Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Schaffhausen

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,771 a month against $3,125 in Schaffhausen, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
Learn more

Athens Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Schaffhausen
Learn more

Schaffhausen Living Index

Jump to prices

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,771

/mo nomad

Schaffhausen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,125

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Schaffhausen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Athens and in Schaffhausen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Athens versus $3,125 in Schaffhausen.

Athens $1,771
Schaffhausen $3,125

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in Athens versus $5,038 in Schaffhausen.

Athens $2,736
Schaffhausen $5,038

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,701 in Athens versus $6,951 in Schaffhausen.

Athens $3,701
Schaffhausen $6,951

Living in Athens costs roughly 43% less than in Schaffhausen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Schaffhausen 131% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.97

$29.70 CHF 24.46

-43.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 €60.7

$123 CHF 101

-44.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 €10.17

$18.03 CHF 14.85

-36.61%

Cappuccino

$4.06 €3.61

$5.64 CHF 4.65

-28.01%

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

$2.74 €2.44

$5.52 CHF 4.55

-50.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.47

$4.78 CHF 3.94

-88.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.06

$8.22 CHF 6.77

-30.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €5.06

$7.47 CHF 6.16

-23.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.64

$2.16 CHF 1.78

-14.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 €1.28

$4.06 CHF 3.35

-64.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 €2.51

$4.12 CHF 3.40

-31.55%

Eggs

$4.86 €4.32

$7.94 CHF 6.54

-38.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.27 €13.58

$28.10 CHF 23.14

-45.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 €9.21

$30.57 CHF 25.18

-66.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 €16.99

$42.49 CHF 34.99

-55.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 €1.98

$3.85 CHF 3.17

-42.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$2.04 CHF 1.68

-5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 €1.25

$3.21 CHF 2.65

-56.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$5.54 CHF 4.57

-63.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 €0.93

$2.41 CHF 1.98

-56.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €1.04

$2.14 CHF 1.77

-45.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.96

$2.37 CHF 1.96

-54.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.75

$1.18 CHF 0.97

-28.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 €4.89

$10.75 CHF 8.85

-48.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 €9.05

$12.87 CHF 10.60

-20.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.90

$2.91 CHF 2.40

-26.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.03

$3.84 CHF 3.16

-40.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.22

$4.04 CHF 3.33

-66.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.71 €26.43

$96.6 CHF 79.5

-69.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.39 €3.90

$6.02 CHF 4.95

-27.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 €0.89

$3.72 CHF 3.07

-73.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 €14.79

$61.4 CHF 50.5

-72.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 €2.11

$2.30 CHF 1.89

3.48%

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

$28.4K €25.3K

$43.0K CHF 35.4K

-33.95%

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

$27.2K €24.2K

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-31.25%

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

$203 €181

$234 CHF 193

-13.06%

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

$26.79 €23.83

$31.93 CHF 26.30

-16.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.16 €26.82

$62.9 CHF 51.8

-52.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 €47.74

$107 CHF 88.5

-50.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.40 €23.48

$47.27 CHF 38.93

-44.15%

Cinema Ticket

$10.59 €9.42

$23.65 CHF 19.48

-55.22%

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

$566 €504

$3,112 CHF 2,563

-81.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.4K

$32.1K CHF 26.5K

-59.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €79.3

$167 CHF 137

-46.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 €36.01

$54.3 CHF 44.73

-25.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.3

$190 CHF 156

-45.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$149 CHF 122

-16.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 €648

$1,285 CHF 1,058

-43.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 €576

$1,165 CHF 960

-44.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 €1,181

$2,705 CHF 2,228

-50.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$2,362 CHF 1,946

-50.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,024 €3,579

$8,026 CHF 6,610

-49.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,483 €3,098

$8,459 CHF 6,967

-58.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,240 €1,103

$7,212 CHF 5,940

-82.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

2.48

80.65%

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

Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026

Last update for Schaffhausen: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$647 36.5%

Schaffhausen

$1.2K 37.3% 80% $518

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$312 17.6%

Schaffhausen

$630 20.2% 102% $318

Eating Out

Athens

$271 15.3%

Schaffhausen

$457 14.6% 68.7% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.7%

Schaffhausen

$329 10.5% 26.3% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$161 9.1%

Schaffhausen

$252 8.1% 56.4% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Schaffhausen

$155 5% 107% $80

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Schaffhausen

$137 4.4% 208% $93

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Athens and $1,285 in Schaffhausen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Schaffhausen pays 481% 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: $68.0 in Athens vs $123 in Schaffhausen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $630 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇨🇭 Schaffhausen

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

23:26 11:26 PM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

35,927

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Athens Schaffhausen 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Schaffhausen

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

Athens vs Schaffhausen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 76% lower than in Schaffhausen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 481% lower in Schaffhausen. 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: $729 in Athens versus $1,285 in Schaffhausen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $123 in Schaffhausen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Athens versus $3,125 in Schaffhausen – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,771 in Athens versus $3,125 in Schaffhausen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Schaffhausen. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,771 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Schaffhausen 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 Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Schaffhausen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.