Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Mortsel Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Mortsel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Antwerp versus $2,089 in Mortsel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,403 in Antwerp versus $3,206 in Mortsel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,562 in Antwerp versus $4,323 in Mortsel.

Living in Antwerp is roughly 7% more expensive than Mortsel, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Antwerp 67% above, Mortsel 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.30 €19.87

$22.75 €19.41

2.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 €104

$114 €97.5

6.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.80 €10.92

$12.48 €10.64

2.56%

Cappuccino

$4.16 €3.55

$4.05 €3.45

2.72%

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

$3.46 €2.95

$3.42 €2.92

1.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.70

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €4.81

$5.62 €4.80

0.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.00

$4.55 €3.88

3.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.35 €1.16

1.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 €2.46

$2.75 €2.34

5.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 €2.33

$2.39 €2.04

14.23%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

$4.29 €3.66

-5.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €14.98

$17.10 €14.58

2.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.66 €9.95

$11.62 €9.91

0.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.17 €18.91

$21.93 €18.71

1.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 €2.56

$2.92 €2.49

2.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.09

$2.33 €1.99

5.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 €2.02

$2.29 €1.96

3.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 €2.91

$3.00 €2.56

13.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 €2.44

$1.92 €1.64

48.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 €2.09

$2.14 €1.82

14.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.20

$1.31 €1.12

7.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.87 €0.75

-1.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.78 €10.90

$12.62 €10.77

1.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 €8.25

$9.21 €7.85

4.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.94 €1.65

-11.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.70

$2.34 €2.00

-14.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.53 €2.16

15.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.76 €39.03

$57.3 €48.91

-20.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 €5.01

$5.76 €4.92

2.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 €2.09

$2.50 €2.13

-2.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.93 €40.03

$46.16 €39.38

1.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.56

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

$35.8K €30.5K

$33.4K €28.5K

7.17%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$32.7K €27.9K

1.71%

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

$205 €175

$227 €193

-9.49%

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

$24.89 €21.23

$22.68 €19.34

9.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 €43.14

$50.4 €43.01

0.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.28 €37.77

$38.30 €32.67

15.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.13 €21.43

$17.12 €14.60

46.79%

Cinema Ticket

$15.01 €12.80

$14.97 €12.77

0.27%

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

$636 €543

$568 €484

12.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.6K

$13.3K €11.4K

2.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €93.6

$112 €95.6

-2.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.89 €42.55

$48.99 €41.79

1.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €99.9

$105 €89.2

11.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 €199

$163 €139

42.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 €880

$908 €774

13.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 €728

$754 €643

13.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 €1,357

$1,361 €1,161

16.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 €1,094

$1,106 €943

16.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,682 €3,994

$3,543 €3,022

32.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,184 €2,716

$2,535 €2,163

25.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,127 €2,667

$2,477 €2,113

26.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

3.5

-6.57%

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

Last update for Antwerp: April 22, 2026

Last update for Mortsel: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,032 in Antwerp and $908 in Mortsel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 26% 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 $114 in Mortsel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $354 per month, with Mortsel 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 Mortsel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antwerp and Mortsel differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $2,089 including rent). Mortsel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Antwerp pays 26% 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: $1,032 in Antwerp versus $908 in Mortsel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mortsel runs roughly 25% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $636 in Antwerp versus $568 in Mortsel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,089 in Mortsel versus $2,243 in Antwerp, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mortsel but tight or insufficient in Antwerp. The gap between the two cities makes Mortsel 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 Mortsel 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 Mortsel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.