Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Aalst

For one person, living is cheaper in Aalst: $2,141 a month against $2,202 in Antwerp, rent and utilities included – about $730 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Antwerp
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Antwerp Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Aalst
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Aalst Living Index

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Antwerp

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,202

/mo nomad

Aalst

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,141

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antwerp and in Aalst

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Antwerp versus $2,141 in Aalst.

Antwerp $2,202
Aalst $2,141

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,326 in Antwerp versus $3,169 in Aalst.

Antwerp $3,326
Aalst $3,169

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,449 in Antwerp versus $4,197 in Aalst.

Antwerp $4,449
Aalst $4,197

Living in Antwerp is roughly 3% more expensive than in Aalst, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Antwerp 62% above, Aalst 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.81 €21.34

$23.31 €20.88

2.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 €85.7

$95.9 €85.9

-0.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 €11.82

$13.64 €12.22

-3.30%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.83

$4.39 €3.93

-2.73%

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

$3.56 €3.19

$3.49 €3.12

2.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 €3.11

$3.03 €2.71

14.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 €4.99

$5.63 €5.04

-1.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.61

$5.69 €5.10

10.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.25

$1.34 €1.20

3.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 €2.48

$2.85 €2.55

-2.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.32 €2.08

-4.74%

Eggs

$3.97 €3.56

$4.07 €3.65

-2.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.34 €14.64

$16.44 €14.73

-0.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.81 €10.58

$11.74 €10.52

0.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.46 €20.12

$22.26 €19.95

0.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 €2.66

$3.08 €2.76

-3.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.15

$2.41 €2.16

-0.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.70 €2.42

-4.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 €3.06

$3.35 €3.00

2.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.37

$2.53 €2.26

4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 €1.59

$1.87 €1.67

-5.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.39

$1.50 €1.34

3.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.12 €1.00

2.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 €11.68

$12.77 €11.45

2.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.88 €7.96

$8.58 €7.69

3.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.89 €1.70

-3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.85

$2.04 €1.83

1.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 €3.01

$3.18 €2.85

5.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.4 €49.60

$52.7 €47.18

5.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 €5.14

$2.97 €2.66

92.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 €2.44

$2.30 €2.06

18.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.85 €39.30

$41.01 €36.75

6.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.84

$2.08 €1.86

-1.44%

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

$35.5K €31.8K

$35.2K €31.5K

0.82%

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

$37.3K €33.4K

$36.3K €32.5K

2.78%

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

$208 €186

$207 €185

0.41%

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

$22.06 €19.77

$20.48 €18.35

7.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.17 €42.27

$52.1 €46.70

-9.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.59 €33.68

$36.48 €32.69

3.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.44 €23.69

$21.47 €19.24

23.15%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 €13.80

$15.71 €14.08

-1.97%

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

$1,616 €1,448

$1,606 €1,439

0.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K €29.9K

$34.0K €30.4K

-1.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €102

$113 €101

1.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 €47.38

$45.55 €40.82

16.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.0

$106 €94.6

-0.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 €158

$166 €148

6.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 €951

$931 €834

13.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$856 €767

$814 €730

5.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,437

$1,392 €1,247

15.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 €1,180

$1,113 €997

18.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,879

$4,190 €3,755

3.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,965 €2,657

$2,896 €2,595

2.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,012 €2,699

$2,836 €2,541

6.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

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

Last update for Antwerp: October 25, 2026

Last update for Aalst: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Antwerp

$856 38.9%

Aalst

$814 38% 4.9% $42

Groceries & Markets

Antwerp

$361 16.4%

Aalst

$361 16.9% 0% $0.1

Eating Out

Antwerp

$350 15.9%

Aalst

$346 16.1% 1.2% $4.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antwerp

$277 12.6%

Aalst

$279 13% 0.9% $2.5

Clothing & Footwear

Antwerp

$202 9.2%

Aalst

$193 9% 4.2% $8.4

Getting Around

Antwerp

$88 4%

Aalst

$80 3.7% 9.4% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Antwerp

$68 3.1%

Aalst

$68 3.2% 0.7% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Antwerp and $931 in Aalst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 6% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

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

Good to know

🇧🇪 Antwerp

🇧🇪 Aalst

🕒 Local time

09:31 9:31 AM

Same time as Antwerp

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

525,935

78,271

💱 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

Antwerp vs Aalst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,202 in Antwerp and $2,141 in Aalst, so Aalst is about 3% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Antwerp, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,061 in Antwerp versus $931 in Aalst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,616 in Antwerp versus $1,606 in Aalst. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $2,202 per month in Antwerp versus $2,141 in Aalst – Aalst is about 3% 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, Antwerp and Aalst are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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