Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Diest

For one person, living is cheaper in Diest: $2,088 a month against $2,211 in Antwerp, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Antwerp
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Antwerp Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Diest
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Diest Living Index

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Antwerp

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,211

/mo nomad

Diest

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,088

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antwerp and in Diest

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,211 in Antwerp versus $2,088 in Diest.

Antwerp $2,211
Diest $2,088

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,337 in Antwerp versus $3,070 in Diest.

Antwerp $3,337
Diest $3,070

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,463 in Antwerp versus $4,052 in Diest.

Antwerp $4,463
Diest $4,052

Living in Antwerp is roughly 6% more expensive than in Diest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Antwerp 64% above, Diest 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.63 €21.94

$21.93 €19.53

12.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.2 €85.7

$85.0 €75.7

13.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.33 €11.87

$11.89 €10.59

12.11%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.79

$3.54 €3.15

20.06%

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

$3.64 €3.24

$2.94 €2.62

23.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.07

$2.80 €2.50

22.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.61 €5.00

$5.38 €4.79

4.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 €5.38

$4.35 €3.87

38.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.26 €1.12

10.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 €2.51

$2.73 €2.43

3.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.25 €2.00

-2.67%

Eggs

$3.84 €3.43

$3.93 €3.50

-2.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.55 €14.75

$15.20 €13.54

8.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.76 €10.48

$11.87 €10.57

-0.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.27 €19.84

$18.91 €16.84

17.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 €2.61

$2.78 €2.48

5.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 €2.16

$2.25 €2.01

8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 €2.29

$2.61 €2.32

-1.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 €3.09

$2.93 €2.61

18.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 €2.34

$2.18 €1.94

20.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.72 €1.54

7.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.52 €1.36

2.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.02 €0.91

13.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.96 €11.54

$13.13 €11.69

-1.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 €8.03

$8.44 €7.52

6.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.95 €1.74

-6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.05 €1.82

-3.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.38 €3.01

$3.07 €2.74

10.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.1 €49.09

$54.4 €48.47

1.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 €4.87

$5.69 €5.07

-3.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 €2.33

$2.47 €2.20

5.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.47 €39.61

$30.18 €26.89

47.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.07 €1.84

0.97%

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

$35.2K €31.3K

$36.0K €32.1K

-2.40%

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

$36.7K €32.7K

$36.1K €32.1K

1.74%

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

$210 €187

$209 €186

0.51%

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

$22.31 €19.87

$20.59 €18.34

8.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.06 €42.81

$51.4 €45.77

-6.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.96 €33.82

$36.60 €32.60

3.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.25 €24.28

$19.94 €17.76

36.66%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.01

$14.29 €12.73

10.08%

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

$1,625 €1,448

$781 €696

108.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.8K €29.3K

$19.3K €17.2K

70.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €102

$103 €91.9

10.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 €47.31

$48.33 €43.05

9.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.3

$106 €94.8

-0.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$179 €160

$147 €131

21.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 €943

$938 €836

12.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 €759

$825 €735

3.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 €1,457

$1,367 €1,217

19.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 €1,163

$1,168 €1,040

11.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,341 €3,867

$4,180 €3,723

3.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,925 €2,606

$2,949 €2,627

-0.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,024 €2,694

$2,138 €1,905

41.43%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Diest: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Antwerp

$853 38.6%

Diest

$825 39.5% 3.2% $27

Groceries & Markets

Antwerp

$361 16.3%

Diest

$338 16.2% 6.5% $23

Eating Out

Antwerp

$357 16.1%

Diest

$312 15% 12.5% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antwerp

$280 12.7%

Diest

$281 13.4% 0.2% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

Antwerp

$204 9.2%

Diest

$182 8.7% 10.5% $21

Getting Around

Antwerp

$87 3.9%

Diest

$85 4.1% 2.8% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Antwerp

$69 3.1%

Diest

$65 3.1% 6.1% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,058 in Antwerp and $938 in Diest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 41% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $96 in Antwerp vs $85 in Diest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $338 per month, with Diest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Antwerp

🇧🇪 Diest

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

Same time as Antwerp

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

525,935

22,516

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Antwerp Diest 52 km

From you

Antwerp
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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

Antwerp vs Diest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,211 in Antwerp and $2,088 in Diest, so Diest is about 6% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 41% 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: $1,058 in Antwerp versus $938 in Diest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Antwerp. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,211 per month in Antwerp versus $2,088 in Diest – Diest is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Diest is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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

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