Cost of Living Comparison Between Schaffhausen and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Schaffhausen and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,132 in Schaffhausen versus $2,263 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,926 in Schaffhausen versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,720 in Schaffhausen versus $4,368 in Lisbon.

Living in Schaffhausen is roughly 38% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Schaffhausen 133% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.39 CHF 24.29

$15.94 €13.82

90.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 CHF 99.4

$63.4 €54.9

96.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.82 CHF 12.65

$10.38 €9.00

52.41%

Cappuccino

$5.42 CHF 4.33

$2.79 €2.42

94.27%

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

$5.36 CHF 4.28

$2.34 €2.03

129.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 CHF 3.49

$1.57 €1.36

178.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 CHF 6.36

$3.43 €2.97

131.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 CHF 5.88

$3.91 €3.39

87.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CHF 1.57

$1.08 €0.93

81.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.77 CHF 3.01

$1.77 €1.53

112.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 CHF 2.88

$1.71 €1.48

111.11%

Eggs

$7.87 CHF 6.29

$3.15 €2.73

149.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.45 CHF 23.54

$13.68 €11.86

115.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.04 CHF 28.01

$8.01 €6.94

337.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.8 CHF 41.39

$15.52 €13.45

233.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 2.94

$2.29 €1.99

60.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 CHF 1.86

$1.64 €1.42

42.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.35

$1.94 €1.68

51.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.14 CHF 4.91

$2.51 €2.18

144.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 CHF 1.94

$1.79 €1.55

35.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 1.99

$2.01 €1.74

23.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CHF 2.05

$1.97 €1.70

29.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.02

$0.84 €0.73

52.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.97 CHF 8.77

$6.79 €5.88

61.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.33 CHF 9.85

$5.67 €4.92

117.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 CHF 1.09

$1.39 €1.20

-1.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 CHF 2.16

$3.02 €2.61

-10.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 CHF 3.18

$2.27 €1.97

75.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.3 CHF 69.7

$45.44 €39.38

92.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.15 CHF 8.11

$4.29 €3.72

136.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.89 CHF 3.11

$0.85 €0.74

357.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.6 CHF 48.41

$18.28 €15.84

231.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.76

$1.99 €1.72

11.06%

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

$40.3K CHF 32.2K

$35.0K €30.4K

15.01%

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

$42.6K CHF 34.1K

$39.5K €34.3K

7.77%

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

$247 CHF 197

$146 €127

68.83%

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

$28.92 CHF 23.11

$20.45 €17.72

41.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.93 CHF 35.11

$38.98 €33.78

12.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 CHF 87.2

$48.98 €42.46

122.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.61 CHF 38.06

$18.83 €16.32

152.84%

Cinema Ticket

$22.53 CHF 18.01

$9.52 €8.25

136.66%

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

$3,388 CHF 2,708

$608 €527

457.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.4K CHF 33.9K

$16.5K €14.3K

157.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 CHF 89.1

$104 €90.0

7.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.4 CHF 53.1

$42.12 €36.50

57.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 CHF 103

$92.2 €79.9

40.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 CHF 124

$120 €104

29.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 CHF 972

$1,621 €1,405

-24.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 CHF 977

$1,268 €1,099

-3.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 CHF 2,152

$3,048 €2,642

-11.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 CHF 1,756

$2,009 €1,741

9.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,390 CHF 6,706

$7,663 €6,641

9.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,769 CHF 5,410

$4,329 €3,752

56.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,336 CHF 7,463

$1,585 €1,374

489.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

3.81

-34.38%

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

Last update for Schaffhausen: June 9, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,216 in Schaffhausen and $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Schaffhausen pays 489% 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: $124 in Schaffhausen vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $672 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon 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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Schaffhausen and Lisbon differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($3,132 vs $2,263 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Schaffhausen pays 489% 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 $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,388 in Schaffhausen versus $608 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 150% higher in Schaffhausen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,263 in Lisbon versus $3,132 in Schaffhausen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Schaffhausen. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Lisbon 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Schaffhausen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.