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: $3,658 in Basel versus $3,172 in Schaffhausen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,824 in Basel versus $4,928 in Schaffhausen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,989 in Basel versus $6,685 in Schaffhausen.

Living in Basel is roughly 15% more expensive than in Schaffhausen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 174% above, Schaffhausen 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.22 CHF 24.67

$31.30 CHF 25.55

-3.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$157 CHF 128

$122 CHF 99.4

28.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.82 CHF 16.18

$16.11 CHF 13.15

23.03%

Cappuccino

$7.03 CHF 5.74

$5.68 CHF 4.63

23.77%

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

$5.60 CHF 4.57

$5.36 CHF 4.37

4.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 CHF 4.17

$4.37 CHF 3.57

16.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.92 CHF 8.10

$7.99 CHF 6.52

24.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 CHF 6.23

$7.57 CHF 6.18

0.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.82

$1.96 CHF 1.60

13.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 3.04

$3.78 CHF 3.09

-1.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 CHF 4.19

$3.69 CHF 3.01

39.02%

Eggs

$7.88 CHF 6.43

$7.84 CHF 6.40

0.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.25 CHF 23.87

$29.80 CHF 24.32

-1.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.16 CHF 29.52

$35.49 CHF 28.97

1.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.71 CHF 35.68

$51.0 CHF 41.59

-14.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 CHF 3.15

$3.69 CHF 3.01

4.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 CHF 2.21

$2.26 CHF 1.84

19.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 CHF 3.43

$2.88 CHF 2.35

46.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.92 CHF 5.65

$6.10 CHF 4.98

13.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 CHF 2.64

$2.49 CHF 2.03

30.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.32

$2.48 CHF 2.03

14.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.13

$2.67 CHF 2.18

-2.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.26

$1.27 CHF 1.04

22.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 CHF 9.71

$10.94 CHF 8.93

8.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 CHF 10.97

$13.42 CHF 10.95

0.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 CHF 1.93

$1.36 CHF 1.11

73.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CHF 2.55

$2.60 CHF 2.12

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.65 CHF 3.79

$3.95 CHF 3.22

17.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 CHF 87.4

$85.7 CHF 69.9

25.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.15 CHF 6.65

$10.05 CHF 8.20

-18.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.16 CHF 3.39

$4.04 CHF 3.30

2.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.0 CHF 71.0

$61.9 CHF 50.5

40.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.81

$2.13 CHF 1.74

3.76%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.5K

$39.7K CHF 32.4K

0.27%

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

$44.5K CHF 36.3K

$42.4K CHF 34.6K

4.80%

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

$302 CHF 247

$247 CHF 202

22.32%

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

$53.7 CHF 43.83

$28.70 CHF 23.42

87.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 CHF 48.26

$42.94 CHF 35.05

37.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.8 CHF 72.5

$109 CHF 88.6

-18.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.93 CHF 34.23

$47.47 CHF 38.74

-11.67%

Cinema Ticket

$23.07 CHF 18.83

$22.34 CHF 18.24

3.27%

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

$2,621 CHF 2,139

$3,354 CHF 2,738

-21.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 28.3K

$43.5K CHF 35.5K

-20.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$112 CHF 91.4

20.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.8 CHF 70.8

$67.7 CHF 55.2

28.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$179 CHF 146

$133 CHF 109

34.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 CHF 191

$154 CHF 126

51.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 CHF 1,689

$1,226 CHF 1,001

68.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 CHF 1,204

$1,247 CHF 1,018

18.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,823 CHF 3,120

$2,660 CHF 2,171

43.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,868 CHF 2,341

$2,215 CHF 1,808

29.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K CHF 14.8K

$8,226 CHF 6,714

120.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.9K

$8,564 CHF 6,990

70.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,233 CHF 5,904

$7,453 CHF 6,083

-2.95%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Schaffhausen: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,070 in Basel and $1,226 in Schaffhausen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Schaffhausen pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $157 in Basel vs $122 in Schaffhausen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $688 vs $675 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 15% 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, salaries run 3% 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: $2,070 in Basel versus $1,226 in Schaffhausen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,621 in Basel versus $3,354 in Schaffhausen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% 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 $3,172 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 15% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.