Cost of Living Comparison Between Cardiff and Chester Cost of Living Comparison Between Cardiff and Chester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,422 in Cardiff versus $2,341 in Chester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,441 in Cardiff versus $3,445 in Chester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,459 in Cardiff versus $4,549 in Chester.

Living in Cardiff is roughly 3% more expensive than Chester, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cardiff 81% above, Chester 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.31 £15.13

$20.12 £14.99

0.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.7 £64.5

$95.7 £71.2

-9.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 £7.99

$9.65 £7.19

11.09%

Cappuccino

$4.67 £3.48

$4.70 £3.50

-0.64%

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

$2.47 £1.84

$2.37 £1.76

4.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 £1.27

$2.01 £1.49

-14.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.76 £5.03

$6.46 £4.81

4.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 £4.64

$6.22 £4.63

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.65 £1.23

17.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.64 £1.22

5.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 £2.23

$2.18 £1.63

37.16%

Eggs

$4.65 £3.46

$3.94 £2.94

18.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 £7.59

$8.30 £6.18

22.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.69

$8.76 £6.53

2.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 £7.14

$8.35 £6.22

14.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 £2.13

$2.87 £2.14

-0.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 £1.19

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 £2.40

$4.06 £3.02

-20.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 £4.18

$2.28 £1.70

146.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.34 £1.00

27.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.40 £1.04

9.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 £0.85

$1.28 £0.95

-10.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.24

$1.27 £0.95

30.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.98 £14.88

$20.63 £15.36

-3.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 £8.35

$11.58 £8.62

-3.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.45

$3.04 £2.26

8.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 £2.72

$2.90 £2.16

26.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 £2.35

$4.09 £3.05

-22.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.5 £57.7

$47.78 £35.59

62.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 £3.10

$4.04 £3.01

2.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 £1.92

$0.76 £0.56

239.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.27 £15.10

$16.62 £12.38

21.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 £1.43

$1.88 £1.40

2.13%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$38.8K £28.9K

-2.60%

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

$54.5K £40.6K

$37.1K £27.6K

46.90%

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

$294 £219

$319 £237

-7.71%

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

$20.08 £14.95

$23.57 £17.56

-14.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.76 £32.59

$42.66 £31.77

2.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.71 £28.83

$39.45 £29.38

-1.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.51 £6.34

$13.74 £10.23

-38.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 £5.71

$13.75 £10.24

-44.22%

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

$1,987 £1,480

$1,617 £1,204

22.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K £25.1K

$13.3K £9,921

152.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 £51.9

$89.5 £66.7

-22.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.31 £27.04

$51.1 £38.07

-28.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.2 £54.5

$126 £93.8

-41.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.3 £49.40

$129 £96.4

-48.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 £993

$1,361 £1,014

-2.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 £851

$1,086 £809

5.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 £1,890

$2,105 £1,568

20.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 £1,235

$1,767 £1,316

-6.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,553 £4,136

$3,048 £2,270

82.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,455 £2,573

$3,012 £2,243

14.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,236 £2,410

$4,182 £3,115

-22.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

7.14%

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

Last update for Cardiff: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chester: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,333 in Cardiff and $1,361 in Chester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chester pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $87.0 in Cardiff vs $96.0 in Chester. Groceries flip the comparison at $315 vs $274, with Chester 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

Cardiff vs Chester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cardiff and Chester differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,422 vs $2,341 including rent). Chester is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Chester earns 29% 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: $1,333 in Cardiff versus $1,361 in Chester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chester – a meal for two runs $96.0 versus $87.0 in Cardiff. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,422 per month in Cardiff versus $2,341 in Chester – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,341 in Chester versus $2,422 in Cardiff, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chester but tight or insufficient in Cardiff. The gap between the two cities makes Chester the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Cardiff and Chester 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 Chester gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Cardiff. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.