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: $4,229 in Zurich versus $3,172 in Schaffhausen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,508 in Zurich versus $4,928 in Schaffhausen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,786 in Zurich versus $6,685 in Schaffhausen.

Living in Zurich is roughly 33% more expensive than in Schaffhausen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 217% above, Schaffhausen 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.02 CHF 25.32

$31.30 CHF 25.55

-0.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 119

$122 CHF 99.4

19.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.79 CHF 16.97

$16.11 CHF 13.15

29.05%

Cappuccino

$6.71 CHF 5.47

$5.68 CHF 4.63

18.13%

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

$6.13 CHF 5.00

$5.36 CHF 4.37

14.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 CHF 4.32

$4.37 CHF 3.57

21.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.00 CHF 8.16

$7.99 CHF 6.52

25.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.65 CHF 7.06

$7.57 CHF 6.18

14.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.85

$1.96 CHF 1.60

15.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 CHF 2.79

$3.78 CHF 3.09

-9.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.92 CHF 3.20

$3.69 CHF 3.01

6.23%

Eggs

$7.54 CHF 6.16

$7.84 CHF 6.40

-3.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.54 CHF 24.11

$29.80 CHF 24.32

-0.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.89 CHF 27.66

$35.49 CHF 28.97

-4.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.2 CHF 40.95

$51.0 CHF 41.59

-1.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.39

$3.69 CHF 3.01

12.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.31

$2.26 CHF 1.84

25.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 CHF 2.46

$2.88 CHF 2.35

4.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 CHF 4.11

$6.10 CHF 4.98

-17.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.24

$2.49 CHF 2.03

10.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.87

$2.48 CHF 2.03

-7.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 CHF 2.00

$2.67 CHF 2.18

-8.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.36

$1.27 CHF 1.04

30.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 CHF 9.08

$10.94 CHF 8.93

1.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CHF 11.22

$13.42 CHF 10.95

2.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CHF 2.24

$1.36 CHF 1.11

101.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 CHF 2.70

$2.60 CHF 2.12

27.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.84 CHF 3.95

$3.95 CHF 3.22

22.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 CHF 89.2

$85.7 CHF 69.9

27.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.64 CHF 6.24

$10.05 CHF 8.20

-23.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.11 CHF 3.36

$4.04 CHF 3.30

1.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 71.3

$61.9 CHF 50.5

41.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$2.13 CHF 1.74

5.63%

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

$40.3K CHF 32.9K

$39.7K CHF 32.4K

1.60%

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

$38.8K CHF 31.6K

$42.4K CHF 34.6K

-8.66%

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

$255 CHF 208

$247 CHF 202

3.22%

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

$35.92 CHF 29.32

$28.70 CHF 23.42

25.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 CHF 48.74

$42.94 CHF 35.05

39.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.3 CHF 72.9

$109 CHF 88.6

-17.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.5 CHF 41.21

$47.47 CHF 38.74

6.36%

Cinema Ticket

$24.36 CHF 19.88

$22.34 CHF 18.24

9.04%

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

$3,397 CHF 2,773

$3,354 CHF 2,738

1.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.5K CHF 32.3K

$43.5K CHF 35.5K

-9.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 116

$112 CHF 91.4

26.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 CHF 49.51

$67.7 CHF 55.2

-10.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 121

$133 CHF 109

11.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 CHF 164

$154 CHF 126

30.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,698 CHF 2,202

$1,226 CHF 1,001

120.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,208 CHF 1,802

$1,247 CHF 1,018

77.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,893 CHF 3,994

$2,660 CHF 2,171

83.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,760 CHF 3,069

$2,215 CHF 1,808

69.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$26.8K CHF 21.9K

$8,226 CHF 6,714

225.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.7K CHF 13.7K

$8,564 CHF 6,990

95.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,316 CHF 6,787

$7,453 CHF 6,083

11.58%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Schaffhausen: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,698 in Zurich and $1,226 in Schaffhausen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zurich pays 12% 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 $677 vs $675 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

Zurich vs Schaffhausen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Schaffhausen wins on cost – living expenses run 33% 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 12% 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: $2,698 in Zurich versus $1,226 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 $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 work as nomad bases, but Schaffhausen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,172 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 33% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.