Cost of Living Comparison Between Chester and Dornbirn Cost of Living Comparison Between Chester and Dornbirn

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,341 per month in Chester vs $2,169 in Dornbirn, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,445 per month in Chester vs $3,095 in Dornbirn, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,549 per month in Chester vs $4,021 in Dornbirn, rent included.

Chester costs about 8% more than Dornbirn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chester and Dornbirn sit above the global median – Chester by 75%, Dornbirn by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.12 £14.96

$17.41 €14.98

15.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 £71.1

$80.9 €69.6

18.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 £7.17

$11.68 €10.05

-17.38%

Cappuccino

$4.70 £3.49

$3.87 €3.33

21.45%

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

$2.37 £1.76

$3.66 €3.15

-35.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.49

$3.00 €2.58

-33.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.46 £4.80

$5.18 €4.45

24.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 £4.62

$4.67 €4.02

33.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.71 €1.47

-3.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.22

$2.86 €2.46

-42.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.62

$2.75 €2.36

-20.73%

Eggs

$3.94 £2.93

$5.11 €4.39

-22.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.30 £6.17

$18.20 €15.65

-54.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.76 £6.51

$9.39 €8.07

-6.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.35 £6.21

$23.49 €20.21

-64.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 £2.13

$2.91 €2.50

-1.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 £1.19

$2.38 €2.04

-32.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 £3.02

$3.82 €3.28

6.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 £1.70

$4.77 €4.10

-52.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 £1.00

$2.33 €2.01

-42.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 £1.04

$2.12 €1.82

-33.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.95

$1.86 €1.60

-31.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 £0.95

$0.99 €0.85

28.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.63 £15.33

$7.26 €6.24

184.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.58 £8.61

$10.33 €8.89

12.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 £2.26

$1.50 €1.29

102.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 £2.16

$1.77 €1.52

63.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.09 £3.04

$3.28 €2.82

24.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.78 £35.51

$45.25 €38.92

5.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 £3.00

$5.25 €4.52

-23.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 £0.56

$2.04 €1.76

-62.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.62 £12.35

$37.37 €32.14

-55.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.80 €1.55

4.44%

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

$38.8K £28.8K

$28.6K €24.6K

35.72%

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

$37.1K £27.6K

$28.3K €24.3K

31.14%

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

$319 £237

$330 €284

-3.33%

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

$23.57 £17.52

$22.90 €19.70

2.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.66 £31.71

$37.26 €32.05

14.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 £29.32

$47.52 €40.88

-16.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.74 £10.21

$26.21 €22.55

-47.58%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 £10.22

$16.37 €14.08

-16.00%

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

$1,617 £1,202

$481 €414

235.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K £9,901

$34.4K €29.6K

-61.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 £66.5

$45.96 €39.54

94.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 £37.99

$63.1 €54.3

-19.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 £93.6

$45.73 €39.33

175.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 £96.2

$47.20 €40.60

174.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 £1,012

$1,158 €996

17.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 £807

$871 €749

24.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 £1,564

$1,859 €1,599

13.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 £1,313

$1,284 €1,104

37.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,048 £2,266

$9,218 €7,930

-66.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,012 £2,238

$7,708 €6,630

-60.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,182 £3,109

$2,970 €2,555

40.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

3.9

43.59%

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

Last update for Chester: May 31, 2026

Last update for Dornbirn: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,361 in Chester versus $1,158 in Dornbirn. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 41% higher in Chester, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Chester versus $81.0 in Dornbirn. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Chester vs $379 in Dornbirn – so Chester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Chester vs Dornbirn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chester costs about 8% more than Dornbirn, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,511 per month in Chester and $3,253 in Dornbirn. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dornbirn, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,617 per month in Chester and $481 in Dornbirn. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 38% cheaper in Chester – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dornbirn, where all-in costs run around $2,169, than in Chester at $2,341. In Dornbirn it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dornbirn – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dornbirn. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.