Cost of Living Comparison Between Cardiff and Dornbirn Cost of Living Comparison Between Cardiff and Dornbirn

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,489 in Cardiff versus $2,400 in Dornbirn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,431 in Cardiff versus $3,530 in Dornbirn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,374 in Cardiff versus $4,661 in Dornbirn.

Living in Cardiff is roughly 4% more expensive than in Dornbirn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.47 £15.18

$18.93 €16.34

8.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.4 £64.8

$82.9 €71.5

5.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 £8.20

$11.51 €9.93

-4.00%

Cappuccino

$4.72 £3.50

$4.72 €4.07

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

$3.19 £2.37

$4.36 €3.77

-26.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 £1.52

$3.86 €3.33

-46.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 £5.84

$5.21 €4.50

51.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 £4.42

$4.62 €3.98

29.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.76 €1.52

1.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 £1.13

$3.19 €2.75

-52.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 £1.63

$2.36 €2.03

-6.78%

Eggs

$3.76 £2.79

$5.35 €4.62

-29.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 £7.25

$18.13 €15.64

-46.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 £6.40

$14.58 €12.58

-40.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 £10.63

$16.34 €14.10

-12.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 £2.11

$2.97 €2.56

-4.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 £1.18

$2.42 €2.09

-34.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 £2.28

$4.01 €3.46

-23.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 £2.40

$4.08 €3.52

-20.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 £1.44

$2.32 €2.00

-16.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 £1.13

$2.52 €2.18

-39.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.83

$2.04 €1.76

-45.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 £1.07

$1.04 €0.90

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.77 £16.89

$7.37 €6.36

208.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.40 £8.46

$10.49 €9.05

8.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 £2.30

$1.51 €1.30

105.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.39

$1.89 €1.63

70.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 £2.41

$3.48 €3.00

-6.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.3 £60.3

$56.0 €48.32

45.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.71 £3.49

$5.15 €4.44

-8.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 £1.26

$2.28 €1.97

-25.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.79 £27.29

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.56

$1.90 €1.64

11.05%

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

$39.1K £29.0K

$30.8K €26.6K

26.83%

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

$40.8K £30.2K

$29.0K €25.0K

40.67%

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

$314 £233

$319 €275

-1.55%

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

$26.23 £19.46

$14.79 €12.76

77.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.23 £34.29

$31.47 €27.15

46.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.85 £25.11

$55.5 €47.89

-39.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.04 £8.93

Cinema Ticket

$10.70 £7.94

$16.10 €13.90

-33.54%

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

$2,028 £1,504

$468 €404

333.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.0K £24.5K

$34.3K €29.6K

-3.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.3 £72.9

$57.1 €49.24

72.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.02 £36.36

$62.1 €53.6

-21.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 £86.9

$46.21 €39.87

153.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 £73.9

$46.84 €40.42

112.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 £910

$1,272 €1,097

-3.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 £821

$1,075 €928

3.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 £1,634

$1,996 €1,723

10.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,547 £1,147

$1,814 €1,566

-14.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,566 £4,128

$9,412 €8,122

-40.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,550 £2,633

$7,496 €6,468

-52.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,282 £2,434

$2,970 €2,563

10.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

3.61

41.55%

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

Last update for Cardiff: August 31, 2026

Last update for Dornbirn: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,227 in Cardiff and $1,272 in Dornbirn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cardiff pays 10% 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: $87.0 in Cardiff vs $83.0 in Dornbirn. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $387, with Cardiff 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 Dornbirn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cardiff and Dornbirn differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,489 vs $2,400 including rent). Dornbirn is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Cardiff, 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: $1,227 in Cardiff versus $1,272 in Dornbirn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dornbirn – a meal for two runs $83.0 versus $87.0 in Cardiff. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,489 per month in Cardiff versus $2,400 in Dornbirn – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,400 in Dornbirn versus $2,489 in Cardiff, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dornbirn but tight or insufficient in Cardiff. The gap between the two cities makes Dornbirn 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 Dornbirn 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 Dornbirn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Cardiff. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.