Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Schaffhausen and Reykjavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Schaffhausen: $3,139 a month against $4,040 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

150

Cost of Living Index in Schaffhausen
Learn more

Schaffhausen Living Index
194

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
Learn more

Reykjavik Living Index

Jump to prices

Schaffhausen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,139

/mo nomad

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,040

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Schaffhausen and in Reykjavik

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 Reykjavik actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Schaffhausen vs $4,040 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Schaffhausen $3,139
Reykjavik $4,040

A couple spends around $5,010 per month in Schaffhausen vs $5,742 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Schaffhausen $5,010
Reykjavik $5,742

A family of three spends $6,882 per month in Schaffhausen vs $7,445 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Schaffhausen $6,882
Reykjavik $7,445

Schaffhausen is about 22% cheaper than Reykjavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Schaffhausen and Reykjavik sit above the global median – Schaffhausen by 131%, Reykjavik by 197%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.45 CHF 25.24

$31.42 ISK 3,829

-3.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 101

$125 ISK 15.2K

-2.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.19 CHF 15.08

$27.18 ISK 3,312

-33.08%

Cappuccino

$6.01 CHF 4.98

$6.65 ISK 810

-9.62%

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

$5.32 CHF 4.41

$3.41 ISK 415

56.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 CHF 3.96

$3.04 ISK 371

57.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.39 CHF 6.96

$14.18 ISK 1,728

-40.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 CHF 5.89

$12.16 ISK 1,482

-41.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.79

$2.10 ISK 256

2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 CHF 3.32

$4.14 ISK 504

-3.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 CHF 3.52

$3.69 ISK 449

15.18%

Eggs

$7.81 CHF 6.47

$7.09 ISK 863

10.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.90 CHF 23.13

$22.32 ISK 2,719

25.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$30.45 CHF 25.24

$24.78 ISK 3,019

22.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.66 CHF 35.36

$42.67 ISK 5,199

-0.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 CHF 3.18

$3.29 ISK 401

16.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.72

$2.88 ISK 351

-28.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.63

$3.27 ISK 398

-3.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.49 CHF 4.55

$6.37 ISK 776

-13.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 CHF 1.97

$3.96 ISK 483

-39.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.77

$1.62 ISK 197

32.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 CHF 1.91

$3.70 ISK 451

-37.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 CHF 0.96

$1.77 ISK 215

-34.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.82 CHF 8.97

$13.66 ISK 1,664

-20.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.00 CHF 9.94

$24.16 ISK 2,944

-50.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 CHF 2.40

$3.66 ISK 445

-21.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 CHF 2.97

$3.43 ISK 417

4.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.01 CHF 3.32

$5.49 ISK 669

-26.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.0 CHF 81.2

$96.1 ISK 11.7K

1.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 CHF 5.06

$6.85 ISK 834

-10.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.86 CHF 2.37

$2.90 ISK 353

-1.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.6 CHF 49.39

$81.8 ISK 9,971

-27.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.84

$2.02 ISK 246

9.90%

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

$38.4K CHF 31.8K

$68.2K ISK 8.3M

-43.73%

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

$39.4K CHF 32.7K

$56.3K ISK 6.9M

-30.01%

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

$229 CHF 190

$95.9 ISK 11.7K

139.02%

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

$28.98 CHF 24.02

$32.16 ISK 3,918

-9.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.0 CHF 51.4

$86.4 ISK 10.5K

-28.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$110 CHF 91.2

$96.9 ISK 11.8K

13.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.30 CHF 38.37

$51.2 ISK 6,238

-9.57%

Cinema Ticket

$23.59 CHF 19.55

$19.28 ISK 2,349

22.35%

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

$3,157 CHF 2,616

$1,178 ISK 143.5K

167.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K CHF 20.3K

$25.8K ISK 3.1M

-4.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$163 CHF 135

$152 ISK 18.5K

6.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 CHF 45.47

$66.5 ISK 8,105

-17.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$172 CHF 142

$183 ISK 22.3K

-6.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 CHF 124

$246 ISK 29.9K

-38.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 CHF 1,054

$2,585 ISK 314.9K

-50.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 CHF 988

$2,098 ISK 255.6K

-43.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,689 CHF 2,228

$3,513 ISK 428.1K

-23.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,317 CHF 1,921

$2,792 ISK 340.1K

-17.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,110 CHF 6,723

$8,038 ISK 979.3K

0.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,439 CHF 6,995

$6,305 ISK 768.2K

33.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,148 CHF 5,925

$4,549 ISK 554.3K

57.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.41

8.81

-72.64%

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

Last update for Schaffhausen: October 27, 2026

Last update for Reykjavik: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Schaffhausen

$1.2K 38%

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.9% 76% $906

Groceries & Markets

Schaffhausen

$626 19.9%

Reykjavik

$628 15.5% 0.3% $1.9

Eating Out

Schaffhausen

$467 14.9%

Reykjavik

$534 13.2% 14.3% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Schaffhausen

$320 10.2%

Reykjavik

$215 5.3% 33% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Schaffhausen

$243 7.7%

Reykjavik

$291 7.2% 20.1% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Schaffhausen

$157 5%

Reykjavik

$135 3.4% 13.8% $22

Getting Around

Schaffhausen

$134 4.3%

Reykjavik

$139 3.5% 3.7% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,272 in Schaffhausen versus $2,585 in Reykjavik. 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 57% higher in Schaffhausen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Schaffhausen versus $125 in Reykjavik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $626 vs $628 – making Schaffhausen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Schaffhausen

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🕒 Local time

12:06 12:06 PM

11:06 11:06 AM

1 h behind Schaffhausen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,927

136,894 Capital

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.829 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.923 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.37 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Schaffhausen Reykjavik 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Schaffhausen
Reykjavik

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 Reykjavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 29% more than Schaffhausen, 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 $6,061 in Reykjavik. 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 $2,585 in Reykjavik.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,139 in Schaffhausen and $4,040 in Reykjavik. That’s a gap of about 29%.

Kindergarten costs $3,157 per month in Schaffhausen and $1,178 in Reykjavik. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Schaffhausen and $4,040 in Reykjavik. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Reykjavik has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,139 in Schaffhausen to $4,040 in Reykjavik. 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.