higher in State College, PA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in State College, PA versus $82.0 in St. Andrews. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in State College, PA vs $313 in St. Andrews – so St. Andrews wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

State College, PA vs St. Andrews: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,320 in State College, PA, $2,118 in St. Andrews – roughly 10% apart. State College, PA costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,480 per month in State College, PA and $3,177 in St. Andrews. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St. Andrews, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 6% less in St. Andrews. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $906 per month in State College, PA and $1,591 in St. Andrews. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in St. Andrews, where all-in costs run around $2,118, than in State College, PA at $2,320. In St. Andrews it covers expenses comfortably, while in State College, PA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward St. Andrews – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with St. Andrews. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, State College, PA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.