Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Leuven Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Leuven

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Antwerp versus $2,226 in Leuven.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,400 in Antwerp versus $3,347 in Leuven.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,547 in Antwerp versus $4,468 in Leuven.

Living in Antwerp is roughly 1% more expensive than Leuven, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Antwerp 68% above, Leuven 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.57 €20.13

$17.28 €14.76

36.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 €104

$94.4 €80.6

29.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.95 €11.06

$11.68 €9.98

10.87%

Cappuccino

$4.26 €3.64

$4.30 €3.67

-0.93%

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

$3.45 €2.95

$3.59 €3.06

-3.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.60

$3.48 €2.97

-12.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.44 €4.64

$4.89 €4.18

11.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.94

$3.63 €3.10

27.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.16

$1.37 €1.17

-0.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 €2.39

$2.17 €1.86

29.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 €2.24

$2.94 €2.51

-10.88%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.42

$3.54 €3.03

13.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.02 €15.39

$11.96 €10.21

50.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.61 €9.92

$13.02 €11.12

-10.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.74 €18.57

$17.52 €14.96

24.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.76 €2.35

5.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$2.30 €1.96

3.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$2.04 €1.74

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 €2.85

$2.63 €2.25

26.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 €2.55

$2.13 €1.82

40.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 €2.09

$1.70 €1.45

44.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.22

$1.57 €1.34

-8.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.75

$1.21 €1.03

-27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.93 €11.04

$12.86 €10.99

0.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.56 €8.16

$7.73 €6.60

23.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.44

$2.35 €2.00

-28.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.67

$2.18 €1.86

-10.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 €2.50

$2.83 €2.41

3.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.52 €38.02

$37.24 €31.81

19.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.67 €4.84

$6.44 €5.50

-11.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.42 €2.07

$2.58 €2.21

-6.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.64 €39.83

$34.34 €29.33

35.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.65

$1.92 €1.64

0.52%

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

$36.1K €30.9K

$30.1K €25.7K

20.19%

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

$32.9K €28.1K

$27.9K €23.8K

17.85%

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

$207 €177

$182 €156

13.90%

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

$25.34 €21.64

$21.74 €18.56

16.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €44.39

$47.78 €40.80

8.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.77 €38.23

$46.28 €39.52

-3.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.20 €21.52

$17.03 €14.54

47.97%

Cinema Ticket

$14.88 €12.71

$14.49 €12.38

2.69%

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

$653 €558

$660 €564

-1.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K €11.4K

$13.6K €11.6K

-2.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €92.9

$103 €87.6

6.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.48 €41.40

$33.03 €28.21

46.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €101

$93.9 €80.2

26.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 €199

$134 €114

73.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 €893

$1,009 €862

3.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$857 €732

$1,086 €927

-21.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 €1,356

$2,155 €1,840

-26.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 €1,103

$1,738 €1,485

-25.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,632 €3,955

$5,641 €4,818

-17.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,214 €2,744

$3,766 €3,216

-14.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,141 €2,682

$3,465 €2,959

-9.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

3.83

-14.62%

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

Last update for Antwerp: April 25, 2026

Last update for Leuven: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,046 in Antwerp and $1,009 in Leuven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $122 in Antwerp vs $94.0 in Leuven for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $362 vs $326 per month, with Leuven 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 Leuven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antwerp and Leuven differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,253 vs $2,226 including rent). Leuven is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Leuven earns 10% less. 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: $1,046 in Antwerp versus $1,009 in Leuven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Leuven runs roughly 20% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $653 in Antwerp versus $660 in Leuven. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,226 in Leuven versus $2,253 in Antwerp, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Leuven but tight or insufficient in Antwerp. The gap between the two cities makes Leuven 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 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 Leuven 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.