Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Mechelen

For one person, living costs are similar in Antwerp and in Mechelen: $2,147 and $2,050 a month, rent and utilities included.

105

Cost of Living Index in Antwerp
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Antwerp Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Mechelen
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Mechelen Living Index

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Antwerp

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,147

/mo nomad

Mechelen

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antwerp and in Mechelen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,147 in Antwerp versus $2,050 in Mechelen.

Antwerp $2,147
Mechelen $2,050

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,321 in Antwerp versus $3,141 in Mechelen.

Antwerp $3,321
Mechelen $3,141

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,494 in Antwerp versus $4,232 in Mechelen.

Antwerp $4,494
Mechelen $4,232

Living in Antwerp is roughly 5% more expensive than in Mechelen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Antwerp 59% above, Mechelen 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.67 €20.17

$22.22 €19.77

2.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 €92.6

$106 €94.2

-1.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.36 €11.88

$13.20 €11.74

1.21%

Cappuccino

$4.38 €3.90

$4.16 €3.70

5.29%

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

$3.67 €3.27

$3.49 €3.11

5.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 €3.21

$2.95 €2.62

22.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 €4.80

$5.55 €4.94

-2.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 €5.41

$5.57 €4.95

9.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.20 €1.07

10.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 €2.46

$2.79 €2.48

-0.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.13 €1.89

0.94%

Eggs

$3.76 €3.35

$3.62 €3.22

3.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.22 €15.32

$17.00 €15.13

1.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.15 €10.81

$11.76 €10.46

3.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 €20.73

$19.68 €17.51

18.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 €2.56

$2.73 €2.42

5.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 €2.06

$2.42 €2.15

-4.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.31

$2.50 €2.22

4.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 €3.02

$2.80 €2.49

21.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.10

$2.10 €1.86

12.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.87 €1.66

-0.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.35 €1.21

12.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.93

$1.02 €0.90

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.06 €11.62

$13.15 €11.70

-0.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.08 €8.07

$8.84 €7.86

2.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.72 €1.53

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.84

$2.17 €1.93

-5.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.37 €3.00

$3.41 €3.03

-1.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.7 €47.72

$55.1 €48.97

-2.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 €4.98

$5.44 €4.84

2.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 €2.36

$2.62 €2.33

1.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.90 €39.94

$43.75 €38.92

2.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.85

$2.02 €1.80

2.97%

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

$35.0K €31.1K

$35.3K €31.4K

-1.07%

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

$34.0K €30.2K

$34.0K €30.3K

-0.08%

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

$204 €181

0.06%

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

$21.85 €19.43

$21.82 €19.40

0.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.38 €41.25

$46.94 €41.75

-1.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.05 €32.96

$29.65 €26.37

24.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 €24.11

$13.64 €12.14

98.68%

Cinema Ticket

$15.34 €13.64

$14.95 €13.29

2.61%

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

$1,612 €1,434

$554 €493

190.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K €30.0K

$21.4K €19.0K

57.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €100

$106 €93.9

6.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 €46.83

$49.11 €43.68

7.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €89.5

$109 €96.8

-7.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 €148

$147 €131

12.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 €912

$927 €825

10.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 €731

$771 €686

6.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,427

$1,436 €1,278

11.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,357 €1,207

$1,207 €1,073

12.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,403 €3,917

$4,998 €4,445

-11.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,082 €2,742

$3,620 €3,220

-14.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,073 €2,734

$2,172 €1,932

41.48%

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: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mechelen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Antwerp

$821 38.3%

Mechelen

$771 37.6% 6.1% $50

Groceries & Markets

Antwerp

$363 16.9%

Mechelen

$342 16.7% 5.7% $21

Eating Out

Antwerp

$342 15.9%

Mechelen

$332 16.2% 3% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antwerp

$272 12.7%

Mechelen

$272 13.3% 0.2% $0.4

Clothing & Footwear

Antwerp

$195 9.1%

Mechelen

$185 9% 5% $9.8

Getting Around

Antwerp

$86 4%

Mechelen

$87 4.3% 1.5% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Antwerp

$68 3.2%

Mechelen

$60 2.9% 12.1% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Antwerp and $927 in Mechelen. 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: $104 in Antwerp vs $106 in Mechelen. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $342, with Mechelen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Antwerp

🇧🇪 Mechelen

🕒 Local time

02:15 2:15 AM

Same time as Antwerp

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

525,935

80,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Mechelen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antwerp and Mechelen differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,147 vs $2,050 including rent). Mechelen 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: $1,025 in Antwerp versus $927 in Mechelen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mechelen runs roughly 3% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,612 in Antwerp versus $554 in Mechelen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,050 in Mechelen versus $2,147 in Antwerp, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mechelen but tight or insufficient in Antwerp. The gap between the two cities makes Mechelen 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 Mechelen 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 Mechelen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.