Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dornbirn and Cardiff

For one person, living is cheaper in Dornbirn: $2,324 a month against $2,503 in Cardiff, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dornbirn, Austria
Cardiff, United Kingdom
Dornbirn
🇦🇹 Austria
$2,324
/mo nomad
Cardiff
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,503
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dornbirn and in Cardiff

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dornbirn and in Cardiff actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,324 in Dornbirn versus $2,503 in Cardiff.

  • Dornbirn $2,324
  • Cardiff $2,503

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,422 in Dornbirn versus $3,495 in Cardiff.

  • Dornbirn $3,422
  • Cardiff $3,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,519 in Dornbirn versus $4,488 in Cardiff.

  • Dornbirn $4,519
  • Cardiff $4,488

Living in Dornbirn costs roughly 7% less than in Cardiff, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dornbirn 72% above, Cardiff 85% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dornbirn
Cardiff
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.95 €15.98
$20.04 £14.89
-10.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.0 €69.4
$86.1 £64.0
-9.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.25 €10.02
$10.89 £8.10
3.31%
Cappuccino
$4.36 €3.88
$4.68 £3.48
-6.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 €3.88
$3.25 £2.41
34.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.60 €3.20
$2.04 £1.52
76.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.11 €4.55
$7.87 £5.85
-35.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 €3.94
$6.26 £4.66
-29.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dornbirn
Cardiff
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 €1.50
$1.80 £1.34
-6.67%
White Bread (500g)
$3.00 €2.67
$1.43 £1.06
109.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.16 £1.61
4.63%
Eggs
$5.16 €4.60
$3.82 £2.84
35.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.91 €15.06
$9.19 £6.83
84.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.66 €12.16
$8.52 £6.33
60.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.43 €13.74
$16.06 £11.94
-3.92%
Apples (1kg)
$2.83 €2.52
$2.84 £2.11
-0.35%
Banana (1kg)
$2.37 €2.11
$1.50 £1.11
58.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.69 €3.28
$3.01 £2.24
22.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.95 €3.52
$3.59 £2.67
10.03%
Potato (1kg)
$2.19 €1.95
$1.96 £1.46
11.73%
Onion (1kg)
$2.62 €2.33
$1.56 £1.16
67.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.93 €1.72
$1.07 £0.80
80.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 €0.90
$1.65 £1.22
-38.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.30 €6.50
$23.35 £17.35
-68.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.19 €9.08
$11.03 £8.20
-7.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 €1.29
$3.03 £2.25
-52.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 €1.89
$3.20 £2.38
-33.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Dornbirn
Cardiff
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.43 €3.06
$3.29 £2.45
4.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 €48.12
$80.8 £60.0
-33.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.00 €4.45
$4.72 £3.50
5.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.99 €2.66
$1.74 £1.30
71.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.35 €35.93
$36.00 £26.75
12.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.88 €1.68
$2.15 £1.60
-12.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.5K €26.2K
$39.0K £29.0K
-24.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.7K €29.1K
$40.3K £29.9K
-18.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dornbirn
Cardiff
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$318 €283
$348 £258
-8.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.30 €12.73
$26.30 £19.54
-45.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.04 €27.64
$45.28 £33.65
-31.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dornbirn
Cardiff
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 €48.12
$36.60 £27.20
47.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$11.88 £8.83
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.53 €12.94
$10.83 £8.05
34.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dornbirn
Cardiff
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$449 €400
$2,229 £1,656
-79.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$37.8K €33.7K
$27.5K £20.4K
37.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dornbirn
Cardiff
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.3 €49.24
$99.9 £74.2
-44.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$60.2 €53.6
$48.38 £35.95
24.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$45.22 €40.26
$122 £90.4
-62.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$45.59 €40.59
$99.5 £73.9
-54.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dornbirn
Cardiff
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,252 €1,114
$1,292 £960
-3.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,032 €919
$1,125 £836
-8.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,925 €1,714
$2,129 £1,582
-9.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,739 €1,548
$1,547 £1,149
12.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,785 €7,822
$5,337 £3,966
64.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,266 €6,470
$3,503 £2,603
107.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dornbirn
Cardiff
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,899 €2,582
$3,642 £2,707
-20.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.61
5.11
-29.35%

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

Last update for Dornbirn: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cardiff: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dornbirn
$1K
Cardiff
$1.1K 9% $93
Groceries & Markets
Dornbirn
$368
Cardiff
$304 17.3% $64
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dornbirn
$364
Cardiff
$419 15.2% $55
Eating Out
Dornbirn
$296
Cardiff
$322 8.9% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Dornbirn
$93
Cardiff
$166 79% $73
Getting Around
Dornbirn
$88
Cardiff
$107 22.4% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Dornbirn
$83
Cardiff
$58 29.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,252 in Dornbirn and $1,292 in Cardiff. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cardiff pays 26% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $78 in Dornbirn vs $86 in Cardiff. Groceries flip the comparison at $368 vs $304, with Cardiff cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇦🇹 Dornbirn
🇬🇧 Cardiff
🕒 Local time
16:26 4:26 PM
15:26 3:26 PM
1 h behind Dornbirn
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
51,222
346,100
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.743 GBP (1 GBP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.835 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dornbirn Cardiff 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Dornbirn
  • Cardiff

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Dornbirn vs Cardiff: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Dornbirn and in Cardiff?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,324 in Dornbirn and $2,503 in Cardiff, so Dornbirn is about 7% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Dornbirn. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Dornbirn and in Cardiff?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,252 in Dornbirn versus $1,292 in Cardiff. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Dornbirn – a meal for two runs $78 versus $86 in Cardiff. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Dornbirn or Cardiff?
All in, you’ll spend $2,324 per month in Dornbirn versus $2,503 in Cardiff – Dornbirn is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is feasible on a $2,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Dornbirn is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Dornbirn and Cardiff?
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.
Is Dornbirn or Cardiff safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Dornbirn and Cardiff are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Dornbirn and Cardiff?
It comes down to priorities – Dornbirn wins on affordability, Cardiff on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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