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: $3,544 in Basel versus $3,151 in Schaffhausen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,518 in Basel versus $5,139 in Schaffhausen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,492 in Basel versus $7,126 in Schaffhausen.

Living in Basel is roughly 12% more expensive than in Schaffhausen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 157% above, Schaffhausen 129% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.93 CHF 24.42

$31.20 CHF 25.46

-4.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 102

$121 CHF 99.0

3.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.69 CHF 15.25

$18.87 CHF 15.40

-0.95%

Cappuccino

$6.73 CHF 5.49

$5.75 CHF 4.69

17.04%

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

$6.33 CHF 5.17

$5.47 CHF 4.47

15.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 CHF 4.78

$4.99 CHF 4.07

17.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 CHF 7.62

$8.73 CHF 7.13

6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 CHF 8.22

$7.46 CHF 6.09

34.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.89

$2.21 CHF 1.81

4.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 CHF 2.49

$4.15 CHF 3.38

-26.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 CHF 2.71

$4.36 CHF 3.55

-23.85%

Eggs

$8.34 CHF 6.80

$7.84 CHF 6.40

6.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.21 CHF 21.39

$28.35 CHF 23.14

-7.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.85 CHF 22.73

$32.11 CHF 26.20

-13.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.56 CHF 34.73

$43.79 CHF 35.74

-2.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 2.99

$3.92 CHF 3.20

-6.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.96

$2.19 CHF 1.79

9.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 CHF 2.44

$3.17 CHF 2.59

-5.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 CHF 3.94

$5.68 CHF 4.63

-14.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.46

$2.52 CHF 2.05

-28.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.59

$2.25 CHF 1.84

-13.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.90

$2.46 CHF 2.00

-5.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.36

$1.25 CHF 1.02

32.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CHF 9.49

$11.23 CHF 9.17

3.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 CHF 9.99

$13.72 CHF 11.20

-10.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$3.04 CHF 2.48

-18.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.59

$3.97 CHF 3.24

-19.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 CHF 3.63

$3.95 CHF 3.22

12.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 88.3

$99.4 CHF 81.1

8.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.52

$6.26 CHF 5.11

27.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.59 CHF 3.75

$3.81 CHF 3.11

20.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.0 CHF 71.8

$61.5 CHF 50.2

42.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.87

$2.22 CHF 1.81

3.15%

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

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

$44.7K CHF 36.5K

-1.09%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

$40.8K CHF 33.3K

-2.75%

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

$299 CHF 244

$228 CHF 186

31.19%

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

$53.3 CHF 43.47

$31.99 CHF 26.11

66.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 CHF 53.9

$64.0 CHF 52.2

3.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.8 CHF 70.0

$112 CHF 91.1

-23.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.0 CHF 48.17

$46.98 CHF 38.34

25.65%

Cinema Ticket

$23.81 CHF 19.44

$23.97 CHF 19.56

-0.67%

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

$3,026 CHF 2,470

$3,228 CHF 2,634

-6.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

0.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 120

$170 CHF 138

-13.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.6 CHF 66.6

$54.9 CHF 44.83

48.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 CHF 134

$193 CHF 157

-15.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 162

$157 CHF 128

26.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 CHF 1,747

$1,362 CHF 1,112

57.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CHF 1,247

$1,200 CHF 980

27.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,950

$2,710 CHF 2,212

33.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,890 CHF 2,358

$2,411 CHF 1,967

19.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

$8,369 CHF 6,830

119.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

$8,438 CHF 6,886

72.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,336 CHF 5,987

$7,296 CHF 5,954

0.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

2.48

-2.02%

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

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Last update for Schaffhausen: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,141 in Basel and $1,362 in Schaffhausen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel 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: $125 in Basel vs $121 in Schaffhausen. Groceries flip the comparison at $597 vs $651, with Basel 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

Basel vs Schaffhausen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Schaffhausen wins on cost – living expenses run 12% 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.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Basel, 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: $2,141 in Basel versus $1,362 in Schaffhausen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,026 in Basel versus $3,228 in Schaffhausen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Basel pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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 $3,151 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 12% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.