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: $4,264 in Zurich versus $3,132 in Schaffhausen.

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

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

Living in Zurich is roughly 36% more expensive than Schaffhausen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 CHF 24.45

$30.39 CHF 24.29

0.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 116

$124 CHF 99.4

17.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.52 CHF 16.41

$15.82 CHF 12.65

29.71%

Cappuccino

$6.99 CHF 5.59

$5.42 CHF 4.33

28.97%

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

$6.08 CHF 4.86

$5.36 CHF 4.28

13.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 CHF 4.22

$4.37 CHF 3.49

20.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.91 CHF 7.92

$7.95 CHF 6.36

24.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 CHF 7.06

$7.35 CHF 5.88

20.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.79

$1.96 CHF 1.57

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 CHF 2.63

$3.77 CHF 3.01

-12.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.95 CHF 3.15

$3.61 CHF 2.88

9.42%

Eggs

$7.39 CHF 5.90

$7.87 CHF 6.29

-6.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.07 CHF 24.03

$29.45 CHF 23.54

2.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$34.13 CHF 27.28

$35.04 CHF 28.01

-2.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.9 CHF 40.71

$51.8 CHF 41.39

-1.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.23 CHF 3.38

$3.68 CHF 2.94

14.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.26

$2.33 CHF 1.86

21.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 CHF 2.41

$2.94 CHF 2.35

2.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.27 CHF 4.21

$6.14 CHF 4.91

-14.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 CHF 2.25

$2.42 CHF 1.94

16.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.87

$2.49 CHF 1.99

-6.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 2.00

$2.56 CHF 2.05

-1.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CHF 1.37

$1.28 CHF 1.02

34.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.87 CHF 8.69

$10.97 CHF 8.77

-0.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.00 CHF 11.99

$12.33 CHF 9.85

21.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 CHF 2.17

$1.37 CHF 1.09

97.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 CHF 2.59

$2.71 CHF 2.16

19.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.06 CHF 4.04

$3.98 CHF 3.18

27.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 CHF 87.4

$87.3 CHF 69.7

25.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.88 CHF 6.30

$10.15 CHF 8.11

-22.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.30 CHF 3.43

$3.89 CHF 3.11

10.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.5 CHF 70.7

$60.6 CHF 48.41

46.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 CHF 1.85

$2.21 CHF 1.76

4.98%

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

$41.1K CHF 32.9K

$40.3K CHF 32.2K

2.08%

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

$39.1K CHF 31.2K

$42.6K CHF 34.1K

-8.30%

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

$257 CHF 206

$247 CHF 197

4.32%

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

$35.13 CHF 28.08

$28.92 CHF 23.11

21.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 CHF 47.26

$43.93 CHF 35.11

34.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.0 CHF 71.2

$109 CHF 87.2

-18.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.88 CHF 39.87

$47.61 CHF 38.06

4.77%

Cinema Ticket

$24.22 CHF 19.36

$22.53 CHF 18.01

7.50%

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

$3,382 CHF 2,703

$3,388 CHF 2,708

-0.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$38.9K CHF 31.1K

$42.4K CHF 33.9K

-8.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 111

$111 CHF 89.1

24.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.5 CHF 49.93

$66.4 CHF 53.1

-5.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 CHF 117

$129 CHF 103

12.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 159

$155 CHF 124

27.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,676 CHF 2,139

$1,216 CHF 972

120.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,185 CHF 1,746

$1,222 CHF 977

78.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,057 CHF 4,042

$2,692 CHF 2,152

87.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,718 CHF 2,971

$2,197 CHF 1,756

69.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$26.5K CHF 21.2K

$8,390 CHF 6,706

215.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 13.5K

$6,769 CHF 5,410

149.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,547 CHF 6,832

$9,336 CHF 7,463

-8.45%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Schaffhausen: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,676 in Zurich and $1,216 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: $146 in Zurich vs $124 in Schaffhausen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $672 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 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.

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: $2,676 in Zurich versus $1,216 in Schaffhausen. 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, 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 36% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.