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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,347 in Zurich versus $3,151 in Schaffhausen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,523 in Zurich versus $4,931 in Schaffhausen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,699 in Zurich versus $6,712 in Schaffhausen.

Living in Zurich is roughly 38% more expensive than Schaffhausen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 224% above, Schaffhausen 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.22 CHF 23.69

$31.31 CHF 24.55

-3.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 116

$125 CHF 98.1

18.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.17 CHF 16.59

$15.86 CHF 12.43

33.48%

Cappuccino

$6.97 CHF 5.47

$5.43 CHF 4.26

28.36%

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

$5.78 CHF 4.53

$5.42 CHF 4.25

6.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 CHF 4.24

$4.42 CHF 3.47

22.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.03 CHF 7.87

$8.20 CHF 6.43

22.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.58 CHF 6.72

$7.59 CHF 5.95

13.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.68

$1.90 CHF 1.49

12.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 CHF 2.60

$3.79 CHF 2.97

-12.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 CHF 3.19

$3.55 CHF 2.79

14.65%

Eggs

$7.46 CHF 5.85

$7.66 CHF 6.01

-2.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.49 CHF 23.12

$29.66 CHF 23.25

-0.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.63 CHF 26.37

$35.28 CHF 27.66

-4.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$49.90 CHF 39.12

$51.8 CHF 40.59

-3.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CHF 3.16

$3.77 CHF 2.95

6.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.22

$2.24 CHF 1.76

26.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CHF 2.35

$2.87 CHF 2.25

4.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 CHF 4.09

$6.02 CHF 4.72

-13.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 CHF 2.19

$2.46 CHF 1.93

13.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 CHF 1.79

$2.44 CHF 1.92

-6.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 1.99

$2.67 CHF 2.10

-4.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 CHF 1.30

$1.28 CHF 1.01

28.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.19 CHF 8.77

$11.29 CHF 8.85

-0.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 CHF 11.90

$13.90 CHF 10.90

9.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 CHF 2.04

$1.36 CHF 1.07

91.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 CHF 2.64

$2.75 CHF 2.15

22.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.01 CHF 3.93

$3.79 CHF 2.97

32.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 CHF 86.1

$85.1 CHF 66.7

29.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.60 CHF 5.96

$10.08 CHF 7.91

-24.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.25 CHF 3.33

$4.11 CHF 3.22

3.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.4 CHF 69.3

$62.3 CHF 48.83

41.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.74

$2.15 CHF 1.69

3.26%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.3K

$40.9K CHF 32.0K

-2.37%

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

$39.3K CHF 30.8K

$42.5K CHF 33.3K

-7.61%

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

$254 CHF 199

$242 CHF 190

4.82%

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

$35.48 CHF 27.81

$28.69 CHF 22.49

23.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 CHF 45.78

$43.53 CHF 34.13

34.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.7 CHF 71.1

$109 CHF 85.7

-17.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.80 CHF 39.05

$47.51 CHF 37.25

4.82%

Cinema Ticket

$24.62 CHF 19.30

$22.50 CHF 17.64

9.42%

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

$3,356 CHF 2,631

$3,325 CHF 2,607

0.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.0K CHF 30.5K

$43.6K CHF 34.1K

-10.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 108

$112 CHF 87.9

23.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 CHF 48.37

$68.3 CHF 53.5

-9.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CHF 119

$130 CHF 102

16.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$205 CHF 161

$158 CHF 124

29.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,780 CHF 2,180

$1,214 CHF 952

128.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 CHF 1,746

$1,221 CHF 957

82.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,989 CHF 3,911

$2,754 CHF 2,159

81.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,800 CHF 2,979

$2,163 CHF 1,696

75.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$25.3K CHF 19.8K

$8,567 CHF 6,717

195.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.0K CHF 12.5K

$6,910 CHF 5,417

131.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,622 CHF 6,760

$9,437 CHF 7,398

-8.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

2.5

-16.40%

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

Last update for Zurich: April 20, 2026

Last update for Schaffhausen: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,780 in Zurich and $1,214 in Schaffhausen. 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: $149 in Zurich vs $125 in Schaffhausen. Groceries flip the comparison at $675 vs $675, with Zurich 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

Zurich vs Schaffhausen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Schaffhausen wins on cost – living expenses run 38% 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.

On paper, Schaffhausen earns 9% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,780 in Zurich versus $1,214 in Schaffhausen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% 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 $125 versus $149 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 $3,151 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Schaffhausen hard to pass up.

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 38% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.