Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aalst and Leuven

For one person, living is cheaper in Aalst: $2,156 a month against $2,237 in Leuven, rent and utilities included – about $970 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Leuven outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

103

Cost of Living Index in Aalst
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Aalst Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Leuven
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Leuven Living Index

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Aalst

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,156

/mo nomad

Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,237

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aalst and in Leuven

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,156 in Aalst versus $2,237 in Leuven.

Aalst $2,156
Leuven $2,237

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,186 in Aalst versus $3,310 in Leuven.

Aalst $3,186
Leuven $3,310

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,217 in Aalst versus $4,382 in Leuven.

Aalst $4,217
Leuven $4,382

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aalst 59% above, Leuven 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 €21.20

$22.45 €20.00

6.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 €85.3

$76.9 €68.5

24.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.56 €12.08

$13.34 €11.89

1.65%

Cappuccino

$4.24 €3.78

$4.20 €3.74

0.95%

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

$3.48 €3.10

$2.81 €2.51

23.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.82

$2.92 €2.60

8.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €5.02

$5.46 €4.86

3.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.47 €4.87

$4.58 €4.08

19.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.35 €1.20

0.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 €2.47

$2.73 €2.43

1.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.05 €1.83

12.20%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.45

$3.80 €3.38

2.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.58 €14.77

$11.33 €10.10

46.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.03 €10.72

$12.16 €10.83

-1.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.18 €19.76

$19.14 €17.05

15.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$2.80 €2.49

6.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.18

$2.23 €1.99

9.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.39

$2.13 €1.90

25.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.31 €2.95

$2.32 €2.07

42.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.17

$2.19 €1.95

10.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.67

$1.74 €1.55

7.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.52 €1.36

2.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.99

$0.94 €0.83

19.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.87 €11.46

$13.58 €12.10

-5.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.75 €7.79

$7.39 €6.58

18.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.69

$2.08 €1.85

-9.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.88 €1.68

8.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 €2.69

$3.27 €2.91

-7.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.0 €48.95

$46.71 €41.60

17.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 €2.61

$11.13 €9.92

-73.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 €2.09

$3.10 €2.76

-24.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.31 €35.91

$49.55 €44.14

-18.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.83

$2.03 €1.81

0.99%

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

$35.6K €31.7K

$35.0K €31.2K

1.53%

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

$36.0K €32.0K

$36.9K €32.9K

-2.61%

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

$211 €188

$214 €191

-1.66%

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

$21.20 €18.89

$18.38 €16.37

15.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 €46.49

$52.1 €46.40

0.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.57 €32.57

$40.54 €36.11

-9.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €17.38

$19.79 €17.62

-1.41%

Cinema Ticket

$15.62 €13.92

$14.54 €12.95

7.43%

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

$1,627 €1,449

$707 €630

130.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.7K €29.1K

$18.1K €16.1K

80.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €99.6

$98.2 €87.5

13.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.49 €41.42

$25.68 €22.87

81.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.8

$88.6 €78.9

17.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 €150

$144 €128

17.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$928 €827

$1,099 €979

-15.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 €730

$986 €878

-16.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 €1,241

$1,991 €1,774

-30.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 €999

$1,578 €1,406

-28.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,210 €3,750

$5,096 €4,539

-17.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,927 €2,608

$3,650 €3,251

-19.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 €2,481

$3,768 €3,357

-26.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

3.52

0.28%

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

Last update for Aalst: October 31, 2026

Last update for Leuven: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aalst

$819 38%

Leuven

$986 44.1% 20.3% $166

Groceries & Markets

Aalst

$361 16.8%

Leuven

$320 14.3% 11.3% $41

Eating Out

Aalst

$348 16.1%

Leuven

$329 14.7% 5.2% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aalst

$284 13.2%

Leuven

$285 12.7% 0.2% $0.6

Clothing & Footwear

Aalst

$194 9%

Leuven

$160 7.2% 17.4% $34

Getting Around

Aalst

$82 3.8%

Leuven

$86 3.9% 5.8% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Aalst

$68 3.2%

Leuven

$70 3.1% 2.7% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $928 in Aalst and $1,099 in Leuven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 35% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $96 in Aalst vs $77 in Leuven for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $320 per month, with Leuven cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Aalst

🇧🇪 Leuven

🕒 Local time

02:17 2:17 AM

Same time as Aalst

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,271

102,275

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Leuven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,156 in Aalst and $2,237 in Leuven, so Aalst is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 26% 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 $1,099 in Leuven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Leuven – a meal for two runs $77 versus $96 in Aalst. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,156 per month in Aalst versus $2,237 in Leuven – 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 Leuven are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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