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: $2,355 in Cardiff versus $2,198 in Dornbirn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,357 in Cardiff versus $3,160 in Dornbirn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,359 in Cardiff versus $4,121 in Dornbirn.

Living in Cardiff is roughly 7% more expensive than in Dornbirn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cardiff 76% above, Dornbirn 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 £14.90

$17.34 €15.15

15.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.4 £65.7

$81.0 €70.8

9.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 £8.10

$11.65 €10.18

-6.44%

Cappuccino

$4.85 £3.60

$3.75 €3.27

29.33%

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

$2.54 £1.89

$3.70 €3.23

-31.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 £1.28

$2.93 €2.56

-41.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.82 £5.07

$5.19 €4.53

31.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 £4.62

$4.51 €3.94

37.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.77 €1.55

7.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 £1.30

$2.97 €2.59

-41.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 £2.25

$2.73 €2.39

10.99%

Eggs

$4.63 £3.44

$5.03 €4.39

-7.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 £7.53

$17.75 €15.51

-42.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 £6.66

$9.43 €8.24

-5.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.23 £6.86

$23.17 €20.25

-60.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 £2.09

$2.90 €2.53

-3.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 £1.22

$2.36 €2.06

-30.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 £2.41

$3.98 €3.48

-18.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 £4.27

$4.68 €4.09

22.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 £1.30

$2.33 €2.04

-24.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 £1.10

$2.12 €1.85

-30.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.88

$1.92 €1.68

-38.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.29

$0.99 €0.87

75.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.49 £14.49

$7.39 €6.45

163.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.10 £8.25

$10.33 €9.03

7.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.37

$1.52 €1.33

109.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.59

$1.69 €1.48

106.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 £2.35

$3.27 €2.86

-3.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.9 £58.7

$46.27 €40.43

70.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 £2.99

$5.29 €4.63

-23.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 £1.92

$2.12 €1.85

21.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.49 £15.23

$38.29 €33.45

-46.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.72 €1.50

11.05%

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

$38.8K £28.8K

$29.5K €25.8K

31.49%

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

$54.4K £40.5K

$28.3K €24.8K

92.13%

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

$292 £217

$329 €287

-11.23%

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

$20.13 £14.96

$22.61 €19.75

-10.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.95 £31.93

$37.08 €32.40

15.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.58 £29.42

$47.47 €41.47

-16.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.55 £6.36

$25.57 €22.34

-66.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 £5.85

$16.22 €14.17

-51.48%

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

$1,991 £1,480

$474 €414

319.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K £25.2K

$35.2K €30.7K

-3.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 £51.5

$46.15 €40.32

50.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 £27.37

$61.7 €53.9

-40.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 £55.3

$45.52 €39.77

63.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.2 £49.93

$45.45 €39.71

47.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 £975

$1,144 €1,000

14.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 £835

$877 €766

28.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,558 £1,902

$1,923 €1,680

33.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 £1,234

$1,281 €1,119

29.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,509 £4,095

$9,134 €7,980

-39.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,517 £2,614

$7,444 €6,503

-52.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,316 £2,465

$2,939 €2,568

12.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

53.85%

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

Last update for Cardiff: July 13, 2026

Last update for Dornbirn: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,311 in Cardiff and $1,144 in Dornbirn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cardiff pays 13% 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: $88.0 in Cardiff vs $81.0 in Dornbirn. Groceries flip the comparison at $315 vs $379, 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 7% in total monthly costs ($2,355 vs $2,198 including rent). Dornbirn is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $1,311 in Cardiff versus $1,144 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 $81.0 versus $88.0 in Cardiff. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,355 per month in Cardiff versus $2,198 in Dornbirn – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,198 in Dornbirn versus $2,355 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 7% less than in Cardiff. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.