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

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

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

Living in Schaffhausen costs roughly 14% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.31 CHF 24.55

$31.08 CHF 24.37

0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 98.1

$154 CHF 121

-18.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.86 CHF 12.43

$20.09 CHF 15.75

-21.06%

Cappuccino

$5.43 CHF 4.26

$6.99 CHF 5.48

-22.32%

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

$5.42 CHF 4.25

$5.70 CHF 4.47

-4.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 CHF 3.47

$5.04 CHF 3.95

-12.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.20 CHF 6.43

$9.72 CHF 7.62

-15.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.59 CHF 5.95

$7.54 CHF 5.91

0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 CHF 1.49

$2.17 CHF 1.70

-12.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 CHF 2.97

$3.70 CHF 2.90

2.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.79

$4.95 CHF 3.88

-28.28%

Eggs

$7.66 CHF 6.01

$7.99 CHF 6.26

-4.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.66 CHF 23.25

$28.33 CHF 22.21

4.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.28 CHF 27.66

$36.87 CHF 28.91

-4.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.8 CHF 40.59

$44.59 CHF 34.96

16.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 CHF 2.95

$3.83 CHF 3.00

-1.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.76

$2.76 CHF 2.16

-18.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 CHF 2.25

$4.01 CHF 3.14

-28.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.02 CHF 4.72

$7.13 CHF 5.59

-15.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 CHF 1.93

$3.25 CHF 2.55

-24.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 1.92

$2.83 CHF 2.22

-13.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CHF 2.10

$2.65 CHF 2.08

0.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.01

$1.55 CHF 1.22

-17.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.29 CHF 8.85

$11.59 CHF 9.08

-2.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 CHF 10.90

$15.29 CHF 11.99

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 CHF 1.07

$2.46 CHF 1.93

-44.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 CHF 2.15

$3.00 CHF 2.36

-8.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 CHF 2.97

$4.81 CHF 3.77

-21.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.1 CHF 66.7

$105 CHF 82.2

-18.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.08 CHF 7.91

$7.91 CHF 6.20

27.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.11 CHF 3.22

$4.33 CHF 3.40

-5.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.3 CHF 48.83

$86.4 CHF 67.7

-27.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.69

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

$40.9K CHF 32.0K

$41.0K CHF 32.1K

-0.24%

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

$42.5K CHF 33.3K

$45.7K CHF 35.8K

-7.03%

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

$242 CHF 190

$299 CHF 234

-18.95%

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

$28.69 CHF 22.49

$54.1 CHF 42.40

-46.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.53 CHF 34.13

$59.6 CHF 46.69

-26.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 CHF 85.7

$90.5 CHF 70.9

20.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.51 CHF 37.25

$41.79 CHF 32.77

13.69%

Cinema Ticket

$22.50 CHF 17.64

$22.41 CHF 17.57

0.40%

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

$3,325 CHF 2,607

$2,607 CHF 2,044

27.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.6K CHF 34.1K

$35.0K CHF 27.4K

24.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 CHF 87.9

$135 CHF 106

-16.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.3 CHF 53.5

$88.4 CHF 69.3

-22.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 CHF 102

$177 CHF 139

-26.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 CHF 124

$228 CHF 178

-30.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 CHF 952

$2,067 CHF 1,621

-41.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 CHF 957

$1,477 CHF 1,158

-17.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,754 CHF 2,159

$3,728 CHF 2,923

-26.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,163 CHF 1,696

$2,817 CHF 2,209

-23.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,567 CHF 6,717

$18.1K CHF 14.2K

-52.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,910 CHF 5,417

$13.4K CHF 10.5K

-48.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,437 CHF 7,398

$7,835 CHF 6,143

20.44%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Basel: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Schaffhausen and $2,067 in Basel. 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: $125 in Schaffhausen vs $154 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $675 vs $694 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 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.

Schaffhausen pays 20% more on average, 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: $1,214 in Schaffhausen versus $2,067 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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