Cost of Living Comparison Between Schaffhausen and Zurich Cost of Living Comparison Between Schaffhausen and Zurich

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,132 in Schaffhausen versus $4,264 in Zurich.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,926 in Schaffhausen versus $6,405 in Zurich.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,720 in Schaffhausen versus $8,546 in Zurich.

Living in Schaffhausen costs roughly 27% less than in Zurich, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Schaffhausen 133% above, Zurich 217% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.39 CHF 24.29

$30.59 CHF 24.45

-0.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 CHF 99.4

$146 CHF 116

-14.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.82 CHF 12.65

$20.52 CHF 16.41

-22.90%

Cappuccino

$5.42 CHF 4.33

$6.99 CHF 5.59

-22.46%

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

$5.36 CHF 4.28

$6.08 CHF 4.86

-11.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 CHF 3.49

$5.28 CHF 4.22

-17.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 CHF 6.36

$9.91 CHF 7.92

-19.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 CHF 5.88

$8.83 CHF 7.06

-16.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CHF 1.57

$2.24 CHF 1.79

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.77 CHF 3.01

$3.29 CHF 2.63

14.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 CHF 2.88

$3.95 CHF 3.15

-8.61%

Eggs

$7.87 CHF 6.29

$7.39 CHF 5.90

6.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.45 CHF 23.54

$30.07 CHF 24.03

-2.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.04 CHF 28.01

$34.13 CHF 27.28

2.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.8 CHF 41.39

$50.9 CHF 40.71

1.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 2.94

$4.23 CHF 3.38

-13.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 CHF 1.86

$2.83 CHF 2.26

-17.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.35

$3.01 CHF 2.41

-2.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.14 CHF 4.91

$5.27 CHF 4.21

16.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 CHF 1.94

$2.82 CHF 2.25

-14.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 1.99

$2.34 CHF 1.87

6.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CHF 2.05

$2.51 CHF 2.00

1.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.02

$1.72 CHF 1.37

-25.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.97 CHF 8.77

$10.87 CHF 8.69

0.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.33 CHF 9.85

$15.00 CHF 11.99

-17.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 CHF 1.09

$2.71 CHF 2.17

-49.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 CHF 2.16

$3.24 CHF 2.59

-16.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 CHF 3.18

$5.06 CHF 4.04

-21.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.3 CHF 69.7

$109 CHF 87.4

-20.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.15 CHF 8.11

$7.88 CHF 6.30

28.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.89 CHF 3.11

$4.30 CHF 3.43

-9.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.6 CHF 48.41

$88.5 CHF 70.7

-31.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.76

$2.32 CHF 1.85

-4.74%

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

$40.3K CHF 32.2K

$41.1K CHF 32.9K

-2.04%

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

$42.6K CHF 34.1K

$39.1K CHF 31.2K

9.05%

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

$247 CHF 197

$257 CHF 206

-4.14%

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

$28.92 CHF 23.11

$35.13 CHF 28.08

-17.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.93 CHF 35.11

$59.1 CHF 47.26

-25.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 CHF 87.2

$89.0 CHF 71.2

22.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.61 CHF 38.06

$49.88 CHF 39.87

-4.55%

Cinema Ticket

$22.53 CHF 18.01

$24.22 CHF 19.36

-6.98%

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

$3,388 CHF 2,708

$3,382 CHF 2,703

0.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.4K CHF 33.9K

$38.9K CHF 31.1K

8.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 CHF 89.1

$139 CHF 111

-19.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.4 CHF 53.1

$62.5 CHF 49.93

6.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 CHF 103

$146 CHF 117

-11.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 CHF 124

$198 CHF 159

-21.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 CHF 972

$2,676 CHF 2,139

-54.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 CHF 977

$2,185 CHF 1,746

-44.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 CHF 2,152

$5,057 CHF 4,042

-46.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 CHF 1,756

$3,718 CHF 2,971

-40.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,390 CHF 6,706

$26.5K CHF 21.2K

-68.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,769 CHF 5,410

$16.9K CHF 13.5K

-59.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,336 CHF 7,463

$8,547 CHF 6,832

9.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

2.09

19.62%

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

Last update for Schaffhausen: June 9, 2026

Last update for Zurich: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,216 in Schaffhausen and $2,676 in Zurich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Schaffhausen pays 9% 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 $146 in Zurich for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $672 vs $685 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 Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Schaffhausen wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Zurich. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Schaffhausen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Schaffhausen pays 9% 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 $2,676 in Zurich. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Zurich. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Schaffhausen – a meal for two runs $124 versus $146 in Zurich. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Zurich 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 36% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.