Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Schaffhausen and La Chaux-de-Fonds

For one person, living is cheaper in La Chaux-de-Fonds: $2,952 a month against $3,139 in Schaffhausen, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

150

Cost of Living Index in Schaffhausen
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Schaffhausen Living Index
143

Cost of Living Index in La Chaux-de-Fonds
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La Chaux-de-Fonds Living Index

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Schaffhausen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,139

/mo nomad

La Chaux-de-Fonds

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,952

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Schaffhausen and in La Chaux-de-Fonds

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Schaffhausen and in La Chaux-de-Fonds actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Schaffhausen vs $2,952 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, rent included.

Schaffhausen $3,139
La Chaux-de-Fonds $2,952

A couple spends around $5,010 per month in Schaffhausen vs $4,738 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, rent included.

Schaffhausen $5,010
La Chaux-de-Fonds $4,738

A family of three spends $6,882 per month in Schaffhausen vs $6,524 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, rent included.

Schaffhausen $6,882
La Chaux-de-Fonds $6,524

Schaffhausen costs about 6% more than La Chaux-de-Fonds, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Schaffhausen and La Chaux-de-Fonds sit above the global median – Schaffhausen by 131%, La Chaux-de-Fonds by 117%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.45 CHF 25.24

$24.18 CHF 20.04

25.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 101

$83.4 CHF 69.1

46.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.19 CHF 15.08

$17.79 CHF 14.75

2.25%

Cappuccino

$6.01 CHF 4.98

$4.54 CHF 3.76

32.38%

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

$5.32 CHF 4.41

$3.54 CHF 2.94

50.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 CHF 3.96

$4.59 CHF 3.80

4.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.39 CHF 6.96

$7.43 CHF 6.16

12.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 CHF 5.89

$6.19 CHF 5.13

14.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.79

$2.29 CHF 1.90

-5.68%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 CHF 3.32

$3.04 CHF 2.52

31.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 CHF 3.52

$3.28 CHF 2.72

29.57%

Eggs

$7.81 CHF 6.47

$7.83 CHF 6.49

-0.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.90 CHF 23.13

$26.31 CHF 21.81

6.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$30.45 CHF 25.24

$27.70 CHF 22.96

9.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.66 CHF 35.36

$41.41 CHF 34.32

3.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 CHF 3.18

$3.56 CHF 2.95

7.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.72

$2.23 CHF 1.85

-7.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.63

$2.96 CHF 2.45

7.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.49 CHF 4.55

$4.75 CHF 3.94

15.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 CHF 1.97

$1.70 CHF 1.41

40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.77

$2.00 CHF 1.66

7.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 CHF 1.91

$2.25 CHF 1.86

2.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 CHF 0.96

$1.57 CHF 1.30

-26.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.82 CHF 8.97

$11.10 CHF 9.20

-2.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.00 CHF 9.94

$12.27 CHF 10.17

-2.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 CHF 2.40

$2.45 CHF 2.03

17.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 CHF 2.97

$3.08 CHF 2.55

16.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.01 CHF 3.32

$4.35 CHF 3.61

-7.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.0 CHF 81.2

$101 CHF 83.8

-3.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 CHF 5.06

$8.09 CHF 6.70

-24.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.86 CHF 2.37

$4.70 CHF 3.89

-39.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.6 CHF 49.39

$86.6 CHF 71.8

-31.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.84

$2.35 CHF 1.94

-5.53%

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

$38.4K CHF 31.8K

$39.8K CHF 33.0K

-3.53%

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

$39.4K CHF 32.7K

$40.1K CHF 33.2K

-1.69%

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

$229 CHF 190

$289 CHF 240

-20.71%

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

$28.98 CHF 24.02

$45.95 CHF 38.09

-36.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.0 CHF 51.4

$62.8 CHF 52.1

-1.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$110 CHF 91.2

$73.6 CHF 61.0

49.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.30 CHF 38.37

$46.67 CHF 38.69

-0.79%

Cinema Ticket

$23.59 CHF 19.55

$22.60 CHF 18.73

4.38%

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

$3,157 CHF 2,616

$2,918 CHF 2,419

8.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K CHF 20.3K

$20.6K CHF 17.0K

19.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$163 CHF 135

$144 CHF 119

13.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 CHF 45.47

$77.8 CHF 64.5

-29.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$172 CHF 142

$162 CHF 134

6.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 CHF 124

$200 CHF 166

-24.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 CHF 1,054

$1,465 CHF 1,214

-13.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 CHF 988

$1,053 CHF 873

13.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,689 CHF 2,228

$3,857 CHF 3,197

-30.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,317 CHF 1,921

$2,323 CHF 1,926

-0.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,110 CHF 6,723

$16.8K CHF 13.9K

-51.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,439 CHF 6,995

$12.3K CHF 10.2K

-31.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,148 CHF 5,925

$5,123 CHF 4,247

39.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.41

2.42

-0.41%

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

Last update for Schaffhausen: October 27, 2026

Last update for La Chaux-de-Fonds: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Schaffhausen

$1.2K 38%

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$1.1K 35.7% 11.7% $139

Groceries & Markets

Schaffhausen

$626 19.9%

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$586 19.9% 6.3% $40

Eating Out

Schaffhausen

$467 14.9%

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$383 13% 17.9% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Schaffhausen

$320 10.2%

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$398 13.5% 24.3% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Schaffhausen

$243 7.7%

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$263 8.9% 8.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Schaffhausen

$157 5%

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$119 4% 24.4% $38

Getting Around

Schaffhausen

$134 4.3%

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$150 5.1% 11.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,272 in Schaffhausen versus $1,465 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 40% higher in Schaffhausen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Schaffhausen versus $83 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $626 vs $586 – making La Chaux-de-Fonds the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Schaffhausen

🇨🇭 La Chaux-de-Fonds

🕒 Local time

11:09 11:09 AM

Same time as Schaffhausen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,927

39,027

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 La Chaux-de-Fonds: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Schaffhausen costs about 6% more than La Chaux-de-Fonds, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,709 per month in Schaffhausen and $4,427 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Schaffhausen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,272 there versus $1,465 in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Schaffhausen and $83 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,139 in Schaffhausen and $2,952 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. That’s a gap of about 6%.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Schaffhausen and $2,952 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. La Chaux-de-Fonds has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,952 in La Chaux-de-Fonds to $3,139 in Schaffhausen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with La Chaux-de-Fonds. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Schaffhausen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.