Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Schaffhausen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lausanne and Schaffhausen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,563 in Lausanne versus $3,172 in Schaffhausen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,620 in Lausanne versus $4,928 in Schaffhausen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,677 in Lausanne versus $6,685 in Schaffhausen.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 12% more expensive than in Schaffhausen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 167% above, Schaffhausen 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.01 CHF 26.94

$31.30 CHF 25.55

5.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 121

$122 CHF 99.4

21.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.84 CHF 15.38

$16.11 CHF 13.15

16.95%

Cappuccino

$5.85 CHF 4.78

$5.68 CHF 4.63

2.99%

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

$5.35 CHF 4.37

$5.36 CHF 4.37

-0.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 CHF 3.92

$4.37 CHF 3.57

9.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.64 CHF 7.87

$7.99 CHF 6.52

20.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.51 CHF 6.94

$7.57 CHF 6.18

12.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.78

$1.96 CHF 1.60

11.22%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 CHF 3.43

$3.78 CHF 3.09

11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 CHF 3.53

$3.69 CHF 3.01

17.07%

Eggs

$7.24 CHF 5.91

$7.84 CHF 6.40

-7.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.30 CHF 21.46

$29.80 CHF 24.32

-11.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.79 CHF 23.50

$35.49 CHF 28.97

-18.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$53.5 CHF 43.66

$51.0 CHF 41.59

4.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 CHF 3.04

$3.69 CHF 3.01

1.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 CHF 1.77

$2.26 CHF 1.84

-3.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.37

$2.88 CHF 2.35

1.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.62 CHF 5.40

$6.10 CHF 4.98

8.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 1.99

$2.49 CHF 2.03

-2.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.97

$2.48 CHF 2.03

-2.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.13

$2.67 CHF 2.18

-2.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 CHF 1.14

$1.27 CHF 1.04

10.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 CHF 8.93

Wine (Bottle)

$15.85 CHF 12.94

$13.42 CHF 10.95

18.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 CHF 1.67

$1.36 CHF 1.11

50.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CHF 2.61

$2.60 CHF 2.12

23.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.86 CHF 3.96

$3.95 CHF 3.22

23.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.5 CHF 77.9

$85.7 CHF 69.9

11.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 CHF 6.38

$10.05 CHF 8.20

-22.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.39 CHF 2.77

$4.04 CHF 3.30

-16.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.5 CHF 53.5

$61.9 CHF 50.5

5.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.74

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

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

$39.7K CHF 32.4K

3.62%

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

$41.8K CHF 34.1K

$42.4K CHF 34.6K

-1.55%

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

$327 CHF 267

$247 CHF 202

32.31%

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

$50.2 CHF 40.98

$28.70 CHF 23.42

74.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 CHF 47.57

$42.94 CHF 35.05

35.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.0 CHF 63.7

$109 CHF 88.6

-28.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.32 CHF 39.44

$47.47 CHF 38.74

1.79%

Cinema Ticket

$26.86 CHF 21.93

$22.34 CHF 18.24

20.23%

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

$2,764 CHF 2,256

$3,354 CHF 2,738

-17.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 28.3K

$43.5K CHF 35.5K

-20.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 87.5

$112 CHF 91.4

-4.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.7 CHF 56.1

$67.7 CHF 55.2

1.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 CHF 123

$133 CHF 109

12.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 CHF 152

$154 CHF 126

20.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 CHF 1,536

$1,226 CHF 1,001

53.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 CHF 1,175

$1,247 CHF 1,018

15.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 CHF 2,970

$2,660 CHF 2,171

36.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,977 CHF 2,430

$2,215 CHF 1,808

34.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.5K CHF 15.1K

$8,226 CHF 6,714

124.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.7K

$8,564 CHF 6,990

67.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,398 CHF 5,222

$7,453 CHF 6,083

-14.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

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

Last update for Lausanne: July 19, 2026

Last update for Schaffhausen: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,882 in Lausanne and $1,226 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: $148 in Lausanne vs $122 in Schaffhausen. Groceries flip the comparison at $657 vs $675, with Lausanne 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

Lausanne vs Schaffhausen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lausanne and Schaffhausen differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($3,563 vs $3,172 including rent). Schaffhausen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% 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: $1,882 in Lausanne versus $1,226 in Schaffhausen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Schaffhausen – a meal for two runs $122 versus $148 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,563 per month in Lausanne versus $3,172 in Schaffhausen – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 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, Lausanne 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 Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.