Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dornbirn and Chester

For one person, living costs are similar in Dornbirn and in Chester: $2,306 and $2,365 a month, rent and utilities included.

112

Cost of Living Index in Dornbirn
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Dornbirn Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Chester
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Chester Living Index

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Dornbirn

🇦🇹 Austria

$2,306

/mo nomad

Chester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,365

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dornbirn and in Chester

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 Chester actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,306 per month in Dornbirn vs $2,365 in Chester, rent included.

Dornbirn $2,306
Chester $2,365

A couple spends around $3,431 per month in Dornbirn vs $3,402 in Chester, rent included.

Dornbirn $3,431
Chester $3,402

A family of three spends $4,556 per month in Dornbirn vs $4,438 in Chester, rent included.

Dornbirn $4,556
Chester $4,438

Dornbirn is about 3% cheaper than Chester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Dornbirn and Chester sit above the global median – Dornbirn by 71%, Chester by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.06 €16.07

$19.64 £14.74

-8.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.2 €69.6

$87.2 £65.4

-10.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.84

$10.43 £7.82

6.04%

Cappuccino

$4.51 €4.01

$4.92 £3.69

-8.33%

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

$4.21 €3.74

$2.49 £1.87

69.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 €3.17

$1.83 £1.37

95.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 €4.58

$6.48 £4.86

-20.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 €3.87

$6.55 £4.92

-33.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.69 £1.27

-1.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 €2.70

$1.79 £1.34

69.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.38 £1.78

-8.40%

Eggs

$5.14 €4.57

$3.98 £2.99

29.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.43 €15.50

$8.61 £6.46

102.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.78 €12.26

$8.21 £6.16

67.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.51 €13.79

$13.77 £10.33

12.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 €2.50

$3.01 £2.26

-6.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.68 £1.26

40.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.89 €3.46

$2.83 £2.12

37.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 €3.51

$2.90 £2.18

35.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 €1.94

$1.94 £1.45

12.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.45 £1.09

62.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.72

$1.28 £0.96

50.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.91

$1.55 £1.16

-34.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.50

$23.06 £17.30

-68.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 €9.10

$11.14 £8.36

-8.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.32

$2.84 £2.13

-47.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.67

$3.25 £2.44

-42.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.44 €3.06

$2.61 £1.96

31.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.6 €49.49

$68.6 £51.5

-18.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 €4.51

$5.33 £4.00

-4.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.38 £1.04

58.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.23 £16.68

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.63

$2.06 £1.55

-10.68%

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

$29.1K €25.9K

$37.8K £28.4K

-22.94%

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

$27.9K €24.8K

$40.4K £30.3K

-31.03%

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

$306 €272

$339 £254

-9.54%

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

$14.36 €12.77

$20.84 £15.63

-31.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.22 €26.88

$40.75 £30.57

-25.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 €48.03

$48.21 £36.16

12.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.02 £11.27

Cinema Ticket

$15.70 €13.97

$13.28 £9.96

18.22%

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

$435 €387

$1,591 £1,194

-72.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.9K €29.2K

$15.7K £11.8K

109.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 €49.95

$87.8 £65.9

-36.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 €54.0

$41.24 £30.94

47.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.72 €39.78

$99.2 £74.4

-54.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.23 €39.34

$88.7 £66.5

-50.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,076

$1,337 £1,003

-9.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 €911

$1,051 £789

-2.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,902 €1,692

$1,972 £1,479

-3.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 €1,583

$1,610 £1,207

10.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,841 €7,865

$3,847 £2,886

129.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,270 €6,467

$3,289 £2,467

121.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,823 €2,511

$3,987 £2,991

-29.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

5.15

-29.90%

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

Last update for Dornbirn: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chester: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Dornbirn

$1K 44.4%

Chester

$1.1K 44.5% 2.7% $27

Groceries & Markets

Dornbirn

$370 16.1%

Chester

$295 12.5% 20.4% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dornbirn

$351 15.2%

Chester

$400 16.9% 14.1% $49

Eating Out

Dornbirn

$297 12.9%

Chester

$310 13.1% 4.3% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Dornbirn

$93 4%

Chester

$143 6% 54% $50

Getting Around

Dornbirn

$85 3.7%

Chester

$91 3.9% 6.9% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Dornbirn

$85 3.7%

Chester

$75 3.2% 12.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,210 in Dornbirn versus $1,337 in Chester. 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 $78.0 in Dornbirn versus $87.0 in Chester. Groceries tell a different story – $370 in Dornbirn vs $295 in Chester – so Chester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇹 Dornbirn

🇬🇧 Chester

🕒 Local time

00:33 12:33 AM

23:33 11:33 PM

1 h behind Dornbirn

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,222

119,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Dornbirn Chester 1,100 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Dornbirn
Chester

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 Chester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chester costs about 3% more than Dornbirn, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,459 per month in Dornbirn and $3,548 in Chester. 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 $435 per month in Dornbirn and $1,591 in Chester. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 26% 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 $2,306, than in Chester at $2,365. 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.