Cost of Living Comparison Between Schaffhausen and Basel Cost of Living Comparison Between Schaffhausen and Basel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,172 in Schaffhausen versus $3,658 in Basel.

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

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

Living in Schaffhausen costs roughly 13% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.30 CHF 25.55

$30.22 CHF 24.67

3.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 99.4

$157 CHF 128

-22.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.11 CHF 13.15

$19.82 CHF 16.18

-18.72%

Cappuccino

$5.68 CHF 4.63

$7.03 CHF 5.74

-19.20%

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

$5.36 CHF 4.37

$5.60 CHF 4.57

-4.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 CHF 3.57

$5.11 CHF 4.17

-14.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.99 CHF 6.52

$9.92 CHF 8.10

-19.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 CHF 6.18

$7.63 CHF 6.23

-0.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CHF 1.60

$2.23 CHF 1.82

-12.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 CHF 3.09

$3.73 CHF 3.04

1.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 CHF 3.01

$5.13 CHF 4.19

-28.07%

Eggs

$7.84 CHF 6.40

$7.88 CHF 6.43

-0.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.80 CHF 24.32

$29.25 CHF 23.87

1.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.49 CHF 28.97

$36.16 CHF 29.52

-1.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.0 CHF 41.59

$43.71 CHF 35.68

16.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 CHF 3.01

$3.86 CHF 3.15

-4.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 CHF 1.84

$2.71 CHF 2.21

-16.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 CHF 2.35

$4.21 CHF 3.43

-31.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.10 CHF 4.98

$6.92 CHF 5.65

-11.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$3.24 CHF 2.64

-23.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 CHF 2.03

$2.85 CHF 2.32

-12.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CHF 2.18

$2.61 CHF 2.13

2.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CHF 1.04

$1.55 CHF 1.26

-18.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 CHF 8.93

$11.90 CHF 9.71

-8.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 CHF 10.95

$13.44 CHF 10.97

-0.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 CHF 1.11

$2.36 CHF 1.93

-42.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 CHF 2.12

$3.12 CHF 2.55

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 CHF 3.22

$4.65 CHF 3.79

-15.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.7 CHF 69.9

$107 CHF 87.4

-20.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 CHF 8.20

$8.15 CHF 6.65

23.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.04 CHF 3.30

$4.16 CHF 3.39

-2.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.9 CHF 50.5

$87.0 CHF 71.0

-28.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.74

$2.21 CHF 1.81

-3.62%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.4K

$39.8K CHF 32.5K

-0.27%

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

$42.4K CHF 34.6K

$44.5K CHF 36.3K

-4.58%

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

$247 CHF 202

$302 CHF 247

-18.25%

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

$28.70 CHF 23.42

$53.7 CHF 43.83

-46.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.94 CHF 35.05

$59.1 CHF 48.26

-27.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 CHF 88.6

$88.8 CHF 72.5

22.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.47 CHF 38.74

$41.93 CHF 34.23

13.21%

Cinema Ticket

$22.34 CHF 18.24

$23.07 CHF 18.83

-3.16%

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

$3,354 CHF 2,738

$2,621 CHF 2,139

27.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.5K CHF 35.5K

$34.6K CHF 28.3K

25.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 CHF 91.4

$135 CHF 110

-17.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.7 CHF 55.2

$86.8 CHF 70.8

-22.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 CHF 109

$179 CHF 146

-25.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 CHF 126

$233 CHF 191

-33.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 CHF 1,001

$2,070 CHF 1,689

-40.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 CHF 1,018

$1,475 CHF 1,204

-15.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,660 CHF 2,171

$3,823 CHF 3,120

-30.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,215 CHF 1,808

$2,868 CHF 2,341

-22.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,226 CHF 6,714

$18.1K CHF 14.8K

-54.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,564 CHF 6,990

$14.6K CHF 11.9K

-41.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,453 CHF 6,083

$7,233 CHF 5,904

3.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

2.55

-1.96%

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

Last update for Schaffhausen: July 21, 2026

Last update for Basel: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,226 in Schaffhausen and $2,070 in Basel. 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: $122 in Schaffhausen vs $157 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $675 vs $688 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

Schaffhausen vs Basel: 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.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Schaffhausen, 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: $1,226 in Schaffhausen versus $2,070 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,354 in Schaffhausen versus $2,621 in Basel. 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, Schaffhausen and Basel 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.