Schaffhausen vs Thurgau Tax Comparison
Side-by-side income tax comparison on a CHF 120’000 salary — federal + cantonal + municipal tax, social contributions and take-home pay. Capital-city municipal multipliers, 2025/2026 rates.
Beyond tax: rent, premiums and daily life
| Factor | Schaffhausen | Thurgau |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal tax multiplier (capital) | ≈96% (City of Schaffhausen) | ≈146% (Frauenfeld) |
| 3.5-room rent (CHF/month) | ≈ 2’100 | ≈ 2’000 |
| Health premium, adult (CHF/month) | ≈ 310 | ≈ 300 |
| Language zone | German-speaking | German-speaking |
| Rental market | Reasonable rents; the canton is almost surrounded by Germany, which widens options. | Among the most affordable family markets in German-speaking Switzerland. |
| Commuting | Schaffhausen to Zürich 40 min by direct train; Konstanz and Singen are minutes away. | Frauenfeld to Zürich 45 min, Winterthur 20 min; Kreuzlingen crosses into Konstanz on foot. |
| Culture | German-speaking with heavy cross-border shopping and commuting culture. | German-speaking, rural and Bodensee-facing; car ownership is the norm. |
Full breakdown
| Item | Schaffhausen | Thurgau | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual gross salary | CHF 120’000 | CHF 120’000 | — |
| Social contributions (AHV/ALV/BVG/NBU) | CHF 17’280 | CHF 17’280 | — |
| Total deductions | CHF 4’882 | CHF 4’882 | — |
| Taxable income | CHF 97’838 | CHF 97’838 | — |
| Federal direct tax | CHF 2’707 | CHF 2’707 | — |
| Cantonal + municipal tax | CHF 17’903 | CHF 17’420 | |
| Total tax | CHF 20’610 | CHF 20’126 | |
| Effective tax rate | 17.2% | 16.8% | |
| Marginal tax rate | 34.1% | 33.4% | |
| Take-home / year | CHF 82’110 | CHF 82’594 | |
| Take-home / month | CHF 6’842 | CHF 6’883 |
Figures are estimates using capital-city municipal multipliers and standard deductions. For binding numbers, use the official calculators linked above. Sources: ESTV (federal), cantonal tax administrations.
Living in Schaffhausen vs Thurgau
Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen is the small German-speaking canton north of the Rhine, the only Swiss canton that sits almost entirely on the German side of the river. It's best known internationally for the Rhine Falls (Europe's largest waterfall by flow) and for hosting an outsized number of multinational headquarters relative to its ~83,000-person population — Tyco International, Garmin EMEA and a long tail of holding and trading companies use Schaffhausen for its low cantonal income tax and proximity to southern Germany. The capital, also called Schaffhausen, is a well-preserved medieval city built around the Munot fortress.
Local insight
Schaffhausen's profile is unusual: a small canton that has deliberately built itself into a low-tax HQ location for multinationals. The Wirtschaftsförderung Schaffhausen has run an active relocation programme for two decades, which is why a town of 36,000 has a globally recognised holding-company cluster — Tyco, Garmin EMEA, Acronis and several pharma-finance and IP-holding entities. The flip side is that the canton's own private-sector job market outside that HQ layer is narrow, and many residents commute south to Zurich (the SBB IC takes ~40 minutes to ZH HB) or north across the border to Singen and Konstanz. Lifestyle is quietly attractive — the old town is one of the best preserved in Switzerland, the Rhine is a summer-long swimming venue, and the German border at Thayngen is 10 minutes by car for cheaper groceries and DIY shopping. The catch is sub-scale: cultural and international-school options are thinner than ZH or BS.
Full Schaffhausen relocation guideThurgau
Thurgau is the German-speaking canton along the south shore of Lake Constance (Bodensee), with Frauenfeld as the political capital and Kreuzlingen — the canton's largest town, directly across the border from German Konstanz — as its de-facto economic centre. The canton is one of Switzerland's most agricultural by land use (apples and the 'Mostindien' cider tradition still define rural Thurgau), but it also hosts a meaningful light-industrial and pharma-supply base (Stadler Rail in Bussnang, Bischofszell Nahrungsmittel, Mowag in Kreuzlingen). Tax burden sits a touch below the national average; rental supply is among the most relaxed in the country.
Local insight
Thurgau's value proposition is space and affordability. The canton has more square metres of liveable housing per resident than ZH or ZG, and rents reflect that — you get a family-sized flat or even a small house for what a 2-bedroom costs in Zurich. The Bodensee shoreline (Kreuzlingen, Romanshorn, Arbon) is a real lifestyle asset, with year-round lake access and ferry connections to Friedrichshafen and Lindau in Germany. Economically the canton splits in three: Kreuzlingen and the Konstanz cross-border belt; the western Frauenfeld–Münchwilen ZH commuter strip (Frauenfeld is 35 minutes to Zurich HB on the IC); and the rural agricultural Mittelthurgau, where the canton's apple, hop and dairy industries still dominate. The trade-off is straightforward: thinner job market, longer commutes if you don't work locally, and a quieter cultural scene than the city-cantons.
Full Thurgau relocation guideTry other salary levels
Other comparisons
People also asked
Which canton has lower taxes — Schaffhausen or Thurgau?▾
On a CHF 120’000 salary, Thurgau leaves you with CHF 484 more take-home per year (0.6% difference) compared to Schaffhausen.
What is the effective tax rate in Schaffhausen?▾
On CHF 120’000, the effective rate in Schaffhausen (capital city) is approximately 17.2%, including federal direct tax and cantonal/municipal tax.
What is the effective tax rate in Thurgau?▾
On CHF 120’000, the effective rate in Thurgau (capital city) is approximately 16.8%, including federal direct tax and cantonal/municipal tax.
Estimates only. Always verify with the official cantonal calculator before making a relocation decision.
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