Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Diest Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Diest

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,211 in Antwerp versus $2,181 in Diest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,445 in Antwerp versus $3,195 in Diest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,678 in Antwerp versus $4,209 in Diest.

Living in Antwerp is roughly 1% more expensive than in Diest, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Antwerp 62% above, Diest 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.78 €19.86

$23.34 €20.35

-2.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €96.3

$91.3 €79.6

20.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.99 €12.20

$12.38 €10.79

13.00%

Cappuccino

$4.57 €3.98

$3.73 €3.25

22.52%

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

$3.72 €3.24

$3.51 €3.06

5.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 €3.09

$2.82 €2.46

25.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.00

$5.60 €4.88

2.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 €5.62

$4.68 €4.08

37.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.26 €1.10

12.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 €2.45

$2.89 €2.52

-2.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$2.29 €2.00

-3.06%

Eggs

$3.93 €3.43

$3.73 €3.25

5.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.11 €15.79

$17.71 €15.44

2.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.31 €10.73

$12.48 €10.88

-1.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.40 €21.27

$20.49 €17.86

19.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.73

$2.93 €2.56

6.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.16

$2.37 €2.07

4.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.34

$2.69 €2.35

-0.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 €3.08

$3.11 €2.71

13.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.20

$2.34 €2.04

7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.93 €1.68

4.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.52 €1.32

3.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.03 €0.90

2.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.22 €11.52

$13.70 €11.94

-3.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.30 €8.11

$8.12 €7.08

14.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.56

$2.01 €1.75

-10.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.94 €1.69

5.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.39 €2.95

$3.16 €2.76

7.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.0 €49.71

$50.3 €43.83

13.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.90 €5.15

$5.90 €5.14

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 €2.45

$2.50 €2.18

12.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.46 €40.50

$41.71 €36.36

11.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.77

$1.97 €1.72

3.05%

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

$36.1K €31.5K

$36.7K €31.9K

-1.51%

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

$35.7K €31.1K

$35.2K €30.6K

1.48%

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

$207 €181

$211 €184

-1.59%

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

$22.24 €19.39

$21.68 €18.90

2.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.78 €42.52

$52.6 €45.82

-7.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.06 €34.05

$37.53 €32.71

4.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.00 €24.41

$20.60 €17.96

35.92%

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 €13.69

$15.71 €13.70

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

$1,691 €1,474

$745 €650

126.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K €29.6K

$25.3K €22.0K

34.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 €101

$106 €92.3

9.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 €47.53

$48.58 €42.35

12.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €93.2

$105 €91.4

1.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 €150

$147 €128

16.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 €933

$958 €835

11.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 €751

$857 €747

0.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 €1,495

$1,410 €1,229

21.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 €1,197

$1,173 €1,023

16.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,523 €3,943

$4,123 €3,594

9.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,122 €2,721

$2,944 €2,566

6.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,050 €2,658

$2,162 €1,885

41.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

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

Last update for Antwerp: September 14, 2026

Last update for Diest: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Antwerp and $958 in Diest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 41% 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: $110 in Antwerp vs $91.0 in Diest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $357 per month, with Diest cheaper across the board.

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

Antwerp and Diest differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,211 vs $2,181 including rent). Diest is meaningfully more affordable – 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: $1,071 in Antwerp versus $958 in Diest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Diest runs roughly 13% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,691 in Antwerp versus $745 in Diest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,181 in Diest versus $2,211 in Antwerp, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Diest but tight or insufficient in Antwerp. The gap between the two cities makes Diest 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, Antwerp and Diest 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 Diest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.