Cost of Living Comparison Between Schaffhausen and Lausanne Cost of Living Comparison Between Schaffhausen and Lausanne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,172 in Schaffhausen versus $3,563 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,928 in Schaffhausen versus $5,620 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,685 in Schaffhausen versus $7,677 in Lausanne.

Living in Schaffhausen costs roughly 11% less than in Lausanne, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Schaffhausen 137% above, Lausanne 167% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.30 CHF 25.55

$33.01 CHF 26.94

-5.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 99.4

$148 CHF 121

-17.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.11 CHF 13.15

$18.84 CHF 15.38

-14.49%

Cappuccino

$5.68 CHF 4.63

$5.85 CHF 4.78

-2.91%

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

$5.36 CHF 4.37

$5.35 CHF 4.37

0.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 CHF 3.57

$4.80 CHF 3.92

-8.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.99 CHF 6.52

$9.64 CHF 7.87

-17.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 CHF 6.18

$8.51 CHF 6.94

-11.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CHF 1.60

$2.18 CHF 1.78

-10.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 CHF 3.09

$4.20 CHF 3.43

-10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 CHF 3.01

$4.32 CHF 3.53

-14.58%

Eggs

$7.84 CHF 6.40

$7.24 CHF 5.91

8.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.80 CHF 24.32

$26.30 CHF 21.46

13.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.49 CHF 28.97

$28.79 CHF 23.50

23.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.0 CHF 41.59

$53.5 CHF 43.66

-4.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 CHF 3.01

$3.73 CHF 3.04

-1.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 CHF 1.84

$2.17 CHF 1.77

4.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 CHF 2.35

$2.91 CHF 2.37

-1.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.10 CHF 4.98

$6.62 CHF 5.40

-7.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$2.44 CHF 1.99

2.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 CHF 2.03

$2.41 CHF 1.97

2.90%

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

$1.40 CHF 1.14

-9.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 CHF 8.93

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 CHF 10.95

$15.85 CHF 12.94

-15.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 CHF 1.11

$2.05 CHF 1.67

-33.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 CHF 2.12

$3.20 CHF 2.61

-18.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 CHF 3.22

$4.86 CHF 3.96

-18.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.7 CHF 69.9

$95.5 CHF 77.9

-10.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 CHF 8.20

$7.82 CHF 6.38

28.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.04 CHF 3.30

$3.39 CHF 2.77

19.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.9 CHF 50.5

$65.5 CHF 53.5

-5.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.74

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

$39.7K CHF 32.4K

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

-3.49%

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

$42.4K CHF 34.6K

$41.8K CHF 34.1K

1.57%

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

$247 CHF 202

$327 CHF 267

-24.42%

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

$28.70 CHF 23.42

$50.2 CHF 40.98

-42.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.94 CHF 35.05

$58.3 CHF 47.57

-26.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 CHF 88.6

$78.0 CHF 63.7

39.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.47 CHF 38.74

$48.32 CHF 39.44

-1.76%

Cinema Ticket

$22.34 CHF 18.24

$26.86 CHF 21.93

-16.83%

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

$3,354 CHF 2,738

$2,764 CHF 2,256

21.34%

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

$107 CHF 87.5

4.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.7 CHF 55.2

$68.7 CHF 56.1

-1.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 CHF 109

$150 CHF 123

-11.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 CHF 126

$186 CHF 152

-16.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 CHF 1,001

$1,882 CHF 1,536

-34.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 CHF 1,018

$1,440 CHF 1,175

-13.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,660 CHF 2,171

$3,639 CHF 2,970

-26.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,215 CHF 1,808

$2,977 CHF 2,430

-25.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,226 CHF 6,714

$18.5K CHF 15.1K

-55.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,564 CHF 6,990

$14.3K CHF 11.7K

-40.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,453 CHF 6,083

$6,398 CHF 5,222

16.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

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

Last update for Schaffhausen: July 21, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,226 in Schaffhausen and $1,882 in Lausanne. 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: $122 in Schaffhausen vs $148 in Lausanne. Groceries flip the comparison at $675 vs $657, with Lausanne 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 Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Schaffhausen and Lausanne differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($3,172 vs $3,563 including rent). Schaffhausen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 16% 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 $1,882 in Lausanne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Schaffhausen – a meal for two runs $122 versus $148 in Lausanne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,172 per month in Schaffhausen versus $3,563 in Lausanne – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Schaffhausen and Lausanne 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 Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.