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: $2,216 in Antwerp versus $2,089 in Diest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,430 in Antwerp versus $3,128 in Diest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,644 in Antwerp versus $4,168 in Diest.

Living in Antwerp is roughly 6% more expensive than Diest, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Antwerp 66% above, Diest 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.00 €19.81

$22.73 €19.57

1.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 €105

$92.5 €79.7

32.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 €10.84

$12.03 €10.36

4.66%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.51

$3.71 €3.20

9.97%

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

$3.48 €2.99

$3.45 €2.97

0.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.62

$3.15 €2.71

-3.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.53 €4.76

$5.61 €4.83

-1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €4.00

$4.76 €4.10

-2.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.28 €1.11

7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 €2.46

$2.77 €2.39

3.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 €2.25

$2.55 €2.19

2.75%

Eggs

$4.03 €3.47

$4.18 €3.60

-3.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.10 €15.59

$17.28 €14.88

4.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.78 €10.15

$11.42 €9.83

3.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.20 €19.12

$21.37 €18.41

3.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 €2.62

$2.66 €2.29

14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.02

$2.35 €2.03

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$2.34 €2.01

-1.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 €2.82

$2.98 €2.56

9.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 €2.43

$2.15 €1.85

31.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.15 €1.85

10.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.46 €1.26

1.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.75

$0.95 €0.81

-8.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.90 €11.10

$12.56 €10.82

2.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 €7.77

$8.62 €7.43

4.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.46

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.93 €1.66

4.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 €2.43

$2.82 €2.43

0.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.72 €39.37

$55.9 €48.15

-18.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 €4.84

$5.87 €5.06

-4.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 €2.12

$2.44 €2.10

1.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.42 €39.97

$37.84 €32.58

22.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.89 €1.63

1.59%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$33.4K €28.7K

5.68%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$31.5K €27.1K

5.08%

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

$203 €175

$207 €178

-1.71%

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

$25.37 €21.85

$24.66 €21.24

2.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.9 €44.69

$51.8 €44.63

0.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.53 €38.34

$39.17 €33.73

13.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.49 €21.95

$17.28 €14.88

47.51%

Cinema Ticket

$15.35 €13.22

$14.88 €12.81

3.16%

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

$648 €558

$612 €527

5.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €11.6K

$13.6K €11.7K

-1.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €95.7

$105 €90.3

6.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.56 €42.68

$49.66 €42.76

-0.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €99.3

$108 €93.3

6.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$236 €203

$155 €134

51.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 €897

$892 €768

16.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 €748

$761 €656

14.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 €1,350

$1,357 €1,169

15.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 €1,115

$1,092 €940

18.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,538 €3,908

$4,123 €3,550

10.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,144 €2,707

$3,040 €2,617

3.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,078 €2,650

$2,189 €1,885

40.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

3.42

-4.39%

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

Last update for Antwerp: June 13, 2026

Last update for Diest: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,042 in Antwerp and $892 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: $122 in Antwerp vs $93.0 in Diest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $350 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 6% in total monthly costs ($2,216 vs $2,089 including rent). Diest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Antwerp pays 41% more on average, 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: $1,042 in Antwerp versus $892 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 22% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $648 in Antwerp versus $612 in Diest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,089 in Diest versus $2,216 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 6% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.