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: $3,815 in Uster versus $3,529 in St. Gallen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,625 in Uster versus $5,441 in St. Gallen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,435 in Uster versus $7,353 in St. Gallen.

Living in Uster is roughly 8% more expensive than in St. Gallen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Uster 186% above, St. Gallen 164% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.40 CHF 25.34

$30.33 CHF 24.47

3.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 119

-0.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.66 CHF 15.06

$18.50 CHF 14.93

0.86%

Cappuccino

$6.26 CHF 5.05

$6.36 CHF 5.13

-1.57%

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

$5.66 CHF 4.57

$5.84 CHF 4.72

-3.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 CHF 4.31

$5.33 CHF 4.30

0.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.07 CHF 8.13

$7.66 CHF 6.18

31.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 CHF 5.77

$7.28 CHF 5.87

-1.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.78

$2.20 CHF 1.78

0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 CHF 2.42

$2.66 CHF 2.14

12.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.52 CHF 2.84

$3.53 CHF 2.85

-0.28%

Eggs

$7.39 CHF 5.96

$8.31 CHF 6.70

-11.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.48 CHF 23.78

$27.25 CHF 21.99

8.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.29 CHF 26.86

$32.23 CHF 26.00

3.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$49.60 CHF 40.02

$41.77 CHF 33.71

18.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 CHF 3.00

$3.27 CHF 2.64

13.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 CHF 1.55

$1.86 CHF 1.50

3.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 CHF 2.49

$2.45 CHF 1.98

25.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 CHF 4.10

$7.04 CHF 5.68

-27.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 CHF 2.08

$2.53 CHF 2.04

1.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 CHF 1.85

$2.32 CHF 1.87

-1.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.88

$2.38 CHF 1.92

-2.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 CHF 1.16

$1.11 CHF 0.90

29.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.66 CHF 8.60

$10.80 CHF 8.71

-1.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.93 CHF 10.44

$11.53 CHF 9.30

12.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 CHF 2.22

$2.19 CHF 1.76

25.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 CHF 1.94

$2.39 CHF 1.93

0.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.41 CHF 2.75

$4.21 CHF 3.40

-19.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 CHF 81.0

$82.5 CHF 66.6

21.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 CHF 5.34

$6.79 CHF 5.48

-2.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.48

$4.10 CHF 3.31

5.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.1 CHF 63.8

$79.4 CHF 64.0

-0.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.79

$2.14 CHF 1.73

3.74%

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

$40.9K CHF 33.0K

$40.6K CHF 32.8K

0.69%

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

$39.4K CHF 31.8K

$40.8K CHF 32.9K

-3.53%

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

$326 CHF 263

$324 CHF 261

0.80%

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

$36.40 CHF 29.37

$59.4 CHF 47.90

-38.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CHF 46.66

$52.2 CHF 42.14

10.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 CHF 59.9

$82.7 CHF 66.8

-10.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$62.5 CHF 50.4

$100 CHF 80.7

-37.55%

Cinema Ticket

$24.97 CHF 20.15

$31.00 CHF 25.01

-19.45%

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

$3,114 CHF 2,513

$2,815 CHF 2,271

10.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.7K CHF 32.0K

$34.2K CHF 27.6K

15.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 118

$145 CHF 117

0.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 CHF 48.65

$64.6 CHF 52.1

-6.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CHF 122

$159 CHF 128

-4.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 CHF 164

$233 CHF 188

-12.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 CHF 1,682

$1,816 CHF 1,465

14.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,760 CHF 1,420

$1,495 CHF 1,206

17.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,011 CHF 2,429

$2,793 CHF 2,254

7.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,482 CHF 2,003

$2,310 CHF 1,864

7.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.4K CHF 11.7K

$12.4K CHF 9,989

16.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.0K CHF 11.3K

$9,105 CHF 7,347

53.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,035 CHF 5,676

$6,998 CHF 5,647

0.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

2.5

-16.40%

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

Last update for Uster: July 14, 2026

Last update for St. Gallen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,084 in Uster and $1,816 in St. Gallen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Uster pays 1% 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: $147 in Uster vs $147 in St. Gallen. Groceries flip the comparison at $650 vs $610, 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

St. Gallen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Uster, 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: $2,084 in Uster versus $1,816 in St. Gallen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in St. Gallen runs roughly 22% less than in Uster. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,114 in Uster versus $2,815 in St. Gallen. 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, 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.

Expats usually find St. Gallen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Uster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.