Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Schaffhausen

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,125 in Schaffhausen, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. The total is higher in Schaffhausen despite lower rent and utilities.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Schaffhausen
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Schaffhausen Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Schaffhausen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,125

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX and in Schaffhausen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $3,125 in Schaffhausen.

Austin, TX $2,698
Schaffhausen $3,125

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $5,038 in Schaffhausen.

Austin, TX $4,160
Schaffhausen $5,038

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $6,951 in Schaffhausen.

Austin, TX $5,622
Schaffhausen $6,951

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 14% less than in Schaffhausen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Schaffhausen 131% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$29.70 CHF 24.46

-30.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$123 CHF 101

-31.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$18.03 CHF 14.85

-33.06%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.64 CHF 4.65

-2.84%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$5.52 CHF 4.55

-31.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$4.78 CHF 3.94

-48.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$8.22 CHF 6.77

-2.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.47 CHF 6.16

18.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$2.16 CHF 1.78

-48.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.06 CHF 3.35

-8.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.12 CHF 3.40

-18.20%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$7.94 CHF 6.54

-45.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$28.10 CHF 23.14

-53.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$30.57 CHF 25.18

-53.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$42.49 CHF 34.99

-61.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.85 CHF 3.17

18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.04 CHF 1.68

-28.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.21 CHF 2.65

46.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.54 CHF 4.57

-25.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.41 CHF 1.98

7.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.14 CHF 1.77

9.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.37 CHF 1.96

-25.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.18 CHF 0.97

81.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.75 CHF 8.85

-6.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$12.87 CHF 10.60

18.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.91 CHF 2.40

-3.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.84 CHF 3.16

-10.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$4.04 CHF 3.33

-61.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$96.6 CHF 79.5

-57.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$6.02 CHF 4.95

-53.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$3.72 CHF 3.07

-56.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$61.4 CHF 50.5

-44.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.30 CHF 1.89

-59.13%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$43.0K CHF 35.4K

-20.98%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-32.39%

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

$223 $223

$234 CHF 193

-4.84%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$31.93 CHF 26.30

84.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$62.9 CHF 51.8

12.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$107 CHF 88.5

-46.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$47.27 CHF 38.93

-65.03%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$23.65 CHF 19.48

-39.70%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$3,112 CHF 2,563

-51.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$32.1K CHF 26.5K

-34.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$167 CHF 137

-69.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$54.3 CHF 44.73

-18.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$190 CHF 156

-54.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$149 CHF 122

-29.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,285 CHF 1,058

50.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,165 CHF 960

12.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,705 CHF 2,228

35.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,362 CHF 1,946

8.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$8,026 CHF 6,610

-8.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$8,459 CHF 6,967

-63.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$7,212 CHF 5,940

-26.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.48

173.79%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Schaffhausen: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Schaffhausen

$1.2K 37.3% 11.5% $151

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Schaffhausen

$630 20.2% 55.3% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Schaffhausen

$329 10.5% 6.6% $23

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Schaffhausen

$457 14.6% 30.5% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Schaffhausen

$252 8.1% 95% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Schaffhausen

$155 5% 79.5% $69

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Schaffhausen

$137 4.4% 137% $79

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,285 in Schaffhausen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Schaffhausen pays 36% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $123 in Schaffhausen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $630 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇭 Schaffhausen

🕒 Local time

16:13 4:13 PM

23:13 11:13 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

35,927

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

CHF to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Schaffhausen 8,670 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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

Austin, TX vs Schaffhausen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Schaffhausen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 36% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,285 in Schaffhausen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,125 in Schaffhausen – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 136% less than in Schaffhausen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Schaffhausen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.