Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aalst and Gent

For one person, living is cheaper in Aalst: $2,156 a month against $2,254 in Gent, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Aalst
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Aalst Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Gent
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Gent Living Index

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Aalst

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,156

/mo nomad

Gent

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,254

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aalst and in Gent

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,156 in Aalst versus $2,254 in Gent.

Aalst $2,156
Gent $2,254

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,186 in Aalst versus $3,450 in Gent.

Aalst $3,186
Gent $3,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,217 in Aalst versus $4,646 in Gent.

Aalst $4,217
Gent $4,646

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aalst 59% above, Gent 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 €21.20

$22.29 €19.85

6.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 €85.3

$113 €100

-15.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.56 €12.08

$15.76 €14.04

-13.96%

Cappuccino

$4.24 €3.78

$4.29 €3.82

-1.17%

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

$3.48 €3.10

$3.58 €3.19

-2.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.82

$3.03 €2.70

4.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €5.02

$5.67 €5.05

-0.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.47 €4.87

$5.67 €5.05

-3.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.23 €1.09

10.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 €2.47

$2.91 €2.59

-4.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.08 €1.86

10.58%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.45

$4.18 €3.72

-7.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.58 €14.77

$20.10 €17.90

-17.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.03 €10.72

$12.35 €11.00

-2.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.18 €19.76

$19.96 €17.78

11.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$2.72 €2.42

9.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.18

$2.54 €2.26

-3.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.39

$2.57 €2.29

4.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.31 €2.95

$2.97 €2.64

11.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.17

$2.31 €2.06

5.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.67

$1.97 €1.75

-5.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.37 €1.22

13.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.99

$1.04 €0.93

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.87 €11.46

$12.86 €11.46

0.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.75 €7.79

$8.74 €7.78

0.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.69

$2.09 €1.86

-9.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

$2.45 €2.18

-16.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 €2.69

$3.33 €2.96

-9.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.0 €48.95

$58.9 €52.5

-6.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 €2.61

$10.82 €9.64

-72.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 €2.09

$2.86 €2.55

-17.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.31 €35.91

$51.4 €45.79

-21.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.83

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

$35.6K €31.7K

$35.1K €31.3K

1.28%

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

$36.0K €32.0K

$36.5K €32.5K

-1.43%

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

$211 €188

$223 €199

-5.41%

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

$21.20 €18.89

$21.82 €19.43

-2.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 €46.49

$48.58 €43.28

7.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.57 €32.57

$32.80 €29.22

11.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €17.38

$14.13 €12.59

38.08%

Cinema Ticket

$15.62 €13.92

$16.21 €14.44

-3.64%

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

$1,627 €1,449

$565 €503

187.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.7K €29.1K

$22.9K €20.4K

42.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €99.6

$108 €96.0

3.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.49 €41.42

$48.67 €43.36

-4.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.8

$116 €103

-9.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 €150

$145 €129

16.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$928 €827

$1,159 €1,032

-19.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 €730

$903 €804

-9.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 €1,241

$1,806 €1,609

-22.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 €999

$1,458 €1,299

-23.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,210 €3,750

$4,934 €4,395

-14.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,927 €2,608

$3,090 €2,753

-5.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 €2,481

$3,615 €3,220

-22.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

3.36

5.06%

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

Last update for Aalst: October 31, 2026

Last update for Gent: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aalst

$819 38%

Gent

$903 40.1% 10.2% $84

Groceries & Markets

Aalst

$361 16.8%

Gent

$364 16.2% 0.8% $3

Eating Out

Aalst

$348 16.1%

Gent

$343 15.2% 1.3% $4.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aalst

$284 13.2%

Gent

$293 13% 3.2% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

Aalst

$194 9%

Gent

$187 8.3% 3.3% $6.5

Getting Around

Aalst

$82 3.8%

Gent

$97 4.3% 19.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Aalst

$68 3.2%

Gent

$65 2.9% 3.8% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $928 in Aalst and $1,159 in Gent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gent pays 30% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $96 in Aalst vs $113 in Gent for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $364 per month, with Aalst cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Aalst

🇧🇪 Gent

🕒 Local time

23:25 11:25 PM

Same time as Aalst

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,271

237,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Gent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,156 in Aalst and $2,254 in Gent, so Aalst is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Aalst. 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: $928 in Aalst versus $1,159 in Gent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Aalst runs roughly 7% less than in Gent. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,156 per month in Aalst versus $2,254 in Gent – Aalst is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Aalst gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Gent are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Aalst wins on affordability, Gent on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.