Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarschot and Leuven

For one person, living is cheaper in Aarschot: $1,990 a month against $2,196 in Leuven, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Aarschot
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Aarschot Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Leuven
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Leuven Living Index

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Aarschot

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,990

/mo nomad

Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,196

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aarschot 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 Aarschot and in Leuven actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,990 in Aarschot versus $2,196 in Leuven.

Aarschot $1,990
Leuven $2,196

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,883 in Aarschot versus $3,292 in Leuven.

Aarschot $2,883
Leuven $3,292

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,777 in Aarschot versus $4,387 in Leuven.

Aarschot $3,777
Leuven $4,387

Living in Aarschot costs roughly 9% less than in Leuven, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aarschot 47% above, Leuven 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.17 €16.16

$22.47 €19.99

-19.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$77.9 €69.3

-1.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 €9.78

$11.11 €9.88

-0.99%

Cappuccino

$3.69 €3.28

$4.39 €3.90

-15.95%

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

$2.98 €2.65

$3.03 €2.69

-1.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 €2.32

$2.96 €2.63

-11.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.33 €4.74

$5.19 €4.62

2.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.06

$4.46 €3.97

2.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.39 €1.24

-11.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 €2.41

$2.76 €2.45

-1.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 €1.79

$1.99 €1.77

1.01%

Eggs

$3.65 €3.24

$3.76 €3.34

-2.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 €10.30

$11.43 €10.16

1.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.65 €10.36

$12.30 €10.94

-5.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.94 €13.29

$19.28 €17.15

-22.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.40

$2.79 €2.48

-3.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.98

$2.13 €1.89

4.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.21 €1.97

-1.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 €1.99

$2.30 €2.05

-2.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.19 €1.95

3.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.67 €1.48

4.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.85

$0.91 €0.81

5.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 €7.90

$13.28 €11.81

-33.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 €6.60

$7.35 €6.53

0.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.02 €1.79

3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.58

$1.81 €1.61

-1.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.69

$3.34 €2.97

-9.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.7 €49.51

$38.54 €34.28

44.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 €4.56

$9.96 €8.86

-48.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.43 €2.16

1.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.99 €15.11

$24.95 €22.20

-31.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.08 €1.85

-5.29%

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

$36.0K €32.0K

$35.9K €32.0K

0.03%

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

$33.4K €29.7K

$36.6K €32.5K

-8.72%

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

$210 €187

$215 €191

-2.13%

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

$18.58 €16.53

$18.68 €16.61

-0.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 €46.56

$53.8 €47.89

-2.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.52 €32.49

$41.21 €36.65

-11.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.21 €17.09

$19.72 €17.54

-2.59%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 €12.59

$14.42 €12.82

-1.87%

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

$697 €620

$707 €629

-1.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.5K

$16.0K €14.3K

1.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.4 €76.0

$98.8 €87.9

-13.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.41 €23.49

$26.64 €23.69

-0.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 €77.9

$87.2 €77.6

0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €116

$143 €127

-8.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$928 €826

$1,093 €972

-15.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$826 €735

$960 €854

-13.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 €1,227

$1,990 €1,771

-30.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 €1,036

$1,607 €1,429

-27.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,218 €3,752

$5,378 €4,784

-21.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,844 €2,530

$3,682 €3,275

-22.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,126 €2,780

$3,699 €3,290

-15.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

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

Last update for Aarschot: October 19, 2026

Last update for Leuven: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aarschot

$826 41.5%

Leuven

$960 43.7% 16.2% $134

Groceries & Markets

Aarschot

$303 15.2%

Leuven

$320 14.6% 5.7% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aarschot

$281 14.1%

Leuven

$287 13.1% 2.2% $6.2

Eating Out

Aarschot

$281 14.1%

Leuven

$325 14.8% 15.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Aarschot

$148 7.5%

Leuven

$160 7.3% 7.8% $12

Getting Around

Aarschot

$85 4.3%

Leuven

$74 3.4% 13.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Aarschot

$65 3.3%

Leuven

$70 3.2% 8% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $928 in Aarschot and $1,093 in Leuven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 18% 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: $77.0 in Aarschot vs $78.0 in Leuven for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $320 per month, with Aarschot cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Aarschot

🇧🇪 Leuven

🕒 Local time

23:36 11:36 PM

Same time as Aarschot

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,656

102,275

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Aarschot vs Leuven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aarschot is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Leuven. 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 Aarschot versus $1,093 in Leuven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Leuven. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Aarschot – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $78.0 in Leuven. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,990 in Aarschot versus $2,196 in Leuven, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Aarschot but tight or insufficient in Leuven. The gap between the two cities makes Aarschot 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, Aarschot and Leuven 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 Aarschot gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Leuven. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.