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: $3,132 in Schaffhausen versus $3,706 in Basel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,926 in Schaffhausen versus $5,904 in Basel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,720 in Schaffhausen versus $8,102 in Basel.

Living in Schaffhausen costs roughly 15% less than in Basel, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Schaffhausen 133% above, Basel 176% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.39 CHF 24.29

$31.07 CHF 24.84

-2.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 CHF 99.4

$155 CHF 124

-19.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.82 CHF 12.65

$19.81 CHF 15.83

-20.14%

Cappuccino

$5.42 CHF 4.33

$6.98 CHF 5.58

-22.35%

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

$5.36 CHF 4.28

$5.69 CHF 4.55

-5.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 CHF 3.49

$5.00 CHF 4.00

-12.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 CHF 6.36

$9.80 CHF 7.83

-18.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 CHF 5.88

$7.64 CHF 6.11

-3.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CHF 1.57

$2.22 CHF 1.78

-11.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.77 CHF 3.01

$3.85 CHF 3.07

-2.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 CHF 2.88

$5.00 CHF 4.00

-27.80%

Eggs

$7.87 CHF 6.29

$8.00 CHF 6.40

-1.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.45 CHF 23.54

$28.50 CHF 22.78

3.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.04 CHF 28.01

$36.38 CHF 29.08

-3.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.8 CHF 41.39

$44.61 CHF 35.66

16.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 2.94

$3.95 CHF 3.16

-6.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 CHF 1.86

$2.70 CHF 2.16

-13.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.35

$4.24 CHF 3.39

-30.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.14 CHF 4.91

$6.84 CHF 5.47

-10.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 CHF 1.94

$3.15 CHF 2.52

-23.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 1.99

$2.86 CHF 2.29

-12.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CHF 2.05

$2.63 CHF 2.11

-2.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.02

$1.50 CHF 1.20

-14.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.97 CHF 8.77

$11.55 CHF 9.23

-5.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.33 CHF 9.85

$13.89 CHF 11.10

-11.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 CHF 1.09

$2.37 CHF 1.90

-42.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 CHF 2.16

$3.06 CHF 2.44

-11.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 CHF 3.18

$4.67 CHF 3.73

-14.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.3 CHF 69.7

$108 CHF 86.3

-19.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.15 CHF 8.11

$8.06 CHF 6.44

25.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.89 CHF 3.11

$4.28 CHF 3.42

-9.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.6 CHF 48.41

$87.2 CHF 69.7

-30.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.76

$2.22 CHF 1.77

-0.45%

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

$40.3K CHF 32.2K

$39.9K CHF 31.9K

0.88%

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

$42.6K CHF 34.1K

$44.8K CHF 35.8K

-4.79%

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

$247 CHF 197

$308 CHF 246

-19.95%

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

$28.92 CHF 23.11

$55.1 CHF 44.04

-47.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.93 CHF 35.11

$59.9 CHF 47.84

-26.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 CHF 87.2

$90.5 CHF 72.3

20.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.61 CHF 38.06

$41.81 CHF 33.42

13.87%

Cinema Ticket

$22.53 CHF 18.01

$23.10 CHF 18.47

-2.47%

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

$3,388 CHF 2,708

$2,555 CHF 2,042

32.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.4K CHF 33.9K

$34.2K CHF 27.3K

24.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 CHF 89.1

$133 CHF 106

-16.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.4 CHF 53.1

$86.4 CHF 69.1

-23.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 CHF 103

$175 CHF 140

-26.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 CHF 124

$234 CHF 187

-33.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 CHF 972

$2,106 CHF 1,684

-42.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 CHF 977

$1,484 CHF 1,186

-17.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 CHF 2,152

$3,757 CHF 3,003

-28.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 CHF 1,756

$2,891 CHF 2,311

-24.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,390 CHF 6,706

$18.7K CHF 14.9K

-55.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,769 CHF 5,410

$14.0K CHF 11.2K

-51.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,336 CHF 7,463

$8,072 CHF 6,452

15.67%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Basel: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,216 in Schaffhausen and $2,106 in Basel. 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: $124 in Schaffhausen vs $155 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $672 vs $691 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 18% 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 16% 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: $1,216 in Schaffhausen versus $2,106 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,388 in Schaffhausen versus $2,555 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 $3,132 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 18% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.