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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.82 CHF 25.06

$30.15 CHF 24.52

2.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 101

$148 CHF 121

-16.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.34 CHF 14.91

$18.71 CHF 15.21

-1.98%

Cappuccino

$6.30 CHF 5.12

$6.16 CHF 5.01

2.27%

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

$5.60 CHF 4.55

$6.01 CHF 4.89

-6.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 CHF 3.95

$5.38 CHF 4.37

-9.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.75 CHF 7.11

$9.06 CHF 7.37

-3.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 CHF 5.58

$6.38 CHF 5.19

7.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.82

$2.20 CHF 1.79

1.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 CHF 2.76

$3.15 CHF 2.56

7.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 CHF 3.66

$3.80 CHF 3.09

18.42%

Eggs

$7.71 CHF 6.27

$7.79 CHF 6.33

-1.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$33.08 CHF 26.89

$25.42 CHF 20.67

30.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.96 CHF 24.36

$28.72 CHF 23.35

4.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.94 CHF 35.72

$40.92 CHF 33.27

7.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 CHF 3.03

$3.17 CHF 2.58

17.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 CHF 1.73

$1.57 CHF 1.27

35.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 CHF 2.38

$2.43 CHF 1.98

20.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 CHF 3.84

$6.12 CHF 4.98

-22.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 CHF 1.65

$1.77 CHF 1.44

14.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 CHF 1.88

$2.19 CHF 1.78

5.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 CHF 1.95

$2.29 CHF 1.86

4.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CHF 1.13

$1.21 CHF 0.98

14.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.02 CHF 8.96

$11.15 CHF 9.06

-1.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.64 CHF 11.09

$11.53 CHF 9.38

18.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 CHF 2.62

$2.24 CHF 1.82

43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 CHF 2.30

$2.42 CHF 1.97

16.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.50 CHF 3.66

$4.26 CHF 3.46

5.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 CHF 82.0

$132 CHF 107

-23.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 CHF 4.66

$6.66 CHF 5.41

-13.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.54 CHF 2.88

$4.84 CHF 3.94

-26.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.3 CHF 51.5

$82.0 CHF 66.6

-22.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.88

$2.31 CHF 1.88

0.43%

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

$43.2K CHF 35.1K

$36.3K CHF 29.5K

18.79%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.9K

$40.7K CHF 33.1K

-0.70%

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

$207 CHF 168

$322 CHF 262

-35.84%

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

$33.27 CHF 27.05

$39.10 CHF 31.78

-14.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.4 CHF 53.9

$55.0 CHF 44.73

20.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.2 CHF 62.0

$82.1 CHF 66.8

-7.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.53 CHF 37.83

$98.8 CHF 80.4

-52.92%

Cinema Ticket

$22.02 CHF 17.90

$31.40 CHF 25.53

-29.87%

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

$1,851 CHF 1,505

$2,390 CHF 1,943

-22.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.5K

$32.6K CHF 26.5K

3.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$171 CHF 139

$150 CHF 122

14.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.5 CHF 72.8

$64.8 CHF 52.7

38.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$154 CHF 125

$147 CHF 119

4.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$181 CHF 147

$182 CHF 148

-0.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CHF 1,491

$1,797 CHF 1,461

2.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 CHF 1,488

$1,728 CHF 1,405

5.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,057 CHF 2,485

$2,898 CHF 2,356

5.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 CHF 2,017

$2,236 CHF 1,818

10.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.7K CHF 13.6K

$12.4K CHF 10.1K

34.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.6K CHF 10.2K

$9,216 CHF 7,492

36.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,920 CHF 5,626

$7,049 CHF 5,731

-1.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

2.1

-18.10%

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

Last update for Uster: August 29, 2026

Last update for St. Gallen: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,834 in Uster and $1,797 in St. Gallen. 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: $125 in Uster vs $148 in St. Gallen. Groceries flip the comparison at $639 vs $581, 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

Uster vs St. Gallen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in St. Gallen. 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: $1,834 in Uster versus $1,797 in St. Gallen. 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, Uster and St. Gallen 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.