Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aalst and Antwerp

For one person, living costs are similar in Aalst and in Antwerp: $2,067 and $2,147 a month, rent and utilities included.

101

Cost of Living Index in Aalst
Learn more

Aalst Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Antwerp
Learn more

Antwerp Living Index

Jump to prices

Aalst

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,067

/mo nomad

Antwerp

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,147

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aalst and in Antwerp

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,067 in Aalst versus $2,147 in Antwerp.

Aalst $2,067
Antwerp $2,147

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,086 in Aalst versus $3,321 in Antwerp.

Aalst $3,086
Antwerp $3,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,105 in Aalst versus $4,494 in Antwerp.

Aalst $4,105
Antwerp $4,494

Living in Aalst costs roughly 4% less than in Antwerp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aalst 53% above, Antwerp 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.53 €20.04

$22.67 €20.17

-0.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 €94.0

$104 €92.6

1.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.43 €11.95

$13.36 €11.88

0.52%

Cappuccino

$4.43 €3.94

$4.38 €3.90

1.14%

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

$3.63 €3.23

$3.67 €3.27

-1.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 €2.82

$3.61 €3.21

-12.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.94

$5.40 €4.80

2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 €4.92

$6.08 €5.41

-9.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.33 €1.18

-1.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.50

$2.77 €2.46

1.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.15 €1.91

-0.93%

Eggs

$3.83 €3.41

$3.76 €3.35

1.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 €15.47

$17.22 €15.32

0.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.87 €10.55

$12.15 €10.81

-2.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.29 €19.83

$23.31 €20.73

-4.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.87 €2.56

4.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 €2.16

$2.32 €2.06

4.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.37

$2.60 €2.31

2.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 €2.87

$3.39 €3.02

-4.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$2.36 €2.10

4.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.86 €1.65

4.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.52 €1.36

1.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.04 €0.93

0.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.93 €11.50

$13.06 €11.62

-1.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.74 €7.77

$9.08 €8.07

-3.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.71 €1.52

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$2.06 €1.84

0.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 €2.75

$3.37 €3.00

-8.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.7 €47.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 €2.55

$5.60 €4.98

-48.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 €2.09

$2.65 €2.36

-11.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.40 €35.93

$44.90 €39.94

-10.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.88

$2.08 €1.85

1.92%

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

$34.7K €30.8K

$35.0K €31.1K

-0.84%

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

$32.8K €29.2K

$34.0K €30.2K

-3.47%

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

$203 €180

$204 €181

-0.51%

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

$21.94 €19.51

$21.85 €19.43

0.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 €45.21

$46.38 €41.25

9.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.21 €32.21

$37.05 €32.96

-2.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.03 €18.71

$27.10 €24.11

-22.40%

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 €13.50

$15.34 €13.64

-1.04%

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

$1,605 €1,428

$1,612 €1,434

-0.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.7K €30.0K

$33.8K €30.0K

-0.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €101

$113 €100

0.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.17 €41.07

$52.7 €46.83

-12.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €90.6

$101 €89.5

1.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 €145

$166 €148

-1.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 €810

$1,025 €912

-11.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$808 €718

$821 €731

-1.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 €1,232

$1,604 €1,427

-13.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 €982

$1,357 €1,207

-18.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,162 €3,702

$4,403 €3,917

-5.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,890 €2,571

$3,082 €2,742

-6.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,782 €2,475

$3,073 €2,734

-9.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

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

Last update for Aalst: October 12, 2026

Last update for Antwerp: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aalst

$807 39.1%

Antwerp

$821 38.3% 1.7% $14

Groceries & Markets

Aalst

$360 17.4%

Antwerp

$363 16.9% 0.7% $2.6

Eating Out

Aalst

$340 16.4%

Antwerp

$342 15.9% 0.8% $2.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aalst

$276 13.3%

Antwerp

$272 12.7% 1.3% $3.5

Clothing & Footwear

Aalst

$191 9.2%

Antwerp

$195 9.1% 1.9% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Aalst

$67 3.2%

Antwerp

$68 3.2% 1.7% $1.2

Getting Around

Aalst

$27 * 1.3%

Antwerp

$86 4% 219% $59

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $911 in Aalst and $1,025 in Antwerp. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp 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: $106 in Aalst vs $104 in Antwerp. Groceries flip the comparison at $360 vs $363, with Aalst cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Aalst

🇧🇪 Antwerp

🕒 Local time

02:19 2:19 AM

Same time as Aalst

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,271

525,935

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Aalst Antwerp 40 km

From you

Aalst
Antwerp

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

Aalst vs Antwerp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aalst and Antwerp differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,067 vs $2,147 including rent). Aalst is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Antwerp. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $911 in Aalst versus $1,025 in Antwerp. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Antwerp. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,067 per month in Aalst versus $2,147 in Antwerp – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,067 in Aalst versus $2,147 in Antwerp, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Aalst but tight or insufficient in Antwerp. The gap between the two cities makes Aalst 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, Aalst and Antwerp 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 Aalst gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.