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: $3,682 in Basel versus $3,151 in Schaffhausen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,815 in Basel versus $4,931 in Schaffhausen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,949 in Basel versus $6,712 in Schaffhausen.

Living in Basel is roughly 17% more expensive than Schaffhausen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 175% above, Schaffhausen 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.08 CHF 24.37

$31.31 CHF 24.55

-0.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 121

$125 CHF 98.1

23.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.09 CHF 15.75

$15.86 CHF 12.43

26.67%

Cappuccino

$6.99 CHF 5.48

$5.43 CHF 4.26

28.73%

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

$5.70 CHF 4.47

$5.42 CHF 4.25

5.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 CHF 3.95

$4.42 CHF 3.47

14.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.72 CHF 7.62

$8.20 CHF 6.43

18.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.54 CHF 5.91

$7.59 CHF 5.95

-0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.70

$1.90 CHF 1.49

14.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 CHF 2.90

$3.79 CHF 2.97

-2.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.95 CHF 3.88

$3.55 CHF 2.79

39.44%

Eggs

$7.99 CHF 6.26

$7.66 CHF 6.01

4.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.33 CHF 22.21

$29.66 CHF 23.25

-4.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.87 CHF 28.91

$35.28 CHF 27.66

4.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.59 CHF 34.96

$51.8 CHF 40.59

-13.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 CHF 3.00

$3.77 CHF 2.95

1.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.16

$2.24 CHF 1.76

23.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 CHF 3.14

$2.87 CHF 2.25

39.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.13 CHF 5.59

$6.02 CHF 4.72

18.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 CHF 2.55

$2.46 CHF 1.93

32.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.22

$2.44 CHF 1.92

15.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 CHF 2.08

$2.67 CHF 2.10

-0.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.28 CHF 1.01

21.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.59 CHF 9.08

$11.29 CHF 8.85

2.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 CHF 11.99

$13.90 CHF 10.90

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 CHF 1.93

$1.36 CHF 1.07

80.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 CHF 2.36

$2.75 CHF 2.15

9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.81 CHF 3.77

$3.79 CHF 2.97

26.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.2

$85.1 CHF 66.7

23.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.91 CHF 6.20

$10.08 CHF 7.91

-21.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.33 CHF 3.40

$4.11 CHF 3.22

5.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.4 CHF 67.7

$62.3 CHF 48.83

38.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.69

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

$41.0K CHF 32.1K

$40.9K CHF 32.0K

0.24%

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

$45.7K CHF 35.8K

$42.5K CHF 33.3K

7.56%

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

$299 CHF 234

$242 CHF 190

23.37%

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

$54.1 CHF 42.40

$28.69 CHF 22.49

88.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 CHF 46.69

$43.53 CHF 34.13

36.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.5 CHF 70.9

$109 CHF 85.7

-17.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.79 CHF 32.77

$47.51 CHF 37.25

-12.04%

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 CHF 17.57

$22.50 CHF 17.64

-0.40%

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

$2,607 CHF 2,044

$3,325 CHF 2,607

-21.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.0K CHF 27.4K

$43.6K CHF 34.1K

-19.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 106

$112 CHF 87.9

20.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.4 CHF 69.3

$68.3 CHF 53.5

29.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$177 CHF 139

$130 CHF 102

36.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$228 CHF 178

$158 CHF 124

44.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,067 CHF 1,621

$1,214 CHF 952

70.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,477 CHF 1,158

$1,221 CHF 957

20.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,728 CHF 2,923

$2,754 CHF 2,159

35.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,817 CHF 2,209

$2,163 CHF 1,696

30.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K CHF 14.2K

$8,567 CHF 6,717

111.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.4K CHF 10.5K

$6,910 CHF 5,417

93.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,835 CHF 6,143

$9,437 CHF 7,398

-16.97%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Schaffhausen: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,067 in Basel and $1,214 in Schaffhausen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Schaffhausen pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $154 in Basel vs $125 in Schaffhausen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $694 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 17% 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 20% 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: $2,067 in Basel versus $1,214 in Schaffhausen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,607 in Basel versus $3,325 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 $3,151 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 17% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.