Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Leuven

For one person, living costs are similar in Antwerp and in Leuven: $2,202 and $2,222 a month, rent and utilities included.

106

Cost of Living Index in Antwerp
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Antwerp Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Leuven
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Leuven Living Index

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Antwerp

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,202

/mo nomad

Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antwerp and in Leuven

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Antwerp versus $2,222 in Leuven.

Antwerp $2,202
Leuven $2,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,326 in Antwerp versus $3,303 in Leuven.

Antwerp $3,326
Leuven $3,303

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,449 in Antwerp versus $4,383 in Leuven.

Antwerp $4,449
Leuven $4,383

Monthly costs are close between Antwerp and Leuven; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Antwerp 62% above, Leuven 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.81 €21.39

$22.36 €20.09

6.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 €85.9

$77.6 €69.7

23.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 €11.85

$13.26 €11.91

-0.53%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.84

$4.33 €3.89

-1.39%

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

$3.56 €3.19

$3.02 €2.71

17.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 €3.12

$2.89 €2.60

20.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 €5.00

$5.69 €5.11

-2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.63

$4.57 €4.11

36.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.25

$1.39 €1.24

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 €2.49

$2.67 €2.40

3.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 €1.99

$2.02 €1.81

9.41%

Eggs

$3.97 €3.57

$3.92 €3.52

1.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.34 €14.68

$11.38 €10.22

43.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.81 €10.61

$12.38 €11.12

-4.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.46 €20.17

$18.98 €17.05

18.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 €2.67

$2.69 €2.42

10.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.16

$2.17 €1.95

10.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.23 €2.01

16.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 €3.07

$2.31 €2.07

48.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.37

$2.26 €2.03

16.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 €1.59

$1.68 €1.51

5.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.39

$1.54 €1.39

0.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.03

$0.96 €0.86

19.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 €11.71

$13.34 €11.98

-2.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.88 €7.98

$7.19 €6.46

23.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.00 €1.79

-9.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.86

$1.78 €1.60

16.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 €3.02

$3.43 €3.08

-2.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.4 €49.73

$47.52 €42.69

16.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 €5.15

$10.15 €9.12

-43.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 €2.45

$2.50 €2.24

8.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.85 €39.39

$24.93 €22.40

75.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.84

$2.05 €1.85

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

$35.5K €31.8K

$35.0K €31.4K

1.30%

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

$37.3K €33.5K

$36.3K €32.6K

2.70%

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

$208 €186

$212 €190

-1.95%

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

$22.06 €19.82

$17.90 €16.08

23.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.17 €42.38

$53.1 €47.72

-11.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.59 €33.77

$40.05 €35.98

-6.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.44 €23.75

$19.62 €17.63

34.76%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 €13.83

$14.57 €13.09

5.70%

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

$1,616 €1,452

$699 €628

131.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K €29.9K

$16.4K €14.7K

103.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €103

$97.6 €87.7

17.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 €47.50

$26.13 €23.47

102.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.2

$88.7 €79.7

18.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 €159

$142 €128

24.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 €953

$1,108 €996

-4.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$856 €769

$975 €876

-12.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,441

$1,996 €1,793

-19.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 €1,183

$1,581 €1,420

-16.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,889

$5,066 €4,551

-14.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,965 €2,664

$3,640 €3,270

-18.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,012 €2,705

$3,727 €3,348

-19.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

3.52

0.28%

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

Last update for Antwerp: October 25, 2026

Last update for Leuven: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Antwerp

$856 38.9%

Leuven

$975 43.9% 13.9% $119

Groceries & Markets

Antwerp

$361 16.4%

Leuven

$320 14.4% 11.4% $41

Eating Out

Antwerp

$350 15.9%

Leuven

$332 14.9% 5.1% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antwerp

$277 12.6%

Leuven

$283 12.7% 2.1% $5.9

Clothing & Footwear

Antwerp

$202 9.2%

Leuven

$160 7.2% 21% $42

Getting Around

Antwerp

$88 4%

Leuven

$84 3.8% 4.9% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Antwerp

$68 3.1%

Leuven

$69 3.1% 1.2% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Antwerp and $1,108 in Leuven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 24% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $96 in Antwerp vs $78 in Leuven for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $320 per month, with Leuven cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Antwerp

🇧🇪 Leuven

🕒 Local time

23:54 11:54 PM

Same time as Antwerp

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

525,935

102,275

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Antwerp Leuven 43 km

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Antwerp
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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 Leuven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Antwerp. 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: $1,061 in Antwerp versus $1,108 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 14% less than in Antwerp. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Shoppers in Leuven pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Antwerp gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Safety-wise, Antwerp and Leuven are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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