Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Ostend Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Ostend

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,211 in Antwerp versus $1,857 in Ostend.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,445 in Antwerp versus $2,803 in Ostend.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,678 in Antwerp versus $3,749 in Ostend.

Living in Antwerp is roughly 19% more expensive than in Ostend, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Antwerp 62% above, Ostend 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.78 €19.86

$22.14 €19.30

2.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €96.3

$82.3 €71.8

34.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.99 €12.20

$11.60 €10.11

20.60%

Cappuccino

$4.57 €3.98

$4.30 €3.75

6.28%

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

$3.72 €3.24

$3.22 €2.81

15.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 €3.09

$2.61 €2.27

36.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.00

$4.69 €4.09

22.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 €5.62

$4.67 €4.07

38.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.21 €1.05

17.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 €2.45

$2.70 €2.35

4.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$2.25 €1.96

-1.33%

Eggs

$3.93 €3.43

$4.05 €3.53

-2.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.11 €15.79

$12.08 €10.53

49.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.31 €10.73

$12.02 €10.48

2.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.40 €21.27

$13.64 €11.89

78.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.73

$2.90 €2.53

7.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.16

$2.16 €1.88

14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.34

$2.28 €1.99

17.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 €3.08

$2.37 €2.06

48.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.20

$1.84 €1.60

36.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.80 €1.57

11.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.28 €1.12

23.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.92

$0.91 €0.80

16.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.22 €11.52

$10.55 €9.19

25.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.30 €8.11

$6.79 €5.92

36.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.56

$2.16 €1.88

-17.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.92 €1.67

6.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.39 €2.95

$3.45 €3.00

-1.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.0 €49.71

$40.95 €35.69

39.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.90 €5.15

$3.39 €2.95

74.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 €2.45

$2.25 €1.96

24.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.46 €40.50

$25.56 €22.28

81.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.77

$1.93 €1.68

5.18%

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

$36.1K €31.5K

$35.7K €31.1K

1.22%

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

$35.7K €31.1K

$32.2K €28.1K

10.85%

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

$207 €181

$181 €158

14.64%

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

$22.24 €19.39

$18.64 €16.25

19.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.78 €42.52

$55.5 €48.36

-12.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.06 €34.05

$37.78 €32.93

3.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.00 €24.41

$11.39 €9.93

145.83%

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 €13.69

$15.12 €13.18

3.90%

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

$1,691 €1,474

$404 €352

318.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K €29.6K

$16.7K €14.6K

103.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 €101

$103 €89.6

12.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 €47.53

$26.78 €23.34

103.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €93.2

$92.2 €80.4

15.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 €150

$125 €109

37.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 €933

$836 €729

28.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 €751

$710 €619

21.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 €1,495

$1,284 €1,119

33.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 €1,197

$1,013 €883

35.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,523 €3,943

$3,889 €3,390

16.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,122 €2,721

$2,023 €1,763

54.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,050 €2,658

$3,154 €2,749

-3.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.33

3.90%

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

Last update for Antwerp: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ostend: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Antwerp and $836 in Ostend. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ostend pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $110 in Antwerp vs $82.0 in Ostend for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $303 per month, with Ostend 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 Ostend: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antwerp and Ostend differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,211 vs $1,857 including rent). Ostend is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Ostend. 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: $1,071 in Antwerp versus $836 in Ostend. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ostend runs roughly 39% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,691 in Antwerp versus $404 in Ostend. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,857 in Ostend versus $2,211 in Antwerp, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ostend but tight or insufficient in Antwerp. The gap between the two cities makes Ostend 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 Ostend 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 Ostend gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.