Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Schaffhausen Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Schaffhausen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,706 in Basel versus $3,132 in Schaffhausen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,904 in Basel versus $4,926 in Schaffhausen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,102 in Basel versus $6,720 in Schaffhausen.

Living in Basel is roughly 18% more expensive than Schaffhausen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 176% above, Schaffhausen 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.07 CHF 24.84

$30.39 CHF 24.29

2.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$155 CHF 124

$124 CHF 99.4

24.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.81 CHF 15.83

$15.82 CHF 12.65

25.22%

Cappuccino

$6.98 CHF 5.58

$5.42 CHF 4.33

28.78%

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

$5.69 CHF 4.55

$5.36 CHF 4.28

6.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CHF 4.00

$4.37 CHF 3.49

14.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 CHF 7.83

$7.95 CHF 6.36

23.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 CHF 6.11

$7.35 CHF 5.88

3.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.78

$1.96 CHF 1.57

13.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 CHF 3.07

$3.77 CHF 3.01

2.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.00 CHF 4.00

$3.61 CHF 2.88

38.50%

Eggs

$8.00 CHF 6.40

$7.87 CHF 6.29

1.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.50 CHF 22.78

$29.45 CHF 23.54

-3.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.38 CHF 29.08

$35.04 CHF 28.01

3.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.61 CHF 35.66

$51.8 CHF 41.39

-13.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CHF 3.16

$3.68 CHF 2.94

7.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 CHF 2.16

$2.33 CHF 1.86

15.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.39

$2.94 CHF 2.35

44.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 CHF 5.47

$6.14 CHF 4.91

11.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.52

$2.42 CHF 1.94

30.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.29

$2.49 CHF 1.99

14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.11

$2.56 CHF 2.05

2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CHF 1.20

$1.28 CHF 1.02

17.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.55 CHF 9.23

$10.97 CHF 8.77

5.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 CHF 11.10

$12.33 CHF 9.85

12.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 CHF 1.90

$1.37 CHF 1.09

72.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CHF 2.44

$2.71 CHF 2.16

12.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 CHF 3.73

$3.98 CHF 3.18

17.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 86.3

$87.3 CHF 69.7

23.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.06 CHF 6.44

$10.15 CHF 8.11

-20.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.28 CHF 3.42

$3.89 CHF 3.11

10.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 69.7

$60.6 CHF 48.41

43.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.77

$2.21 CHF 1.76

0.45%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.9K

$40.3K CHF 32.2K

-0.88%

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

$44.8K CHF 35.8K

$42.6K CHF 34.1K

5.03%

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

$308 CHF 246

$247 CHF 197

24.92%

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

$55.1 CHF 44.04

$28.92 CHF 23.11

90.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 CHF 47.84

$43.93 CHF 35.11

36.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.5 CHF 72.3

$109 CHF 87.2

-17.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.81 CHF 33.42

$47.61 CHF 38.06

-12.18%

Cinema Ticket

$23.10 CHF 18.47

$22.53 CHF 18.01

2.53%

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

$2,555 CHF 2,042

$3,388 CHF 2,708

-24.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K CHF 27.3K

$42.4K CHF 33.9K

-19.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 106

$111 CHF 89.1

19.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.4 CHF 69.1

$66.4 CHF 53.1

30.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 CHF 140

$129 CHF 103

35.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$234 CHF 187

$155 CHF 124

50.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 CHF 1,684

$1,216 CHF 972

73.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CHF 1,186

$1,222 CHF 977

21.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,757 CHF 3,003

$2,692 CHF 2,152

39.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,891 CHF 2,311

$2,197 CHF 1,756

31.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.7K CHF 14.9K

$8,390 CHF 6,706

122.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.0K CHF 11.2K

$6,769 CHF 5,410

106.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,072 CHF 6,452

$9,336 CHF 7,463

-13.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.5

2.00%

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

Last update for Basel: June 8, 2026

Last update for Schaffhausen: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,106 in Basel and $1,216 in Schaffhausen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Schaffhausen pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $155 in Basel vs $124 in Schaffhausen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $691 vs $672 per month, with Schaffhausen cheaper across the board.

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

Basel vs Schaffhausen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Schaffhausen wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Schaffhausen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Schaffhausen earns 16% less. 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: $2,106 in Basel versus $1,216 in Schaffhausen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,555 in Basel versus $3,388 in Schaffhausen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

Both work as nomad bases, but Schaffhausen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,132 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Schaffhausen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel 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 Schaffhausen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.