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: $3,595 in Lausanne versus $3,132 in Schaffhausen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,762 in Lausanne versus $4,926 in Schaffhausen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,930 in Lausanne versus $6,720 in Schaffhausen.

Living in Lausanne is roughly 15% more expensive than Schaffhausen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lausanne 167% above, Schaffhausen 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.90 CHF 26.29

$30.39 CHF 24.29

8.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 118

$124 CHF 99.4

18.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.29 CHF 15.42

$15.82 CHF 12.65

21.93%

Cappuccino

$5.98 CHF 4.78

$5.42 CHF 4.33

10.33%

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

$5.33 CHF 4.26

$5.36 CHF 4.28

-0.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 CHF 3.95

$4.37 CHF 3.49

13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.67

$7.95 CHF 6.36

20.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.72 CHF 6.97

$7.35 CHF 5.88

18.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.75

$1.96 CHF 1.57

11.22%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 CHF 3.30

$3.77 CHF 3.01

9.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 CHF 3.44

$3.61 CHF 2.88

19.11%

Eggs

$7.03 CHF 5.62

$7.87 CHF 6.29

-10.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.28 CHF 21.01

$29.45 CHF 23.54

-10.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.86 CHF 23.07

$35.04 CHF 28.01

-17.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.6 CHF 41.28

$51.8 CHF 41.39

-0.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CHF 2.89

$3.68 CHF 2.94

-1.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.68

$2.33 CHF 1.86

-9.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.35

$2.94 CHF 2.35

0.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.67 CHF 5.33

$6.14 CHF 4.91

8.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.01

$2.42 CHF 1.94

4.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.94

$2.49 CHF 1.99

-2.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 2.03

$2.56 CHF 2.05

-0.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CHF 1.18

$1.28 CHF 1.02

14.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.16 CHF 8.92

$10.97 CHF 8.77

1.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 CHF 12.97

$12.33 CHF 9.85

31.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 CHF 1.69

$1.37 CHF 1.09

54.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CHF 2.49

$2.71 CHF 2.16

14.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.92 CHF 3.93

$3.98 CHF 3.18

23.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.3 CHF 75.3

$87.3 CHF 69.7

8.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 CHF 6.31

$10.15 CHF 8.11

-22.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.28 CHF 2.62

$3.89 CHF 3.11

-15.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.0 CHF 53.5

$60.6 CHF 48.41

10.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.80

$2.21 CHF 1.76

1.81%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.3K

$40.3K CHF 32.2K

0.20%

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

$41.8K CHF 33.4K

$42.6K CHF 34.1K

-1.87%

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

$325 CHF 260

$247 CHF 197

31.71%

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

$50.8 CHF 40.61

$28.92 CHF 23.11

75.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CHF 46.17

$43.93 CHF 35.11

31.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.6 CHF 62.8

$109 CHF 87.2

-27.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.52 CHF 37.98

$47.61 CHF 38.06

-0.19%

Cinema Ticket

$26.56 CHF 21.23

$22.53 CHF 18.01

17.89%

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

$2,833 CHF 2,264

$3,388 CHF 2,708

-16.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K CHF 27.0K

$42.4K CHF 33.9K

-20.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 CHF 86.1

$111 CHF 89.1

-3.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 CHF 56.4

$66.4 CHF 53.1

6.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 118

$129 CHF 103

14.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 147

$155 CHF 124

18.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 CHF 1,469

$1,216 CHF 972

51.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 CHF 1,155

$1,222 CHF 977

18.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,615 CHF 2,889

$2,692 CHF 2,152

34.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,906 CHF 2,322

$2,197 CHF 1,756

32.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.8K CHF 15.8K

$8,390 CHF 6,706

135.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.4K

$6,769 CHF 5,410

111.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,240 CHF 5,787

$9,336 CHF 7,463

-22.45%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Schaffhausen: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,837 in Lausanne and $1,216 in Schaffhausen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Schaffhausen pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $147 in Lausanne vs $124 in Schaffhausen. Groceries flip the comparison at $652 vs $672, 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 15% in total monthly costs ($3,595 vs $3,132 including rent). Schaffhausen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Schaffhausen earns 29% 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: $1,837 in Lausanne versus $1,216 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 $124 versus $147 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,595 per month in Lausanne versus $3,132 in Schaffhausen – a 15% 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 15% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.