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 $3,544 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,139 in Schaffhausen versus $5,518 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,126 in Schaffhausen versus $7,492 in Basel.

Living in Schaffhausen costs roughly 11% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Schaffhausen 129% above, Basel 157% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.20 CHF 25.46

$29.93 CHF 24.42

4.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 CHF 99.0

$125 CHF 102

-3.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.87 CHF 15.40

$18.69 CHF 15.25

0.96%

Cappuccino

$5.75 CHF 4.69

$6.73 CHF 5.49

-14.56%

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

$5.47 CHF 4.47

$6.33 CHF 5.17

-13.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 CHF 4.07

$5.86 CHF 4.78

-14.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.73 CHF 7.13

$9.34 CHF 7.62

-6.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.46 CHF 6.09

$10.07 CHF 8.22

-25.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.81

$2.32 CHF 1.89

-4.74%

White Bread (500g)

$4.15 CHF 3.38

$3.05 CHF 2.49

36.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.36 CHF 3.55

$3.32 CHF 2.71

31.33%

Eggs

$7.84 CHF 6.40

$8.34 CHF 6.80

-6.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.35 CHF 23.14

$26.21 CHF 21.39

8.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.11 CHF 26.20

$27.85 CHF 22.73

15.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.79 CHF 35.74

$42.56 CHF 34.73

2.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 CHF 3.20

$3.66 CHF 2.99

7.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.79

$2.40 CHF 1.96

-8.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.59

$2.99 CHF 2.44

6.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.68 CHF 4.63

$4.83 CHF 3.94

17.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.05

$1.79 CHF 1.46

40.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$1.95 CHF 1.59

15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CHF 2.00

$2.33 CHF 1.90

5.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CHF 1.02

$1.66 CHF 1.36

-24.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.23 CHF 9.17

$11.63 CHF 9.49

-3.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.72 CHF 11.20

$12.24 CHF 9.99

12.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.48

$2.49 CHF 2.03

22.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 CHF 3.24

$3.18 CHF 2.59

24.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 CHF 3.22

$4.44 CHF 3.63

-11.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.4 CHF 81.1

$108 CHF 88.3

-8.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.26 CHF 5.11

$7.99 CHF 6.52

-21.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.81 CHF 3.11

$4.59 CHF 3.75

-16.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.5 CHF 50.2

$88.0 CHF 71.8

-30.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.81

$2.29 CHF 1.87

-3.06%

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

$44.7K CHF 36.5K

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

1.10%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.3K

$39.6K CHF 32.3K

2.83%

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

$228 CHF 186

$299 CHF 244

-23.77%

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

$31.99 CHF 26.11

$53.3 CHF 43.47

-39.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.0 CHF 52.2

$66.0 CHF 53.9

-3.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 CHF 91.1

$85.8 CHF 70.0

30.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.98 CHF 38.34

$59.0 CHF 48.17

-20.41%

Cinema Ticket

$23.97 CHF 19.56

$23.81 CHF 19.44

0.67%

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

$3,228 CHF 2,634

$3,026 CHF 2,470

6.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

-0.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$170 CHF 138

$147 CHF 120

15.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 CHF 44.83

$81.6 CHF 66.6

-32.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$193 CHF 157

$164 CHF 134

17.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 CHF 128

$199 CHF 162

-21.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 CHF 1,112

$2,141 CHF 1,747

-36.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 CHF 980

$1,528 CHF 1,247

-21.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,710 CHF 2,212

$3,615 CHF 2,950

-25.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,411 CHF 1,967

$2,890 CHF 2,358

-16.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,369 CHF 6,830

$18.4K CHF 15.0K

-54.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,438 CHF 6,886

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

-41.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,296 CHF 5,954

$7,336 CHF 5,987

-0.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.48

2.43

2.06%

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

Last update for Schaffhausen: September 5, 2026

Last update for Basel: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,362 in Schaffhausen and $2,141 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 1% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $121 in Schaffhausen vs $125 in Basel. Groceries flip the comparison at $651 vs $597, with Basel 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

Schaffhausen vs Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Schaffhausen wins on cost – living expenses run 12% 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, salaries run 1% lower in Basel. 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: $1,362 in Schaffhausen versus $2,141 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,228 in Schaffhausen versus $3,026 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Basel pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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 12% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.