Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Schaffhausen

For one person, living is cheaper in Schaffhausen: $3,139 a month against $4,270 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

207

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
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Zurich Living Index
150

Cost of Living Index in Schaffhausen
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Schaffhausen Living Index

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Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,270

/mo nomad

Schaffhausen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zurich and in Schaffhausen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,270 in Zurich versus $3,139 in Schaffhausen.

Zurich $4,270
Schaffhausen $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,666 in Zurich versus $5,010 in Schaffhausen.

Zurich $6,666
Schaffhausen $5,010

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,061 in Zurich versus $6,882 in Schaffhausen.

Zurich $9,061
Schaffhausen $6,882

Living in Zurich is roughly 36% more expensive than in Schaffhausen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 214% above, Schaffhausen 131% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.89 CHF 28.09

$30.45 CHF 25.24

11.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 121

$122 CHF 101

19.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.10 CHF 15.00

$18.19 CHF 15.08

-0.49%

Cappuccino

$6.88 CHF 5.70

$6.01 CHF 4.98

14.48%

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

$5.73 CHF 4.75

$5.32 CHF 4.41

7.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 CHF 4.35

$4.78 CHF 3.96

9.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.61 CHF 7.96

$8.39 CHF 6.96

14.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.37 CHF 6.94

$7.11 CHF 5.89

17.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CHF 1.75

$2.16 CHF 1.79

-2.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 CHF 3.27

$4.00 CHF 3.32

-1.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.81 CHF 3.15

$4.25 CHF 3.52

-10.35%

Eggs

$8.40 CHF 6.96

$7.81 CHF 6.47

7.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.05 CHF 22.42

$27.90 CHF 23.13

-3.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.85 CHF 23.91

$30.45 CHF 25.24

-5.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$59.4 CHF 49.23

$42.66 CHF 35.36

39.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 CHF 3.42

$3.84 CHF 3.18

7.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.37

$2.07 CHF 1.72

38.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 CHF 2.90

$3.17 CHF 2.63

10.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 CHF 3.78

$5.49 CHF 4.55

-16.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 CHF 2.11

$2.38 CHF 1.97

7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.92

$2.14 CHF 1.77

7.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CHF 2.04

$2.31 CHF 1.91

6.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.07

$1.16 CHF 0.96

11.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.04 CHF 9.15

$10.82 CHF 8.97

2.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CHF 11.60

$12.00 CHF 9.94

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 CHF 2.39

$2.89 CHF 2.40

-0.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CHF 2.63

$3.59 CHF 2.97

-11.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.44 CHF 4.51

$4.01 CHF 3.32

35.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 86.7

$98.0 CHF 81.2

6.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 CHF 6.74

$6.10 CHF 5.06

33.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.56 CHF 3.78

$2.86 CHF 2.37

59.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.8 CHF 74.5

$59.6 CHF 49.39

50.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.92

$2.22 CHF 1.84

4.50%

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

$38.9K CHF 32.2K

$38.4K CHF 31.8K

1.34%

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

$39.0K CHF 32.3K

$39.4K CHF 32.7K

-1.05%

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

$282 CHF 234

$229 CHF 190

23.08%

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

$39.00 CHF 32.33

$28.98 CHF 24.02

34.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 CHF 45.62

$62.0 CHF 51.4

-11.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.6 CHF 70.1

$110 CHF 91.2

-23.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.7 CHF 51.1

$46.30 CHF 38.37

33.24%

Cinema Ticket

$24.31 CHF 20.15

$23.59 CHF 19.55

3.05%

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

$3,444 CHF 2,855

$3,157 CHF 2,616

9.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.6K CHF 34.5K

$24.5K CHF 20.3K

69.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 114

$163 CHF 135

-15.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 CHF 45.60

$54.9 CHF 45.47

0.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 132

$172 CHF 142

-7.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$249 CHF 207

$150 CHF 124

65.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,878 CHF 2,385

$1,272 CHF 1,054

126.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 CHF 1,776

$1,192 CHF 988

79.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,559 CHF 4,608

$2,689 CHF 2,228

106.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,003 CHF 3,318

$2,317 CHF 1,921

72.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.2K CHF 23.3K

$8,110 CHF 6,723

247.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 14.0K

$8,439 CHF 6,995

100.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,230 CHF 6,821

$7,148 CHF 5,925

15.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

2.41

-13.28%

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

Last update for Zurich: October 25, 2026

Last update for Schaffhausen: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zurich

$2.1K 50.2%

Schaffhausen

$1.2K 38% 44.4% $950

Groceries & Markets

Zurich

$674 15.8%

Schaffhausen

$626 19.9% 7.2% $48

Eating Out

Zurich

$517 12.1%

Schaffhausen

$467 14.9% 9.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zurich

$376 8.8%

Schaffhausen

$320 10.2% 14.9% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Zurich

$270 6.3%

Schaffhausen

$243 7.7% 10.2% $28

Getting Around

Zurich

$157 3.7%

Schaffhausen

$134 4.3% 14.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Zurich

$133 3.1%

Schaffhausen

$157 5% 18% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,878 in Zurich and $1,272 in Schaffhausen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zurich pays 15% 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: $146 in Zurich vs $122 in Schaffhausen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $674 vs $626 per month, with Schaffhausen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Zurich

🇨🇭 Schaffhausen

🕒 Local time

12:58 12:58 PM

Same time as Zurich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

443,037

35,927

💱 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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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

Zurich vs Schaffhausen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Schaffhausen wins on cost – living expenses run 26% 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.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Zurich, 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: $2,878 in Zurich versus $1,272 in Schaffhausen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% 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 $122 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 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, Zurich and Schaffhausen 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 26% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.